Ellsworth softball and baseball took to Brown’s Field Complex in Hager City for home games Thursday night. Softball picked up a 12-11 win over River Falls after an emotional rollercoaster and baseball lost 8-3 to St. Croix Falls, but took steps in the right direction in the season opener.

Softball

Ellsworth moved to 3-0 on the year after a 12-11 win over River Falls on Thursday and a 12-9 win over Red Wing on Friday.

Against the Wildcats, senior pitcher Aliza Acker came out with a 1-2-3 first inning and followed it with an RBI double in the bottom of the inning to drive in senior Delaney Johnson. Acker dealt two more clean innings, and in the bottom of the third, Johnson roped a two-run home run to right-centerfield to take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Johnson went on to belt two more homers in the win over Red Wing.

River Falls fought back with three runs of its own in the fourth, cutting the deficit to one with a bases loaded walk, an error and a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the fifth, the Panthers had two outs and the bases empty but strung together a two-out rally capped by a two-run double from freshman Ava Whipple to lead 6-3.

The sixth inning is where the true madness started and ended. A flurry of walks and hit by pitches followed by a sacrifice fly had River Falls up 8-6 with two runners on and two outs. Catelyn Moe then absolutely crushed a three-run shot to left field to take an 11-6 lead and give Ellsworth six outs to mount a comeback.

One out was all the Panthers needed, tying the game at 11 a piece on a wild pitch, advancing the lead runner to second in the sixth.

“It’s huge, freshmen and sophomores there just stepped up big,” Ellsworth Head Coach Tom Diercks said. “They’re going to make a mark. They can hit and they’re going to get more and more comfortable, so that was good for their confidence.”

Whipple lined a single to left, and just like that the Panthers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after a clean seventh.

“I need a hit, get on base, that’s the main goal,” Whipple said. “It’s really good for experience and just boosting confidence.”

The rally meant a lot to a Panther team with high expectations once again.

“We’re a passionate team. We’re good for each other,” Whipple said.

“I was just impressed,” Diecks said. “The whole team stepped up. The hitting in the next inning was just fantastic.”

The Panthers have been in some high scoring affairs to start the year. Diercks knows some of the late season games will come down to pitching duals, and he is confident in the Panthers because of the attitude the pitchers have brought day in and day out. When Acker was swapped out of the circle for EmmaJo Meier late in the game, Diercks said the positive mentality showed.

“EmmaJo’s number one person cheering for her was Aliza, that’s just huge on a team,” Diercks said. “She can put her head down, be quiet and pout. She didn’t, she just did excellent there.”

With wins against larger schools under their belt, the Panthers are ready for the Middle Border Conference gauntlet.

“It’s good, we just need to see a variety of pitching,” Diercks said. “We’ve just got to get enough competition so we’re ready.”

Baseball

For Ellsworth baseball, the opener did not go their way in an 8-3 loss to St. Croix Falls on Thursday, but the squad bounced back for a 3-1 win over Cadott a day later.

Jacob Kohn was the star of Thursday’s game, pushing through five innings of one-run ball. Ellsworth picked up three runs in the final inning; however, it was too little too late after giving up three in the sixth and four in the seventh.

“Obviously, first time outside, ultimately I think we played really well through five innings,” Head Coach Brandon Voelker said.

Ellsworth stranded 12 runners on base Thursday, coming up short of delivering the game-altering blow. Voelker was pleased with the approach at the plate, striking out just four times as a team.

“I really liked our approach tonight, we only had four strikeouts,” Voelker said. “This is a lot of the same team from last year that averaged 13 a game, so only having four strikeouts tonight in our opener I really like.”

What it came down to was simply getting something to drop in after the strong approach at the plate.

“Just couldn’t get the big hit early,” Voelker said. “If we get one of those big hits early, the game might be flipped. Start to take the air out of them versus they took the air out of us.”
Shortstop Gavin Klos went 4-4 Thursday and is solidifying himself as an X-factor for Ellsworth. Voelker was also pleased with the seventh inning fight the team showed despite trailing.

It was Jack Stoltenburg that took to the mound Friday on his birthday, pitching a complete seven innings with just one run allowed.

“We’re just kind of still trying to figure out who we are,” Voelker said. “These first three games, they’re practice to us. It’s spring baseball, you don’t get to get outside, and that goes for everybody.”