Crusaders shut out by Falcons

STAYING POSITIVE

We got a big win against Mediapolis, and then to come out here and lay an egg, it’s not what you want. But we’ve got to stay positive, and that’s what I told the team.”

Loren Menke, HTC Head softball coach

WEST BURLINGTON — Loren Menke wants his Holy Trinity softball team to have some momentum heading into the postseason, which starts next week.
Monday’s 10-0 loss to West Burlington-Notre Dame at Barb Carter Field slowed the roll of the Crusaders, but there’s still time, Menke said, to be ready for next Monday’s Class 1A regional tournament opener against WACO.
“We’ve just got to be ready,” Menke said. “We’ve got to keep our heads up. We can’t be too down over something like this.”
The Crusaders (6-11 overall, 4-7 SEI Superconference South
Division) were coming off a 4-2 win over Mediapolis last Tuesday, but WB-ND (21-5, 10-1) scored five runs in the first inning of this game and stayed in control.
“We had a great mindset after our last game,” Menke said. “We got a big win against Mediapolis, and then to come out here and lay an egg, it’s not what you want. But we’ve got to stay positive, and that’s what I told the team.”
The Crusaders were no-hit in a 12-0, 3-inning loss to the Falcons earlier this season. They only got two baserunners in this game — Elizabeth Griffin had a walk to lead off the game, and Emily Ross had a one-out single in the fourth inning.
Otherwise, WB-ND pitcher Orayana Gonzalez kept Holy Trinity from getting anything going, striking out seven.
“The way we have to win is not conducive to these kinds of games,” Menke said. “We just have to play more of a small-ball game, and teams like West Burlington and Central Lee don’t allow us to do that.
“But these are teams we want to be like. West Burlington has four or five seniors out on the field, and you can tell it. They know what they’re doing, they look great. But we’ve got just as many freshmen on the field. I told the team, ‘Hey, this is the type of team we want to be. Just keep your heads up and let’s keep trying to get better'.”
Menke said he has noticed progression in his team, which doesn’t have a senior. Ross is the lone junior, and the rest of the Crusaders’ roster is three sophomores, seven freshmen, and one eighth-grader.
“The girls have improved,” Menke said. “The last time we played West Burlington, we lost in three innings. This one went five. There is some improvement there. I don’t think we played our best game tonight. We made a couple of mistakes in the field, and West Burlington makes you do that.”
The Falcons struck early against Holy Trinity pitcher Ellie Hellman, who did pitch a 1-2-3 second inning after WB-ND’s early outburst. But the Falcons got three runs in the third inning, then two in the fourth to close the scoring.
WB-ND had just seven hits, Paige Kramer had three of the hits, and Logan Kelley had two.
Holy Trinity closes the regular season with Tuesday’s game against Mount Pleasant.