High school softball returns

MINSTER - There was softball at Four Seasons Park on Monday evening.

Finally.

"Three months ago, they were talking about they didn't know if we'd even have a season in 2021," Minster coach Robb Hemmelgarn said. "So to come out here, you can't put it into words. No matter what the outcome is, just to be out here playing with the girls and to see them wearing their jerseys and doing some great things, doing some things they love. It's exactly what they needed right now."

The Wildcats were winners in their summer opener.

Laney Hemmelgarn struck out 10 in a complete-game effort, as Minster defeated Fort Recovery 3-2 in a matchup featuring two teams that had Midwest Athletic Conference title hopes in 2020.

The recently-graduated Hemmelgarn didn't get to show her stuff in what would have been her first year as Minster's full time starter. But she was sharp in her summer start, allowing just four hits and one walk.

"She's been pitching behind Jenna Poeppelman her entire high school career," coach Hemmelgarn said. "Laney, in her high school career, is 9-1, but that's the tail end of double headers and games that Jenna just needed a rest. She worked her tail off this fall and this winter. She was going to have a big spring for us."

Four recently-graduated players suited up for Minster in Hemmelgarn, Kaitlynn Wolf, Royce Glass and Sam Trego. Two played for the Indians in Macy Day and Bailey Tebbe. A total of five All-MAC 2019 selections were on the field in Hemmelgarn, Wolf and Fort's Brenna Homan, Jackie Homan and Chloey Grisez.

Grisez hit an RBI single in the first inning, scoring Brenna Homan after she reached first base safely by hitting a ball off the foot of the Minster pitcher to lead off the game. Homan stole second to set up Grisez's RBI.

Savannah Bergman led off Minster's first plate appearance with a gapper but was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple. Bats were quiet over the next few innings as the pitchers took command.

Hemmelgarn didn't allow a hit from the second through fifth innings while striking out eight during that span. Fort's Jackie Homan allowed one hit through three innings while fanning four. Homan did encounter some trouble in the fourth, however.

She issued her first walk to Bergman to begin the inning. Bergman stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Lyndi Hemmelgarn smoked a single up the middle to tie it at 1-apiece.

Minster's Rachel Hoying broke the tie with an RBI single in the fifth, scoring Emma Guggenbiller after she singled and went to second on a walk to Sam Trego. Lyndi Hemmelgarn followed with her second RBI single to make it 3-1.

The Indians got it going with two outs in the sixth. A single by Chloey Grisez was followed by a walk to Jackie Homan. Maddie Guggenbiller made the score 3-2 with an RBI single. But Homan was stranded at second.

Hemmelgarn shut down the side 1-2-3 in the seventh.

"We didn't see the ball real well at the plate," first-year Fort coach Ryan Thien said. "Obviously, Laney had us off-balance with the change-up pretty well. But we've only been outside hitting a little bit. We haven't been able to get in the cage. Unfortunately, we don't have a cage at our field. So we've been doing the best we can, hitting and fielding.

"This was our first game this year, so it felt good," he added. "Pitching was good. It was just a good first game all the way around."

Lyndi Hemmelgarn had two hits for Minster. Grisez had a pair of hits for Fort Recovery.

LINESCORE
Fort Recovery  100  001  0  -  2  4  1
Minster  000  120  0  -  3  6  1

WP - La. Hemmelgarn

LP - J. Homan

2B - M: Bergman.