Softball Splits At Eastside

A 1-1 showing at the Eastside Classic at Eastside High School for the Wawasee softball program wasn’t anything to be ashamed of Saturday.

Wawasee went toe-to-toe with 2A state power Bremen but came up short on a 1-0 final score, then battled South Bend Adams to a 4-3 win in the consolation game.

Meghan Fretz gave up just one lonely hit to Class 2-A No. 5 Bremen the entire game one, but it was timely. After issuing a two-out walk to Sabrina Gilley in the third inning, Shelby Zellmer smacked Bremen’s only single to left, bringing around Gilley to score. Fretz would issue six free passes to the Lions, but struck out eight.

Chelsea Huppert was just as brilliant for Bremen, scattering three Wawasee hits and not allowing a Lady Warrior past second base. Huppert struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Paige Hlutke had two of those hits for Wawasee.

Ale Brito was the hero for Wawasee in the consolation game against South Bend Adams, doubling in Kayla White in the bottom of the seventh for the win. Hlutke added two RBIs on a single and a sacrifice fly to help Wawasee to its 15th win this season.

Fretz got the win in relief, working the final four innings, not allowing an earned run and fanning five. Danielle Gunkel started the game, working three innings and giving up just three hits and one run.

In the tourney final, Bremen’s Shannon Arndt allowed just one run and held Class 2-A No. 9 Eastside to just four hits as the regional rematch from last season went to Bremen, 5-1. Zollmer, Micaela Box and Jess Gall all had two hits for the Lions, which move to 16-2 overall.

Wawasee (15-3 overall) plays Monday at NorthWood.

Concordia Rallies For Win

Wawasee had Fort Wayne Concordia down to its final bullets Saturday along the banks of the St. Joseph River, but the Cadets managed to rally with two runs in its final at bat to beat Wawasee, 9-8, in varsity baseball in Fort Wayne.

The seesaw ballgame saw Wawasee jump out to a four-run first inning, only for Concordia to eventually pull even at 6-6 after four. Wawasee reclaimed an 8-6 lead in the fifth, but gave a run back in the bottom half, then gave up the tying and winning runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Brett Carson had a huge day for the Warriors (7-8 overall), collecting three hits and driving in three runs. Gage Reinhard reached base three times, including a double, and drove in a run and Drew Wright had two hits and an RBI for the Warriors.

Harrison Shortill had another tough outing on the bump, taking the loss in the seventh in giving up the Cadet’s final three runs. He struck out two and walked three.

In the JV contest, Rylan Kuhn had two hits, but it wasn’t enough as Wawasee fell to Concordia 6-3.

Wawasee returns to action Monday at home against NorthWood.

JV Tennis Struggles At NLC

Wawasee didn’t have much to celebrate at the junior varsity Northern Lakes Conference invitational Saturday hosted by Warsaw.

The No. 1 doubles team of Jasmine Morehead and Courtney Larson were the only Wawasee team to find a victory, which came in the seventh-place match against Elkhart Memorial in an 8-6 final.

Wawasee, consequently, finished eighth as a team in the eight-team conference showcase of the junior circuits.

Plymouth won four of the five courts, taking all three singles courts and the two doubles bracket to claim the team championship. Concord won the one doubles bracket.

Wawasee’s JV and varsity will be in action Monday to close out NLC play in hosting Plymouth.