“She’s doing a great job of getting the ball in play for us and getting on base,” Howard said in a monotone voice when asked about Lynx freshman lead-off hitter Kelly Stoakes, who is on an early-season tear that’s pretty much unheard of on the diamond. “She’s in a zone right now.”

That’s one way to put it, a cautious approach no doubt.

Here’s another way to put it: Through four games, Stoakes is playing out of her mind.

A natural right-hander who hits from the left side, Stoakes went 9 for 10 at the plate with a double, home run and five RBIs for WCHS during Saturday’s three-game stint at the Ogden tournament. Throw in her 4 for 4 opener against Algona Garrigan last week and Stoakes is now 13 for 14 — a battering average of .929.

Webster City head softball coach Jess Howard (left) smiles as she talks to junior Taylor McKinney (center) following McKinney’s two-RBI triple against Greene County on Saturday in Ogden. The Lynx dismantled Greene County, 11-1 in 5 innings. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“She’s just making good decisions when she’s swinging the bat,” Howard, who wasn’t taking the bait on a second attempt either, said. “She’s hitting all the gaps right now.”

WCHS (2-2) went 1-2 on Saturday. The Lynx opened the day by blasting Greene County, 11-1 in 5 innings, but faltered defensively in back-to-back losses to 15th-ranked (Class 2A) Ogden, 10-3, and Carroll, 8-3.

Stoakes went 3 for 3 with a pair of two-RBI singles in the early innings against Greene County. She ripped an Emma Hoyle pitch right up the gut in the second and one inning later inside-outed a pitch into left to add to the Lynx lead.

Ahead 10-1 in the fifth, Stoakes ended it herself with a solo shot — her first home run of the season — to left-center.

WCHS battered Hoyle for 10 hits and it was up and down the lineup. Nos. 8 and 9 hitters Tatum Goings and Alayna Finucan were both 2 for 3 and scored a combined four runs. Jenna Miller and Atlanta Hopp roped RBI singles and Taylor McKinney belted a two-RBI triple to left.

Alley Odland (right) steals second base against Greene County Saturday in Ogden. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“Up and down the lineup we’re getting hits from everybody and that’s good to see,” Howard said. “That gives us the opportunity to score runs and continue to apply pressure to teams.”

Stoakes also earned the win in the circle against the Rams. She allowed just four hits and struck out five.

Stoakes went 3 for 3 in the loss to Ogden to get to 10 for 10 on the season. She grounded out in her first at bat against Carroll and then proceeded to rattle off three consecutive hits.

Zoey Woodle lashed two hits against Ogden, while Leah Kasch and Cynthia Whitehill drove in runs.

Woodle collected two more base knocks against Carroll, while Goings plated a run.

WCHS first baseman Jenna Miller stretches for a throw from across the diamond as Greene County’s Olivia Shannon (28) races past the base on Saturday in Ogden. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WCHS piled up 17 hits in the losses to the Bulldogs and Tigers, but it also committed eight errors, which happened to be eight more then its opponents.

“They weren’t our best outings in terms of defense,” Howard said. “Anytime you don’t come out on top it’s frustrating, but this is why we play these games so that we can learn from them. We’ve got to make sure we’re taking advantage of every single opportunity to get outs and if we do that we’re going to be tough.”

Miller suffered the loss in the circle against Ogden, who touched her for 13 hits. Hopp was on the hook against Carroll, which received two hits from Sydney Haakenson and Rylee Ludwig. Haakenson cranked a home run.

WCHS will attempt to jump back over .500 this evening when it travels to Storm Lake to face the Tornadoes. The Lynx will make their North Central Conference debut on Wednesday against Hampton-Dumont in Hampton.

Saturday at Ogden

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Webster City 11, Greene Cty 1 (5)

Greene Cty. 000 10 — 1 4 1

Web City 253 01 — 11 10 1

Emma Hoyle and Emma Stream. Kelly Stoakes and Kaitlynn Seeley. WP — Stoakes. LP — Hoyle. Multiple hits — WC: Stoakes (3), Tatum Goings, Alayna Finucan. 3B — WC: Taylor McKinney. HR — WC: Stoakes. RBI — GC: Kyla Beyers; WC: Stoakes (5), McKinney (2), Jenna Miller, Atlanta Hopp.

Ogden 10, Webster City 3

Ogden 200 044 — 10 13 0

Web City 200 100 — 3 8 5

Meredith Adreon, Danali Loecker (5) and Faith Mohr. Jenna Miller and Kaitlynn Seeley. WP — Adreon. LP — Miller. Multiple hits — OG: Loecker (3), Gabby Ross (3), Adreon, Lauren Kennedy; WC: Kelly Stoakes (3), Zoey Woodle. 2B — OG: Loecker, Ross, Mohr; WC: Stoakes, Taylor McKinney. RBI — OG: Loecker (2), Ross, Amber Braniff, Jenna Palmer; WC: Leah Kasch, Cynthia Whitehill.

Carroll 8, Webster City 3

Carroll 103 013 — 8 6 0

Web City 000 003 — 3 9 3

Julia LaRue, Alyssa Brant (3), Sydney Haakenson (6) and Chloe Gallegos. Atlanta Hopp, Jenna Miller (4), Kelly Stoakes (6) and Alley Odland, Kaitlynn Seeley (2). WP — LaRue. LP — Hopp. Multiple hits — CAR: Haakenson, Rylee Ludwig; WC: Kelly Stoakes (3), Zoey Woodle. 2B — WC: Cynthia Whitehill. HR — CAR: Haakenson. RBI — CAR: Gallegos (3), Haakenson (3); WC: Tatum Goings.