Elmwood/Plum City softball started its week with tough losses 6-4 to Durand-Arkansaw and 8-1 to Mondovi, but got a massive win to snap a Clayton/Turtle Lake seven-game winning streak 7-4 Friday.

“We had kind of a long week this week,” EPC Head Coach Paige Saniter said. “Friday we obviously got a win. Our girls played super hard, our defense stayed tight, we made best on getting runners on base, my girls played really good small ball.”

Sophomore shortstop Brittany Bechel hit the team’s first home run of the year in the win. Pitcher Britta Link was hitting spots to keep Clayton/Turtle Lake at bay while the offense made its mark.

There were also some positive signs against Mondovi, as the Wolves held it to a 0-0 tie until the fifth inning. They had some runners on base but failed to drive them in. Other than a few mental errors in the field, Saniter has liked what she’s seen in the field, especially from the outfielders.

After a tough game against Colfax on May 12, Saniter views the upcoming schedule as some games they should be competitive in and get some wins.

“I’m hoping we can ride that high kind of and just continue to push forward,” Saniter said. “I really want them to focus on one inning at a time and trying to win it.”

To put the one inning at a time mentality into action, Saniter said they must avoid the compilation of mistakes.

“Staying defensively mentally strong,” Saniter said. “We just have to continue to know that errors might happen, that hitters are going to hit balls and get base hits.”

EPC is 5-13 overall and 2-9 in conference, and while the record has not totally shown it, the young team is establishing a program culture.

“I’m overall proud of our girls and what they are doing,” Saniter said. “We have gotten immensely better from last year, and we continue to improve all season long. I really tip my hat to them; they’re putting in the work.”

EPC’s final three games are against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on May 13, Boyceville on May 15 and Glenwood City on May 19. With the postseason looming, Saniter believes the final stretch of games will be crucial for development. The win over Clayton/Turtle Lake was a great one to show the team’s potential against a 13-6 team; however, they want to use it as a steppingstone rather than a landing zone.