The Prescott Cardinal softball team had their wings clipped in preseason for practice. The rust has showed in the field with 13 team errors in the first six games, but the Cardinals have brought the GRRR at the plate, as in Grace, Rory, Rohl, and Roth. Oh yeah, and that Leah French kid, too. 

"This is the second time we've touched dirt," said Prescott Head Coach Nick Johnson after the second game of the season, "but that's the same for everybody."

The first-time touching dirt was for the season opener on the road against Galesville-Ettrick-Trempealeau, a 13-3 win in five innings.

The second time was the Cardinals' home opener last Tuesday as they hosted St. Croix Central. Whoever was in charge of the thermostat "upstairs" was in a kind mood at "Biggs" Frey Memorial Field for the Middle Border Conference game.

There was no rust in the press box, however, as the Cardinal dads’ playlist in between innings was in mid-season form.    

After the Panthers scratched two runs across in the top of the first, speedy Cardinal lead-off hitter Kelsey Sterud laid down a bunt for an infield single and proceeded to swipe second and third. One batter later, senior catcher Leah French deposited a fastball deep to centerfield for a homerun, tying up the score at 2-apiece. The Cardinals would tag on three more in the bottom of the first for a 5-2 lead.

The Panthers scored five of their own in the top of the third to take a 7-6 lead, thanks in part to two Prescott errors and three walks by Cardinal starting pitcher sophomore Grace Ptacek.

"I thought Ptacek did a good job but, execution, defensively, we were a little rusty," said Johnson.

Prescott had four errors against St. Croix Central on Tuesday. 

The Cardinals were down 8-7 heading into the bottom of the fourth when the grocery bag ripped open at the bottom for the Panthers and Prescott runs were rolling across the plate like apples on a downhill parking lot.

The Cardinals banged out seven hits in the fourth inning, including six singles and a double by senior Jeanne Rohl. Ptacek had the go-ahead two-run single giving the Cardinals a 9-8 lead. Ptacek also singled later in the same inning, as the Cardinals put the game out of reach, scoring 10 runs and taking a 17-8 lead.

French singled in the final run in the bottom of the fifth for the 18-8 run-rule win. French led the Cardinals at the plate going 4 for 4 with a homerun and four RBI. Maria Mercord went 3 for 4 at the plate with two RBI. The GRRR girls, Grace Ptacek, Rory Zuehlsdorf, Jeanne Rohl, and Talli Roth each chipped in with two hits as the Cardinals scored a blistering 18 runs on 18 hits.

Ptacek notched the win in the circle with six strikeouts, allowing five hits and just one earned run.  

"We have a potent line-up and we're going to score a lot of runs," said Johnson, "but us scoring 18 runs and not playing our best game is definitely a positive."

Prescott-14, Blair-Taylor-2

On Monday, the Cardinals improved to 5-1 on the season with a 14-2 drubbing of Blair-Taylor on the road. Izzy Thoen went 4 for 4 with a homerun and five RBI to lead Prescott. French and Ptacek each went 3 for 5 at the plate. Makayla Johnson went the distance in the circle, scattering eight hits and allowing just two earned runs picking up the win.  

The Cardinals have the ball flying out of the park with six homeruns as a team in six games, four of them courtesy of Concordia-St. Paul signee French. As a team, Prescott is hitting .429 and has scored 75 runs in six games.

Zuehlsdorf leads the Cardinals in hits (14), doubles (6), and runs scored (11).

Prescott will host Somerset on Thursday at 5 p.m.