FORT MADISON - Jared Rehm didn’t have to go deep into Fort Madison High School’s softball history to convince his team that there is still a long way to go in this season.
The Bloodhounds’ losing streak reached six games with Monday’s Southeast Conference doubleheader loss to Washington at the Baxter Sports Complex.
Fort Madison fell to 2-6 overall, 0-5 in the conference.
But it is still early June, and Rehm reminded his team about last season, when the Bloodhounds lost four of their first five games and then went on to win the conference title.
“We went on a tear, won the conference, all of that good stuff,” Rehm said. “So yeah, everything’s not over yet.”
Washington won the first game 10-7 and the second game 16-4, but the Bloodhounds had leads in both games. Fort Madison had a 4-2 lead after four innings in the first game and was up 4-1 after the first inning in the second before the Demons (10-4, 5-0) used big innings to take control of both games.
“We got up in the second game and I don’t know why we couldn’t keep that going,” Rehm said. “Maybe they adjusted better than we did.”
Washington had 15 hits in the second game, scoring four runs in the second inning and three runs in the third and fourth innings. The Demons were helped by four Fort Madison errors.
“We did give them some opportunities, defensively, that can deflate you as well,” Rehm said.
Fort Madison had the bases loaded in the second inning, and two runners in scoring position in the fourth and sixth innings, and couldn’t score in the second game.
That mirrored the first game, when the Bloodhounds left seven runners on, including two in the seventh inning when they had the tying run at the plate with one out after scoring two runs and couldn’t complete the comeback.
“That’s what we were contemplating right there,” Rehm said after the Bloodhounds’ team meeting after the second game. “We’re trying to figure out that part right there, how to get over the hump and stay over the hump.
“We have to stay up during games, not let things get us down. Some of the players were talking about that, how we just can’t get down on ourselves. Just erase whatever bad happened and move on.”
Fort Madison had 10 hits in the first game. Elle Ruble had a two-run home run and also had a run-scoring double. Neeley Rehm had two hits and scored two runs.
The Bloodhounds had seven hits in the second game. Lauryn Helmick had an RBI single in the first inning and Elizabeth Tanner followed that with a two-run single. Helmick had two hits.
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