~by Joseph Beaudet, Scranton Journal intern
Ram softball closed out the regular season and Heart of Iowa Conference play with a win 8-7over the Nevada Cubs on Monday, July 13.
Kaylee Stalder got the call to make just her second start on the mound all season. Stalder gave the Rams a complete, seven-inning, game and allowed two earned runs and five unearned. She walked five batters while striking out two.
The Rams had another strong performance at the plate to close out their shortened season. As a team, they collected 13 hits with 12 singles and one double. Carmyn Paup continued her hot streak and had two hits with a single and double. Makala Kafer, Emma Stream and Olivia Shannon, the other Rams with two hits, all had a pair of singles. Kyla Beyers drove in a pair of runs on the night while Paup, Tieryn Tucker, Shannon, Karissa Stephenson and Alexa Peters each sent one run home.
The Rams’ fielding nearly proved fatal with allowing five unearned runs partly on the back of eight errors committed, all but one of which came in the infield.
Both teams came out bats a-blazing in the first inning as the Rams put up six runs in the top half that the Cubs answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half. Bats went cold for the most part after that but the Cubs had a consistent game. Nevada was able to put up one run in each of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings. The Rams snuck in one run of their own in the fourth inning and were tied with the Cubs after the sixth inning with seven runs apiece. In the top of the seventh inning, the Rams put up one run which proved to be the winner. Greene County took this game by a score of 8-7.
The Rams begin postseason play on Wednesday, July 15 as they take on the Kuemper Catholic of Carroll in the Class 3A Region 2 quarterfinal.
