They say it’s hard to beat the same team three times in a season.

Even though it didn’t come easily, the St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs proved it can be done.

They scored seven late runs Friday afternoon to pull away and post a 9-1 victory over Altamont in the championship game of Class 1A Regional C Tournament.

St. Anthony already owned victories over the Lady Indians by scores of 32-1 and 7-0, so they entered Friday’s championship game as heavy favorites. But for four innings, it was a tight game.

Altamont used two singles and an error to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. But the Lady Bulldogs came back with two runs in the third to go on top to stay.

Grace Karolewicz led off with a base hit, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and came home on an RBI single by Cameron Rios. An error on her base hit allowed Rios to race all the way to third base and she then scored on a bunt by Addie Wernsing.

The game remained tight until the fifth. With two outs, SAHS put together a four-run rally that put them in control.

Wernsing singled and came around to score on a double by Hailey Niebrugge. Lucy Fearday followed with an RBI single, and for the second game in a row, Maddie Kibler belted a two-run homer that capped the inning.

The Lady Bulldogs then tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Rios and Niebrugge had RBI hits and the other run scored on an error.

That was more than enough support for Fearday, who pitched all seven innings to get the win. She allowed eight hits and one run, while walking one and striking out 11. Bailey Teasley took the loss for the Lady Indians.

Altamont had numerous scoring opportunities. The Lady Indians had 11 baserunners in the game, but just couldn’t get the timely hit. As a result, they left eight runners stranded.

The Lady Bulldogs, now 17-8 on the season, will advance to the sectional. They will host Hutsonville/Palestine at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bulldog Field. Hutsonville/Palestine defeated Cumberland County 9-8 in the finals of the Class 1A Regional B Tournament.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs had a chance to wrap up the conference title Tuesday and they wasted no time taking charge.

The Lady Bulldogs exploded for nine runs in the first inning and then rolled to a 15-0 win at home over Dieterich, clinching the National Trail Conference regular season championship with a perfect 6-0 record.

St. Anthony banged out 11 hits in that opening inning, including 10 in a row, to take the early command. Addie Wernsing started the uprising with a one-out single. Then with two outs, 10 straight batters collected hits. Anna Faber had a two-run triple, Maddie Kibler and Sydney Kibler had back-to-back RBI doubles, and Stacie Vonderheide, Cameron Rios, Wernsing and Hailey Niebrugge each added run-scoring singles.

The Lady Bulldogs tacked on three more runs in the second and then ended the game with a three-run fourth.

SAHS finished with 19 hits. Wernsing went 4-for-4, while Lucy Fearday had three hits. Faber drove in four runs, while Wernsing and Fearday both had three RBI.

Sydney Kibler and Fearday both pitched two innings and combined to throw a one-hitter. They didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 15-8 overall. They will now compete in the Class 1 Regional C and enter as the No. 1 seed. Their opening game will be on Thursday, June 3. They will face either Mulberry Grove or Ramsey. The game will be at 4:30 p.m. at Bulldog Field.

The winner will then face either Altamont or Beecher City/Cowden-Herrick for the regional championship. That game will be at 4:30 p.m. at the home of the higher seed.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs opened postseason play in impressive fashion Thursday afternoon.

Two pitchers combined to throw a one-hitter and Maddie Kibler belted a home run, helping the Lady Bulldogs post a 13-0, five-inning victory over Mulberry Grove.

St. Anthony will face Altamont today (Friday) for the Class 1A Regional C championship. That game will start at 4:30 p.m. at Bulldog Field. The Lady Indians advanced by beating Beecher City/Cowden-Herrick 5-0.

The Lady Bulldogs wasted no time taking charge against Mulberry Grove. Addie Wernsing singled, Hailey Niebrugge walked and Lucy Fearday drove in both runners with a double in the opening inning. Before that inning was over, however, another run scored on an error and Grace Karolewicz delivered to two-run single to stake SAHS to a quick 5-0 lead.

St. Anthony added three more runs in the second. Wernsing, who went 3-for-3 in the game, had a double, Fearday tripled and Sidney Kibler drove in a pair with a base hit.

The Lady Bulldogs completed the scoring with a five-run third, capped by Maddie Kibler’s two-run blast.

Stacie Vonderheide got the win. She pitched the first three innings and Wernsing took care of the final two. Dakota Kruep had the only hit for Mulberry Grove, a second-inning single. Vonderheide and Wernsing combined to strike out six, but didn’t walk a batter.

St. Anthony had nine hits and took advantage of six errors to score eight unearned runs.

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 16-8 overall. They have faced Altamont twice so far this season and won both games by scores of 32-1 and 7-0.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Both teams had 12 hits and runners all over the base paths.

But Windsor/Strew-Stras did a better job of getting those runners home.

Three times during the contest, they delivered key hits with two outs that accounted for five runs.

As a result, the Lady Hatchets avenged an earlier loss and came away with a 14-5 victory Tuesday evening over St. Anthony in the championship game of the National Trail Conference Softball Tournament, played at Evergreen Hollow Park in Effingham.

“We had our opportunities,” said St. Anthony coach Makayla Walsh. “We had just as many hits. But when they had girls in scoring position, they found ways to score. We didn’t.”

Numerous times in the game, the Lady Bulldogs had chances to close the gap, but were just unable to deliver hits, especially with two outs. Plus, they also lost three runners on the base paths. That, Walsh said, cost the team “at least three runs.”

Just five days earlier, the Lady Bulldogs had posted a 15-5, six-inning victory over WSS. But it was a totally different game Tuesday and the Lady Hatchets set the tone from the very beginning.

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