Wildcat softball sweeps Bonner Springs to continue winning streak

BONNER SPRINGS — The road was kind to the Louisburg softball team Tuesday as the Wildcats earned a sweep over Bonner Springs.

However, the Wildcats won each game in vastly different ways.

Louisburg won the opener, 4-1, behind a complete game effort from Izzy Moreland on the mound and got a 2-run home run from Megan Quinn.

The nightcap provided more of a fireworks show as the Wildcats scored eight early runs and held on for a 13-10 victory over the Braves. It marked the fourth straight victory for Louisburg, which is now 5-4 on the season.

“We came out and played our best game of the season in that first game,” Louisburg coach Nick Chapman said. “After that first inning, our bats got going, which gave us confidence in the field and played our best defense. Everyone was making plays. Everyone was hitting. 

“We keep a ‘Quality At-Bat’ chart and at one point, going through our whole lineup, everyone had a quality at bat. I’m so proud of them. This is our first time beating Bonner Springs in my tenure. That’s an awesome feeling, let alone we swept them and it was a league opponent. It was a fun night for us and the credit goes to the girls for coming together and playing great team softball.”

Moreland kept the Braves offense off-balance in the first game as she pitched seven innings and struck out six. She also allowed just the one run on four hits.

Bonner Springs took a 1-0 lead early, but the Wildcats came back to tie it in the second on an RBI bunt single from Shyloh Waite.

Louisburg took the lead in the third as Quinn hit a 2-run home run to put the Wildcats up for good. Senior Ashley Moreau added an insurance run with an RBI single in the fourth.

“As always Megan and Izzy were huge for us,” Chapman sad. “Izzy on the mound, pitching all of game 1 and then closing out game 2, plus had some great hits. Then Megan hit that home run and continued to do good things at the plate. However, it was the things that don’t always get recorded in the stat book. Before Megan hit that home run, Shyloh put a bunt to move her baserunner and sprinted her butt off to get down the line to beat the throw which led us to a run. 

“Then in the same inning as Megan’s home run, Ashley and Rylee (Hickey) both put great bunts down. Rylee’s was a sacrifice bunt. Jenna (Cauthon) moved Ashley to third and then Megan finished the job. It was a great team inning. Sometimes people don’t realize the sacrifices that happen before the big play that makes the big play happen and I hope the girls realize that those little things matter the most. That’s what really got us going.”

The bats came alive for both teams in the second game. Louisburg jumped out to an early 8-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning. Bonner Springs cut the lead to two with a 5-run inning, but the Wildcats scored five times in the next three innings to hold on for the win.

Several Wildcats had big days at the plate. Moreland and junior Brynley Bauer each had a team-high three hits, while Moreland had 3 RBIs and a triple.

Senior Rylee Hickey had one of her better hitting nights of the season with two hits, including a double and also had 3 RBIs. She also just missed a home run.

Senior Jenna Cauthon had two hits, that included a double, and 3 RBIs. Moreau, Hickey, Cauthon and Bauer each scored three times.

“Rylee had a huge game two,” Chapman said. “She has worked her tail off to get better at the plate and it’s starting to pay off. She does a lot of the behind the scenes stuff for us. She’s a solid wall as a catcher and does a great job keeping baserunners honest. She does a great job of moving baserunners by her swing or her bunts. She’s doing some great things.

“Jenna is just constantly hitting the ball hard somewhere. She was frustrated because it was directly to someone every time but she is seeing the ball really well and finding the barrel of the bat consistently.  Brynley got her bat going also and made a couple huge plays in the outfield.”

Quinn started the game for the Wildcats and sophomore Raeya Keagle came in for relief. Moreland then pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and got three strikeouts to close the game out.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning streak going as the Wildcats travel to Tonganoxie for one game. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

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