Abbie Hatton and Sydney Kibler delivered key two-out hits in the seventh inning Tuesday, helping the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs score four runs and post a 7-4 win at Newton.

The game was tied 3-3 when the Lady Bulldogs came to bat in the top of the seventh. Laney Coffin and Ady Rios both singled and Hailey Niebrugge received an intentional walk to load the bases with two outs. Hatton then lined an 0-1 pitch up the middle, driving in what proved to be the game-winning runs. Kibler followed with a two-run triple that provided some additional cushion.

The Lady Eagles scored one run in the bottom of the inning.

Niebrugge played a key role in each of the innings St. Anthony scored. In the third, after two were out, Rios singled and Addie Wernsing walked. Niebrugge then delivered a double, driving home both runners and staking the Lady Bulldogs to a 2-0 lead.

Newton tied the game in the fifth, but Niebrugge was back it in the sixth, belting a solo home run over the centerfield fence. The Lady Eagles tied the game with a single tally in the bottom of the sixth.

Sydney Kibler was the winning pitcher. She went all seven innings, allowing seven hits and four runs. She walked four and struck out one.

The Lady Bulldogs, now 12-0, will return to action Thursday with a game at Christ Our Rock in Centralia.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs banged out 16 hits and scored 16 runs Monday afternoon to post a lopsided 16-0 victory at Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City and stay unbeaten on the season.

Addie Wernsing, the second batter of the game, belted a solo home run to get the barrage started. Before their first at-bat was over, the Lady Bulldogs had collected four more hits. Julia Schultz added an RBI triple, Abbie Hatton and Ady Rios delivered run-scoring singles and Wernsing got her second hit of the inning, an RBI triple.

Two more runs scored on a pair of wild pitches, and another crossed the plate on an error. When SAHS’s at-bat finally ended, it owned an 8-0 lead.

Hatton added a solo shot and Stacie Vonderheide smacked a two-run homer in the second inning to make it 11-0. St. Anthony added two more runs in the third and three tallies in the fifth.

Meanwhile, Wernsing and Nancy Ruholl combined to throw a no-hitter. Wernsing went the first three innings to get the win and Ruholl pitched the final two. They combined to walk five and strike out eight.

The Lady Bulldogs, now 9-0, will play Wednesday at Charleston.

Maddie Kibler came through with a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs to a come-from-behind 7-6 win over Breese Mater Dei in the opening game of a home doubleheader Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs then belted three home runs, en route to a 15-7 victory in the nightcap to complete the sweep and stay undefeated.

The first game was a back-and-forth affair. St. Anthony led by three runs early, but the Lady Knights rallied and took a 6-4 advantage into the bottom of the seventh.

Adysen Rios got the rally started with a base hit and scored on a double by Addie Wernsing. Abbi Hatton walked and both runners moved up on a ground out. Then with two outs, Maddie Kibbler lined a 1-1 pitch into right field, driving home the winning runs.

The Lady Bulldogs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third when Hailey Niebrugge blasted a three-run homer over the centerfield fence. Hatton added an RBI double in the fifth to make it a 4-2 St. Anthony lead.

Sydney Kibler got the win. She went all seven innings, allowing 10 hits and six runs. She walked one and struck out six.

SAHS also had to rally in the nightcap. Mater Dei took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and was still on top, 5-2, in the third. Julia Schultz smacked a two-run homer to cap a four-run third for the Lady Bulldogs and give them a lead they never relinquished.

Hatton and Laney Coffin added solo shots in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, and St. Anthony then combined seven hits and a walk to score seven times in the sixth and break the game open. Sydney Kibler and Rios both had two-run doubles in that sixth inning.

Wernsing pitched the first four innings and got the win. She allowed eight hits and six runs, while walking two and striking out six. Sydney Kibler pitched the final three innings.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 11-0.  They will play Tuesday at Newton.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

There were a lot of hugs and even a few tears.

And why not?

This small Class 1A-size school had just proven it could play with the best of Class 2A.

After playing the eventual state champ on almost even terms the day before, this experienced, talented and determined team returned about 20 hours later and turned in a season-ending dominating performance.

And when that final team photo was taken, the state’s third place trophy was proudly perched in front.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs (25-4) captured that hardware after posting an 8-1 victory Saturday afternoon over Johnson City in the third place game of the Class 2A State Softball Tournament, played at the Louisville Sluggers Sports Complex in Peoria.

“I feel like we’ve been the underdogs all season, and that kind of got under our skin,” St. Anthony coach Makaya Taylor admitted. “But on the other hand, it wasn’t bad flying under the radar.

“I can tell you we didn’t want to lose again,” Taylor added. “We came to Peoria wanting to win both games, but third place is still pretty sweet. And we achieved our goal. We made it back to state.”

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