Lady Rockets defeat Harvard twice, but drop a pair to Zion
By Todd Rohde ~ SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
It was kind of a roller coaster week for the Richmond-Burton softball team, as they had some mixed results depending on which team they were playing.
The Lady Rockets began the week by defeating rival Harvard twice within three days on the diamond, but then dropped a pair of showings to Zion-Benton later in the week on the same day.
The Lady Rockets got things rolling in a positive direction by first knocking off the Hornets by a 10-2 margin in Big Northern Conference action May 15th in Richmond. After the Rockets play this week, their overall record sits at 11-13 and they are in third place in the league standings at 6-6.
Haylea Hoskins picked up the complete-game victory for the Rockets on the mound, as she kept the Hornets’ offense off balanced. She was responsible for allowing just two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk over seven innings of work.
Despite committing four errors in the field, the Rockets were able to overcome their miscues at the plate with the bats. Richmond pounded out 11 hits on the day including seven of them going for extra bases as they made the most of their scoring opportunities.
The Rockets scored early and often in the game, as they plated runs in every inning except the second. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first, Richmond continued to pour it on and put the game away by adding three more runs in both the third and fifth to go along with a solo run in the fourth and a pair in the sixth.
Leading the way for the Rockets were Meagan Spohr with three hits and Katie Kroll and Sam Dahlen with two apiece. Spohr produced a pair of triples, a double and three RBIS, Kroll homered, doubled and knocked in two as Dahlen added two singles and scored twice.
The Rockets repeated the same favor by defeating the Hornets again just two days later by a 9-3 difference in BNC play May 17th at Harvard. Emma Fionda proved to be the thorn in the Hornets side in this game, as she made her presence felt both at the plate and on the mound.
Fionda pitched the win as she gave three runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over seven innings. She also helped her own cause with the bat by coming up with three hits, scoring twice and having an RBI.
As a team, Richmond pounded out 17 hits on the day as everyone in the lineup found a way to get on base. The Rockets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and never looked back, as they added three insurance runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Also helping out offensively were Grace Schwegel had three hits, a run and an RBI on the day, as Spohr dished in a pair of doubles and McKenna Wegner finished with a pair of RBIs.
The Rockets closed out the week by dropping a pair of nonconference games as part of doubleheader action May 18th at Zion-Benton. Richmond was doubled by a 4-2 difference in the opener to the Zee Bees, before being handed a 12-2 loss in the nightcap.
No other information, statistics or highlights of the above games were made available to the paper at the time of print. (Richmond/Spring Grove Report 5/24/13)
RB 10, Harvard 3: @ Richmond, Katie Kroll homered for the Rockets (10-12, 506), with Meagan Spohr going 3 for 3 with two triples and a double in their BNC East Win. (NWHerald 5/16/13)
RB 10-8, Oregon 0-2: @ Richmond, Haylea Hoskins allowed one hit over five innings in her Game 1 win for the Rockets (7-10), with Sam Dahlen, Taylor Mell, and Katie Kroll homering in their BNC crossover wins. (NWHerald 5/12/13)
Richmond-Burton Softball
by Todd Rohde~SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Despite putting forth a valiant effort,the Richmond-Burton softball team didn’t have much to show for their performances especially in the win column. The Lady Rockets came up empty in all three of their showings for the week and what makes the defeats even tougher is that they came against conference opponents.
The Lady Rockets were the recipient of a 5-3 BNC game at Burlington Central May 2nd, as it was their second loss to them in three days. The losses on the week dropped the Rockets record to 5-9 overall on the year and to 4-6 in league play.
Richmond isn’t the only team that has had trouble with B-C this season, as they sit atop the division with an unblemished 10-0 mark to go along with being 18-1 in all games played this season.
Haylea Hoskins took the loss pitching for the Rockets after giving up three earned runs on eight hits with three of both walks and strikeouts over seven innings. Sparking the offense was Katie Kroll with a double, a triple, a run and an RBI, while Samantha Dahlen added a pair of singles.
Just a day prior on May 1st, the Rockets were doubled up by a 14-7 margin to Marengo in BNC action at Richmond. Amanda Modlin took the loss on the mound by being touched for five runs on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks, as Dahlen was 3-3 at the plate including a homerun.
Finally the Rockets lost a competitive 2-1 BNC battle to B-C on April 30th at Richmond in a game that just as easily could have gone either way. The Rockets limited offense was led by Brogan Etten with a double and Grace Schwegel going 1-3 with the team’s only RBI.
Hoskins was the tough-luck loser, despite pitching well and keeping her team in the game. A pair of fielding errors hurt behind her, as she surrendered just one earned run on five hits in the complete-game effort. (Richmond/Spring Grove Report 5/10/13)
A brighter future: Richmond-Burton is struggling in the Big Northern Conference standings, but Rockets coach Stephanie Rasmussen envisions a bright future. The Rockets played conference-leader Burlington Central tough in a 2-1 loss and were extremely competitive with Marengo in back-to-back games.
Rasmussen said she has seen glimmers of potential – especially at the plate from hitters such as Samantha Dehlen, Grace Schwegel and Brogan Etten – but at many times, it’s the little things that are her team’s undoing.
Despite R-B’s difficulties, though, Rasmussen hasn’t seen her players lose hope.
“We’re young and so we’ll make those errors, but then we come back and make the next play,” Rasmussen said. “It’s not that they get down on themselves – they’ll make that next play trying to get away from that error.
