Lady Hawks getting revenge over WB/ND

Junior Shanna Buford fires a throw over to first base on a grounder in the second inning Friday night in Donnellson. Central Lee downed West Burlington/Notre Dame 4-2 to stay perfect in SEI Superconference play at 9-0.

Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

CENTRAL LEE – The Lady Hawks are exacting a little revenge on West Burlington Notre Dame’s softball team.
The Hawks have taken two of two games from the Falcons this year after losing all three games to WB/ND last year, including a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in the Class 3A Region 8 semifinal in West Burlington.
They had also lost every game since 2019 to the Lady Falcons. But this year is a different story.
On Friday night, the Falcons’ Lauren Krieger and Lauren Summers both homered in the top of the third inning with no outs to get things going for the Falcons and a 2-0 lead, but Central Lee would battle back in the fourth still down two runs.
Junior Shanna Buford blasted the first pitch she saw in the inning from Summers over the fence in left to cut the lead to 2-1.
Marie Young would single to center and would get moved to second on a sacrifice from Bailey Schwartz. Abby Simmons would then single to left to load the bases. Carlee Pezley then grounded out to short, scoring the tying run at 2-2.
Starting pitcher Everlee Harvey would single to drive in Simmons for a 3-2 Central Lee lead before Summers got Alix Congdon to ground out for the third out.
Harvey would keep the Falcons in check the rest of the way giving up just two runs, both earned on eight hits while striking out one.
The Hawks would add an insurance run in the fifth when Young doubled to center scoring Kenna Sandoval.
West Burlington put two on in the top of the seventh with just one out, but Harvey got Summer to fly out and Emily Oleson to ground out to end the game.
Central Lee improves to 9-0 in Superconference play and 14-6 overall.
The Hawks travel to Columbus on Monday and then host Washington on Tuesday as part of a five-game week Monday through Friday next week.
Buford leads the Hawks at the plate this season with a .576 batting average, including five home runs and 31 RBIs. She has 14 doubles this year, also a team high.
Sandoval leads the Hawks in home runs with seven. Harvey is 9-2 on the mound this year with a 2.78 ERA.