Still clinging to North Central Conference title hopes, the St. Edmond softball team showed no signs of a letdown against Clarion-Goldfield here Thursday.
Pushing their win streak to six straight games, the Gaels (20-8 overall, 14-3 in the NCC) swept a doubleheader from the Cowgirls on Senior Night at Rogers Sports Complex.
Following a 12-0 five-inning drubbing in the opener, SEHS prevailed in the nightcap by a 9-4 count.
Article Photos
Messenger photo by Dale Wooten
Amanda Lansman winds up for St. Edmond against Clarion-Goldfield at Rogers Park on Thursday.
With the pair of victories, the Gaels remain one game behind 15th-ranked (Class 3A) Iowa Falls-Alden (22-7, 14-2) for the NCC lead.
"We really accomplished everything we wanted to (last evening)," St. Edmond head coach Paul Hunt said. "We were able to get a lot of young kids some playing time and sent our seniors out on a good note."
In the opener, the Gaels imposed their will from the start by erupting for eight runs in the top of the first. Freshman Anna Yung and junior Josie Heesch each contributed two hits, while Heesch and junior Katy Bocken both scored twice. Yung, junior Allie Oberg and senior Lexi Peed all drove in two.
Fact Box
St. Edmond 12, Clarion-Goldfield 0
St. Edmond 801 12-12 7 0
Clarion-Goldfield 000 00-0 3 3
Amanda Lansman (W, 5-3) and Jessica Kuebler; Courtney Littlejohn and Mara Warnke. 2B-SE: Anna Yung, Josie Heesch.
St. Edmond 9, Clarion-Goldfield 4
C-G 040 000 0-4 6 2
St. Edmond 042 210 x-9 7 1
Mackenzie Haupt and Brooke Boyd; Cassie Brennan-Rowe (W, 1-0) and Kuebler. 2B-SE: Lexi Peed.
Going the distance in the circle for the green and white was freshman Amanda Lansman (5-3), who allowed just three hits with two strikeouts.
After falling behind early in game two, St. Edmond responded with a four-spot in the bottom of the second and tacked on five more scores over the next three frames.
Peed, a third baseman and leadoff hitter, powered the Gaels with a 2-for-3 effort, two doubles and a RBI.
Oberg and Heesch each crossed the dish twice as well, while sophomore Cassie Sells came through with a two-run single. SEHS also brought home four runs on fielding miscues by the Clarion-Goldfield second baseman and third baseman.
That turned out to be plenty of support for eighth-grader Cassie Brennan-Rowe, who picked up the complete game victory in her first varsity appearance in the circle. Brennan-Rowe (1-0) scattered six hits and three earned runs with six walks and two strikeouts.
All four scores by the Cowgirls (4-21, 0-15) came in the second inning. Brooke Boyd (two-run single) and Celeste Swanson (bases-loaded walk) highlighted the C-G offensive charge.
Peed and Timmi Dencklau were recognized for Senior Night in between games of Thursday's twinbill.
St. Edmond has now downed Clarion-Goldfield 13 consecutive times, dating back to the 2006-07 season.
The Gaels wrap up NCC play in the remainder of a suspended game this evening at Eagle Grove (9-18, 5-10). Iowa Falls-Alden will face Hampton-Dumont in its last two league contests.