Badgers come out on top in Holyoke’s home doubleheader

Saturday’s home softball games did not end favorably for the Holyoke Dragons. Limon won the first 21-1 and the second 15-2.

Not one to make excuses, coach Sherman Kage said simply that he hadn’t prepared his team well enough. Last week, HHS softball played six games in just five days. The first two doubleheaders were against teams that, like Holyoke, are on the younger side. Limon, on the other hand, is an older team with great pitching and lots of experience. It’s an adjustment to face a team like that.

Despite the losses, Kage emphasized that the team’s freshmen have stepped up in a big way, filling important roles. He’s asking a lot of them, and they’re delivering. He’s also been pleased by the Dragon pitching.

Mistakes are inevitable, but this year’s softball team aims to have a “no fear of failure” attitude. With that in mind, the Dragons intend to learn from the experience and move forward.

Holyoke 1, Limon 21

The Limon Badgers got Saturday’s first game going quickly with four runs in the first inning. With Holyoke at bat, Lauren Herman and Shianne Willmon got on base with singles, and Correy Koellner hit a double. It was not, however, enough to produce a run.

Limon was back even stronger in the second inning, racking up 11 runs. A single by Emma Thompson was Holyoke’s lone hit in the home half.

Already leading 15-0, the Badgers added six more runs in the third. Sirissa Casady got on base with a single and scored the team’s only run of the game. Willmon also had a single but was left on base, and Limon won 21-1 in three innings.

Haley Van Overbeke was on the mound for the Dragons. In three innings, she faced 34 batters. She struck out two, walked two, and gave up 24 hits and 21 earned runs.

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