The reeling Northeast Nodaway Bluejays dropped their third straight game last Tuesday, a 15-1 rout against an 8-9 DeKalb squad. But Coach Rex Wallace said that their 8-9 record didn't mean anything. "Look who they played," he said. "Lafyette, Cameron. Whitney Wardlow was one of the fastest pitchers we have seen and she's only a freshman. They hit well and field well and they're well-coached."
Northeast had one chance to survive -- don't let the Tigers jump on them early. But they failed to make two routine plays in the top of the first that would have gotten them out of the inning with only one run scored. Doubles by Paige Hartman and Kaley Pyles got DeKalb's first run home; that should have been their only run, but back to back dropped pop flies let two more runs in and left Northeast down 3-0.
The Bluejays then continued their struggles at the plate from the Union Star Tournament as the umpire was generous in calling the same kind of low strike zone that the players had trouble with in that tournament. Emily Bryant walked and stole second with one out, but she was left stranded there as Rachel Runde and Blair Schmitz struck out.
Shawna Bomberger led off the second for DeKalb by hitting a pop fly single to lead off. Northeast tried to get her on a force play at second, but she beat the throw there to set up the big inning for the Tigers. Northeast pitcher Taylor Dougan then began to fight the strike zone as she walked Hartman and McKenzie Reagan to force in one run. Kaley Piles' pop fly single scored two and Casey Martin's grounder to first scored another one to make it 7-0. The damage could have been worse but Rachel Runde snared a high chopper for one out and Emily Bryant speared a hard-hit line drive for the third out of the second.
Northeast failed to solve Wardlow in the second as they struck out the side in the inning. But the Bluejays turned around and held DeKalb to no runs in the third as Hallie Oelze snared another hard-hit line drive and Taylor Dougan struck out Pyles with two on and two out to keep it at 7-0.
Mallorie Peters led off the Bluejay third with a scratch hit, a pop fly that dropped in no man's land between the plate and the mound; that hit seemed to break the ice for Northeast as they began to catch up to Wardlow's pitching and at least put the ball in play. She went to second on a wild pitch, but Allison Carter grounded out to first, Taylor Dougan was called out on strikes by one of the umpire's patented ankle-high calls, and Emily Bryant popped out.
The Bluejays almost got out of the fourth with no damage done, but once again, the Tigers struck with two outs. This game was a game of almosts -- DeKalb scored many of their runs with two outs. Casey Martin popped out to Oelze at second. Tymber Johnson walked, but Taylor Dougan threw a nice change to Wardlow to strike her out. But Whitney Hickman singled just under Bryant's glove at short, Bomberger walked to load the bases, and Zoe Link hit a line drive just over Emily Bryant's glove for a single to score two to make it 9-0. Again -- almost. That seems to be the difference between Northeast and the upper-level teams.
Northeast finally got one over the plate in the bottom of the fourth. Rachel Runde walked and Blair Schmitz reached on an error when Bomberger bobbled a grounder at third. Hallie Oelze hit a pop fly single behind the bag at first and down the line to score Runde to make it 9-1. Sarah Fox loaded the bases with nobody out with a walk and it looked like a possible repeat of the Pattonsburg game was in the air. But then the plate umpire came to the rescue of Wardlow and the Tigers with one of his patented ankle high strike calls on Kristan Judd for strike three and Mallorie Peters struck out as well. Allison Carter hit a pop fly that looked like it might drop in between the mound and short, but Pyles made a diving catch to keep Northeast from scoring any more runs. Again -- almost.
Once again, Northeast got DeKalb to two outs and once again, they could not close the deal. With one out, Pyles tripled down the line in left. Casey Martin hit a grounder to Bryant at short; Bryant looked Pyles back perfectly and threw to first without Pyles scoring. But Tymber Johnson singled Pyles home with two outs to make it 10-1. It looked like DeKalb would end the game on the ten-run rule as Wardlow was hit by a pitch and Hickman walked to load the bases. Bomberger hit a grounder to Dougan at the mound, who threw a high throw to first. But Blair Schmitz stretched high to bring it down and Northeast lived to fight another inning.
Rachel Runde walked with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth, but they could not score her as Blair Schmitz popped out to end the frame. Dougan then fought the strike zone in the top of the sixth and DeKalb took full advantage; Dougan walked three batters and hit one to force one run in; Casey Martin singled to right to plate two, Valerie Ford reached on a dropped fly ball to score one, and Wardlow singled between third and short for the final run. Dougan then walked Alyssa Jones to load the bases with nobody out, but then struck out Kim Helton looking and then catcher Kristan Judd picked off Ford from third. Dougan then struck out Link to get out of the sixth.
With two outs in the sixth, Kristan Judd was hit by a pitch and Mallorie Peters walked; they went to second and third on a wild pitch. But Katrina Freemeyer was caught looking to end the game.
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