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Miller, Nerland go yard; Lynx rally falls short

Gaels feast on WCHS errors early, barely hang on after leading by seven runs

WCHS first baseman Cassidy Nerland stretches for a throw from the left side of the diamond during Wednesday’s game against St. Edmond in Fort Dodge. Nerland cranked a two-run home run in the Lynx 8-7 loss. Messenger photo/Britt Kudla

FORT DODGE — A late-inning rally for the second straight game didn’t produce the same successful outcome for the Webster City softball team at Rogers Park Wednesday night.

Trailing 8-1 after four innings, the Lynx erupted for six runs in the fifth and sixth innings to close to within one run, but Fort Dodge St. Edmond was able to get out of the seventh unscathed to hang on for an 8-7 victory in the North Central Conference opener for both teams.

WCHS trailed 1-0 after four innings against Bishop Garrigan on Monday before storming back late for an 8-2 win.

WCHS (1-1, 0-1 NCC) out-hit the Gaels (2-1, 1-0 NCC) 14-9 and blasted a pair of home runs, but six defensive miscues proved costly. St. Edmond scored six runs in the first and second innings thanks to five Lynx errors.

“We were just playing a little tense and the errors put us in a big hole,” WCHS assistant coach Brad Van Deer, who was filling in for head coach Jess Howard, said. “But once we loosened up, we played very well in the second half of the game.”

WCHS second baseman Atlanta Hopp whips the ball to first for an out during Wednesday’s NCC game against St. Edmond. Messenger photo/Britt Kudla

Jenna Miller, a freshman, provided all of the early offense for WCHS, as she cranked a second-inning solo home run, the first of her budding career.

WCHS tacked on a single run in the fifth and then erupted for five in the sixth. Cassidy Nerland went yard for a two-run dinger, Taylor McKinney roped a RBI double, and Haley Flaws and Kelly Stoakes both laced run-scoring singles.

The Lynx put two runners aboard in the seventh inning, but Gaels’ pitcher Ella Vratny got out of the jam with a strikeout to end the contest.

Miller, who took the loss in the circle, went 3 for 4 at the plate to spark the Lynx offense. Cynthia Whitehill also went 3 for 4 with a double, while Flaws, McKinney and Nerland all finished 2 for 4. Zoey Woodle added a single.

Jocy Timmerman and Rylee Kinney both lashed doubles for St. Edmond.

Miller walked just one and only three of the Gaels’ runs were earned.

WCHS will make its home debut this evening against defending NCC champion and fifth-ranked (Class 3A) Humboldt at 7:30 p.m.

St. Edmond 8, Webster City 7

Wednesday at Fort Dodge

Web City 010 015 0 — 7 14 6

St. Ed 420 200 x — 8 9 0

Jenna Miller and Kaitlynn Seeley. Ella Vratny and Kacey Kruthoff. W — Vratny. L — Miller. 2B — WC: Taylor McKinney, Cynthia Whitehill; SE: Jocy Timmerman, Rylee Kinney. HR — WC: Miller, Cassidy Nerland. RBI — WC: Nerland (2), Miller, McKinney, Haley Flaws, Kelly Stoakes; SE: Kinney (2), Timmerman, Kruthoff.

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