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Winnebago softball team continues hot start
The Winnebago Indians have been limited in their opportunities to get live games in for the 2023 softball season, but when they have, they find success.
After a pair of close victories last week, the Indians are off to a 4-0 start on the year. Despite an inconsistent schedule, Winnebago has been one of the most consistent teams on the field. Indians’ head coach, Mike Intravia, is proud of the way his team has handled the schedule, but he knows it’s no excuse if they found themselves on the other end of the stick. “We all hate being stuck inside due to the weather this spring, but that’s everyone’s situation, at the moment.”
Mother nature has run its course through the 2023 spring season. Last week, the Indians had another trio of games cancelled or postponed. Winnebago continues to make the most of their opportunities, however. Intravia shared, “Our girls work hard at practice every day.” It’s that hard work ethic that INtravia credits for the Indians’ early success. “Honestly, we tell these girls you practice like you play and these girls are doing that. The girls play like a team and get each other’s backs every day.”
That work ethic has been evident in each of the Indians’ first four games of the season. Last week, Winnebago picked up another pair of victories with wins over Stillman Valley and Genoa Kingston.
On April 3, the Indians played host to the Stillman Valley Cardinals. The Indians managed to come out on top of this one thanks to some solid defense. The game went scoreless through the first two innings, but the Indians managed to grab a lead in the bottom of the third. After two quick outs, back-to-back singles by Reese Erdahl and Ella Provi got the Indians on the board.
Winnebago would hold the 1-0 lead until the Cardinals responded with three runs in the top of the fifth. A pair of errors and two batters hit by pitches allowed the Cardinals to rally as they took their first lead of the day. Fortunately for the Indians, that lead wouldn’t last long as Winnebago tied the game in the bottom half. A double by Erdahl drove in Aubrey Eklund to make the score 3-2. Shortly after, Izzy Burd singled to left, bringing Erdahl in and tying the game at 3-3.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh. Once again, it was Erdahl who sparked some momentum as she led the inning off with a single into right field. After a sacrifice bunt by Provi and a groundball single by Burd, Erdahl advanced to third base. An error on the play by Stillman Valley’s first baseman allowed Erdahl to reach home for a walkoff 4-3 victory.
Vern Gilley-Amdal picked up the win thanks to another impressive pitching performance. Gilley-Amdal went seven innings with just three hits and two walks allowed, while striking out eight. At the plate, Erdahl had a perfect day, going four for four with three runs scored and one run batted in. Erdahl played a part in each run the Indians scored in the victory. Burd was also impressive, going three for four with two RBI.
Two days later, the Indians were on the road as they traveled to face off with the Genoa Kingston Cogs. Once again, the Indians found themselves in a battle that came down to the wire.
The Indians had a slight advantage over Genoa Kingston at the plate. Winnebago racked up 11 hits in the game, while the Cogs finished with seven. Thanks to some solid relief pitching by Gilley-Amdal and Danika Lamb, the Indians managed to slow the Cogs in the later innings.
Kyla Warkentien started the game. She pitched four and two third innings, allowing four hits, four walks, and three earned runs. Gilley-Amdal tossed one and one third innings in relief, allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out two. Lamb was dominant to close things out with a clean inning of work on a pair of strikeouts.
Warkentien made up for it at the plate, where she went two for four with a run scored. Erdahl had another solid day, going two for three with a walk, one run scored, and one RBI. Provi finished the game two for three with one RBI, as well.
After the Indians got off to a 5-1 lead, they had to hold off a late comeback effort by the Cogs to go home with the 5-4 victory. The win improved their record to 4-0 on the season.
It’s games like these that gives Intravia the ultimate confidence in his squad. “We have a lot of talent on this roster and I’m proud of them all,” Intravia shared, adding “Day in and day out, we will be a tough team.”
