Viqueens eliminated in back-and-forth game versus eighth ranked Exira-EHK

 The Stanton Viqueens softball team went into its 1A regional quarterfinal game with Exira-EHK last Wednesday with nothing to lose and nearly left Griswold High School with a win over the eighth ranked team in the state.

Stanton fell short late though as they lost 6-5 in a game in which both teams swapped the lead multiple times.

“For us, all the pressure was on them. We came in and we weren’t expected to compete with them,” Stanton softball coach Arlin Top said. “We played loose and that’s the best we’ve played all year. If it’s going to be the last game of the year, that’s the way we want to go out.”

The Stanton offense scored five runs on a team that had given up eight the entire season. All the runs were scored against Spartans ace Rachel Smith, who entered the game with a 0.05 ERA.

“She’s probably one of the top two or three pitchers in the state and for us to score five runs against her, I think she had given up eight runs all year,” Top said. “Her stats are insane.”

Exira-EHK jumped on the board in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Smith retired the first six Stanton batters.

The first Viqueens baserunner didn’t get on base until the top of the third when a Smith pitch hit Heidi Vanderholm.

Two batters later, Lauren Stephens moved Vanderholm into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

Macy Elwood drove in the first run with a RBI single that scored Vanderholm to tie the game 1-1.

“You don’t have to take a full cut against [Smith] because she throws so hard if you put the bat on the ball; it just goes on its own,” Top  said. “For the most part, the kids did as well as they could.”

Carmen Subbert got on base with a hit as it led to Elwood scoring and giving Stanton the lead, thanks to miscues in the infield by the Spartans.

Stanton’s 2-1 lead didn’t last long as Exira-EHK scored three in the bottom half of third to go ahead 4-2.

“We knew they were going to hit the ball hard at us and defense was solid all night long,” Top said.

The Viqueens tied the game again in the fifth inning. Erin Sorensen led off the inning with a single. Stephens had another sacrifice bunt that moved courtesy runner Ally Focht over to second base.

Elwood followed up with a double, but leaving Focht at third. Subbert’s hit in the infield plus miscues by the Spartans led to both Focht and Elwood scoring.

Stanton had a chance to score again when Devin Druivenga got on base via hit by pitch. A passed ball moved both Subbert and Druivenga into scoring position. However, Smith retired the next two batters to get out of the inning.

“She throws the ball really well and in our conference, we don’t see anyone who pitches like that,” Top said about Smith.

Exira-EHK had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, but they weren’t able to get her home, as the game was tied 4-4 through five.

Logan Wagg led off the sixth inning with a walk. She moved to second on a stolen base and soon moved to third. 

With one out, Sorensen laid down a sacrifice bunt as Wagg slid across home plate, beating the tag and giving the Viqueens a 5-4 lead.

The Spartans had the bottom half of the line-up for the bottom of the sixth inning. 

However, they were able to get to the top of the line-up, thanks to a single, as well as a bunt single. 

The runners were in scoring position as Sophia Peppers hit the tying and go-ahead runs in on a double, scoring Claire Paulsen and Mara Burmeister.

Kylee Johnson got the Viqueens out of the inning without the Spartans scoring any additional runs.

Smith retired all three batters in the top of the seventh to hold on and get the win.

Elwood was the leading hitter for Stanton as she went 2-for-4. Subbert, Erin DeKay and Sorensen each had a hit.

The game was a re-match from last year’s 1A regional quarterfinals when Exira-EHK won 3-2.

Smith, who also pitched in last year’s meeting, struck out 13 batters this time around.

“We put the ball in play enough that five runs against her is unbelievable,” Top said.

Stanton 12, Nishnabotna 0

The Viqueens reached the quarterfinals with a 12-0 win in the first round last Monday against Nishnabotna.

Stanton scored six runs in the first, one in the second and five more in the third to get the win via mercy rule.

Subbert led the way by going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Wagg was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while DeKay and Chelsea Weis were both 2-for-2.

Stanton finishes the 2014 season with a 9-7 record.

The Viqueens will lose three key seniors, all infielders, in Subbert, Elwood and DeKay. 

“Those are three tough kids to replace,” Top said. “They’ve been such huge leaders for us. “

Stanton will return no shortage of players next season, who gained varsity experience. Wagg, Weis and Druivenga are among the key players likely to be back next season.

“Those three will be pretty key contributors,” Top said.

Other key returners include Sorensen, Stephens, Johnson, Focht and Vanderholm.