The Kewanee softball team is on hot streak that includes winning their last four games and nine out of their last 10.
After getting off to a slow start at 1-4, the Boiler Girls are now 10-4 and are first in TRAC-East play at 4-0.
In the last six days, Kewanee recorded an 11-2 win over Farmington and had impressive wins over two tough TRAC opponents, Princeton (7-3 and 6-2) and Sherrard (8-6).
Sherrard is 9-3 and 4-0 in TRAC-West play, while the three time defending state champs, Rockridge Rockets, are 10-2 and 3-0 in TRAC-West action. Princeton is now 6-4 and 2-2 in TRAC-East play.
Sophomore ace, Kalleigh Gale, is 7-2 on the season and recorded her 100th strikeout of the season in Thursday’s win over Princeton. She’s averaging 11 K’s per game.
Kewanee 11, Farmington 2
After the first three innings, Kewanee held a slim 3-2 lead over the Farmers Saturday in Farmington. The Boiler Girls then held Farmington (2-4) scoreless the remaining four innings to earn the 11-2 win.
Hannah Tiska and Gale scored the first two runs for Kewanee for a 2-0 first inning lead. In the top of the third, sophomore Kalleigh Gale went yard on a fly ball to center field to push the lead to 3-0.
Farmington put across two runs in the bottom of the third to close the gap, 3-2, but that would be as close as the Farmers would get. Kewanee outscored Farmington 8-0 in their last four at bats.
In the top of the fourth inning, Kewanee added three runs to extend the lead, 6-2. Riley Pfister scored and then Macee Pickering hit a single, sending home Remy Hicks (5-2).
Hope Peed reached on an error and Gale made it home to push the lead to 6-2. Kewanee’s bats stayed hot in the fifth inning. Kieryn Abernathy hit a two RBI single, scoring Hicks and Hannah Tiska for a lead of 8-2.
Pickering then hit a double on a line drive to center field and Gale scored on the play, pushing the lead to 9-2. Peed reached on an error, which sent home Abernathy (10-2).
In the sixth inning, Tiska grounded out but Lyric Duytschaver scored on the play, giving the Boiler Girls the 11-2 win.
Peed was the winning pitcher for Kewanee. In three innings of play, she struck out six and walked three, while surrendering four hits and two runs. Gale and Lyric Duytschaver each threw shutout innings in relief.
Lydia Overcash took the loss for Farmington. In five innings in the circle she struck out three and walked two, while giving up 12 hits and 10 runs (3 earned).
Kewanee 7, Princeton 3
The Boiler Girls put up four runs in the first inning on Monday and held Princeton (6-3) scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when the visiting Tigers scored one run for a score of 5-1.
During first inning action, Hannah Tiska scored on an error, giving Kewanee the 1-0 lead. Hope Peed followed with a single, sending home Kalleigh Gale to score a second run.
Freshman Kieryn Abernathy then stepped up to the plate and hit a home run to left field, plating Peed and extending the early lead to 4-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, Keely Lawson hit a single for Princeton and Makayla Hecht scored to get the Tigers on the board at 4-1.
In the bottom of the inning, Tiska homered on a fly ball to left field to push Kewanee’s lead to 5-1.
Kewanee added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, extending the lead to 7-1. Lexi Dillender and Remy Hicks each scored on Princeton errors.
The Tigers plated two in the top of the sixth (Hecht and Caroline Kreutzer) to close out the scoring, giving the Boiler Girls the 7-3 win.
Gale picked up the win on the mound for Kewanee. She struck out 11 and walked one, while allowing one hit and one earned run. Woolley took the loss for Princeton.
Kewanee 8, Sherrard 6
In the bottom of the third inning, Hannah Tiska hit her fourth home run of the season to tie the game, 1-1.
Abby Dean countered with a home run in the top of the fourth inning for Sherrard, putting the Tigers back in the lead at 2-1. In the fifth inning, Makenzy Moran hit a double, sending home Tessa Driessens for a lead of 3-1.
Kewanee had a productive fifth inning, putting five runs on the board to take a 6-3 lead. Tiska hit a single and Lexi Dillender and Alison Bartell scored to tie the game at 3-3.
Kalleigh Gale then cranked out a 3-run homer to center field, scoring Remy Hicks and Tiska to extend the lead to 6-3.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Tori Dennison hit a double and Cheyanne Rodgers scored on the play to push the lead to 7-3. Dillender then singled and Dennison scored for a lead of 8-3.
Sherrard mounted a comeback, scoring three more runs in the top of the seventh, but their comeback bid fell short at 8-6.
In three innings on the mound, Gale notched her sixth win of the season. She struck out five, no walks allowed, while surrendering six hits and three earned runs.
Dani Nepple pitched the loss for Sherrard. She fanned five and had one walk, while giving up nine hits and eight runs (6 earned).