“We have the potential on the field. It’s just a matter of meshing together, jelling together and putting it together. I see that coming in the near future and it’s going to show when we get into regionals.” (NWHerald 5/9/13)
@ Richmond, Katie Kroll went 3 for 53 for the Rockets (5-10) McHenry 10, RB 0 (NWHerald 5/8/13)
Marengo softball tops Richmond-Burton
By JEFF ARNOLD - jarnold@shawmedia.com
RICHMOND – There have been days this season when the Marengo softball team could rely on its pitching without having to worry about much offensive support.
But Indians coach Dwain Nance had a feeling his team would need as much production from the plate as it could muster Wednesday against Richmond-Burton after narrowly escaping the Rockets earlier this week.
His players certainly heeded the call as Marengo pounded out 17 hits and got multiple hits from five different players in a 14-7 Big Northern Conference win.
"We needed our offense today," Nance said. "We produced one through nine and that's what you need. It's not just one person."
Marengo (15-6, 5-2 BNC) got five runs in its first at-bat, using a combination of three hits, two walks and an R-B miscue. The lead didn't last long, though, as the Rockets answered back with four runs of its own, capped by Samantha Dahlen's two-run home run.
Nance pleaded with his team to play with more energy with starting pitcher Bethany Hart struggling with control and fatigue. While knowing their offense could break the game open, the Indians locked in mentally after R-B made its first-inning surge.
"You can't let down," centerfielder Megan Semro said. "You can never feel safe."
The Indians struck again in the third, adding three more runs – two of which came on Semro's two-run homer before Gabbi Markison added a solo shot , pushing their lead back to five runs.
Marengo got plenty of production from its No. 2 and No. 3 hitters – Abby Kissack and Stephanie Cartwright – who had four and five hits, respectively.
Despite all of Marengo's firepower, R-B (5-8, 4-6 BNC) was never completely out of it until the seventh inning when the Indians again broke the game open with four runs. The Rockets drew to within 10-7 with two runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth, aided by RBI singles by Megan Spohr, McKenna Wegner and Brogan Etten.
But after proving earlier this week that it could play Marengo close in a 7-5 loss, the Rockets' youth aided Marengo's late offensive burst. The Rockets had three errors and couldn't come up with the timely hits they needed. In the two runs loss this week, six of the runs R-B gave up were unearned.
"We have the potential – it's just avoiding messing up the routine plays," R-B coach Stephanie Rasmusen said. "We're in that game and a lot of it is us getting out of our heads."
Marengo took full advantage, putting together one of its biggest offensive performances of the season. And while a lack of hitting at times has led to frustration, the Indians will use Wednesday's hit parade to build for the postseason.
"This was really important and gives us a lot of confidence because we really need to get the ball rolling again," Semro said. "I think we're really going to do well after this. It kind of broke it open for us." (NWHerald 5/2/13)
@ Marengo, Brogan Etten led the Rockets (5-4, 3-2), going 2 for 3 with two runs & three RBIs. Marengo 7, RB 5 (NWHerald 4/26/13)
Richmond-Burton 22, Rockford Christian 0 (5 inn.): At Richmond, Katie Kroll, Haylea Hoskins and Grace Schwegel each had two doubles for the Rockets (4-4, 3-1) with Meagan Spohr adding a home run in the Big Northern Conference East Division win. (NWHerald 4/23/13)
Lady Rockets action
By Todd Rohde~SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Lady Rockets got off to a great start, as they posted a commanding 25-2 victory in five innings of play over the Vikings in BNC play April 5th at North Boone.
Haylea Hoskins recorded the win pitching for the Rockets, as she gave up just two runs on only one hit with three strikeouts in the complete-game effort.
Leading the way at the plate for the Rockets was Brogan Etten going 4-5 including a double and three RBIs and Stephanie Pedley adding four more hits and knocking in three runs herself.
Just a day later April 6th, the Lady Rockets weren’t as fortunate as they dropped a twin-bill doubleheader. They first fell 23-12 in another high-scoring affair in nonconference play over the Knights at Grayslake North, before also dropping the nightcap by a 12-6 difference.
Hoskins was tagged with the loss in the opener on the mound, as she was responsible for giving up 17 hits and accounting for just a strikeout and a walk.
Pitcher Emma Fionda was hit pretty hard as well by Knights in the second showing, as allowed eight hits as Grayslake capitalized on their chances at the plate.
For the Rockets offensively, Grace Schwegel and Sam Dahlen each had hits in the opener as Taylor Mell homer in the latter bout as Pedley dished in a pair of hits including a double.
“I felt that we have played really well over the past three games,” Rocket head coach Stephanie Rasmussen said. “I was proud that we did not give up during the two losses to Grayslake North, as they had a really good at the plate and found the holes in the field with their timely hits.” (the Richmond/Spring Grove Report 4/12/13)
Genoa-Kingston 4, Richmond-Burton 3 (8 inn.): At Genoa, Samantha Dahlen and Meagan Sphor doubled for the Rockets (3-4, 2-1) in their BNC East loss. (NWHerald 4/17/13)
Richmond-Burton 13, North Boone 0 (5 inn.): At Richmond, Meagan Spohr and Stephanie Pedley each drove in three runs for the Rockets (3-3, 2-0) in their Big Northern Conference East win. (NWHerald 4/16/13)
Unity brings the Lady Rockets together
By Todd Rohde~CORRESPONDENT
“Also, we have several returning starting juniors,” R-B coach Stephanie Rasmusen said. “This team has played together for several years and is looking to bring it all together this season.” (NWHerald 3/10/13)
