Wildcats end Cardinals' season

CLAYTON - It's tough for any team to come back after falling into an early hole.

New Bremen tried, but was unable to counter Houston's hot start as the Wildcats defeated the Cardinals 6-2 in the Division IV regional softball semifinal at Northmont High School on Thursday afternoon.

The Wildcats (21-9), who had lost earlier in the season to New Bremen, face undefeated Williamsburg in the regional final at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

New Bremen, making its first regional appearance since 2007, ends its season at 16-6.

"It's a complex game, but a simple game at the same time," Cardinals coach Craig Griesdorn said. "We didn't execute as well as we hoped. We tried the same things we always do."

Houston literally got things rolling on the first pitch from Sophie Fox. Micalah Hensely sent the ball over the fence in left field to make it 1-0.

"One thing we've been focusing on in the latter part of the year has been first-pitch hitting," Houston coach Brent New said. "Good pitchers want to get ahead. Last thing I told them before leaving the dugout was 'Get up there first pitch and be ready to go.' Micalah obviously was."

Later in the first inning, Kayla New was hit by a pitch, took second and third on a throwing error and came home on Kaytlyn Riffell's RBI fielder's choice to make it 2-0 after the top of the first.

In the third inning, Sarah Monnier reached on an error, and later came home on Macey Stang's RBI single to make it 3-0.

Kayla New got through the first two innings without issue before the Cardinals dented the scoreboard. Madison Wells led off with a single to break up the no-hitter. Kaitlyn Arhns followed with a single of her own to put runners on first and third. A wild pitch scored Maddyson Ritter, who pinch ran for Wells after she had slipped around first on her single, to make it 3-1.

In the fourth, Cassidy Smith reached on an error and later scored on Ahrns' second base hit of the day to get the Cardinals within a run. Coach New went out and called on Stang, the Shelby Count League Player of the Year, to get out of a two-out jam with Cardinals at first and third. Stang struck out Sarah Hall to end the threat.

Fox shook off the early issues and kept the Wildcats off base as much as possible. Through the sixth, the junior had nine strikeouts and scattered just four hits.

In the seventh, though, the Wildcats took advantage of two Cardinal errors to plate three more runs to push the lead up to 6-2. Kayla New supplied the big hit, a two-run double to score Addie White and Hensley.

Stang got the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh before hitting Paul with a pitch and giving up a single to Fox. Kaytlyn Riffell ended the game by snagging a line drive by Cassidy Smith for the final out.

"(Houston) got some big hits when they needed it," Griesdorn said. "We made some plays. Some plays we didn't make that we normally make."

"Macey and Kayla have been a great 1-2 punch. Kayla throws junk and Macey throws fire," coach New said. "It's nice to mix it up. It's working so far."

Wells and Ahrns had two hits each for New Bremen. Helnsley had two hits for the Wildcats.