They’ll play again!
The Montezuma Bravettes softball team won its post-season opener, 7-5 over HLV on Friday evening, July 1, at home.
It was their 10th win of the season. This, from a team that stood at 1-9 after losing 5-3 to English Valleys on June 8.
Now, they get to take on one of the state’s best in the second round. They play at third-rated, 32-4 Lisbon on Wednesday evening, July 6.
For sure, Montezuma will be half the game against a very good team.
Friday’s play-in game in the tournament was the rubber game of three played by HLV and the Bravettes this season.
HLV won the first, Montezuma the second, and that was 5-1 earlier this week in a regular season contest.
The Bravettes held a 3-1 lead after four innings in this one. They took it to 4-1 with a run in the fifth, then scored three in the sixth to make it 7-1.
HLV had one cavalry charge left and it was a good one: Four runs in the seventh to get within two, but the Bravettes shut the door there.
Montezuma had its hitting shoes on, with 13 of them compared with 10 hits scattered by Bravettes pitcher Kallie Robison.
Robison had a stats-stuffer game in this one, in the circle and at the plate.
She threw all seven innings, didn’t walk a batter and struck out three. Her teammates backed her with good defense, making just one error on the night.
At bat, Robison was 3×3, with two runs batted in.
She had help, with three Bravettes getting two hits each.
Madison Van Zee was 2×4 with a triple, two stolen bases and a run batted in.
Ellen Cook was 2×3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Tia Shaffer was 2×3 with a double and a run batted in.
Getting one hit each were Kalynn Wanders, Izzy Roorda, Jadyn Sharer and Chloe Snook.
Wanders’ hit was a double that drove in a run.
Snook hit a triple and Sharer drove in a run with her hit.
Montezuma took its record to 10-16 with the victory.
HLV passed in the songbooks after a 3-16 season.
UP NEXT – Lisbon, at their place, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6. Remember, you must purchase tickets online before you go.