Emma Michaels stretches at first base to snare this throw for an out in recent action at Suckow field in Maynard. (Jerry Wadian photo)

West Central: master of the comeback

Jerry Wadian
Contributing Writer

If you attend a West Central softball game, don’t leave early because the gals are behind because the Blue Devils are proving to be Comeback Kids!

The girls won three of four road games last week with all three victories coming after falling behind early.

The week started in Monona with the Bulldogs taking game one, 9-4. The home team broke on top early and used seven hits and five walks to keep the Devils at bay.

Emma Michels, Bryleigh Rouse, and Marlee Squires each had a couple of hits with Rouse driving in two runs.

Game two looked like a replay of the opener with MFL/MM jumping to a 13-5 lead by the end of the third inning.

However, WC showed its resilience by hitting the Bulldogs with four runs in both the fourth and sixth innings to tie the game.

The ‘Dogs rallied to take a 14-13 lead in the bottom of the sixth only to have the Blue Devils get two runs in the seventh for a 15-14 lead, only they couldn’t hold allowing MFL/MM to tie the game it the bottom of the seventh. Once again Devil bats went to work, scratching out the winning run in the eighth and not allowing the visitors to rally.

WC rapped 12 hits, including a double by Rouse and a triple by Michels. The two Devils had two and three hits, respectively and three and four RNI, respectively.

The final games of the week came in Elkader as WC swept the Warriors, 16-8 and 10-6.

C/E hit West Central for five runs in the second inning and still held an 8-4 lead after four.

Then, the Devil offense got rolling exploding for six runs in the fifth inning and capping the game with three run apiece in the sixth and seventh.

Marlee Squires and Rouse slugged four hits apiece with Rouse slugging her third home run of the season while driving in three runs. Squires knocked in four RBI and Mikaela Kime. Kassidy Bantz and Rosalita Hepperle stroked two safeties apiece.

Abby Squires threw a complete game, allowing eight hits and fanning eight.

Game two was almost as dramatic with C/E using a four-run third for a 6-4 advantage.

Once again, the never-say-die Devils responded with big innings; three runs in both the fourth and fifth sewed up the win.

Aryel Allwood and Marlee Squires led WC with three hits and a pair of RBI apiece. Abby Squires notched another win on the mound with 4 2/3 innings of one-hit ball.  

West Central will host the Class 1A Region 4 playoffs in Suckow Park on Monday, July 13. The Devils will take on Nashua-Plainfield (4-5) in a 7 p.m. contest.

The winner will advance to round two to face Mason City Newman on Friday, July 17 in Mason City.