When the River Falls and Prescott High School softball programs clashed in their annual non-conference rivalry game on Saturday afternoon, the play on the diamond and final score were secondary to the off-field efforts for a much greater cause.

The Wildcats and Cardinals collaborated and made the game a Strikeout Cancer fundraiser, which included free will offerings at the gate, donation buckets passed around during the action, as well as family and organizational donations to the American Cancer Society.

In total, River Falls and Prescott raised $1,502 that was donated to the cause. Those funds will be used to improve the lives of people with cancer through advocacy, research and patient support, according to the American Cancer Society’s website.

For River Falls head coach Matt Smith, who saw his Wildcats defeat Prescott 7-0 at Faye Perkins Softball Stadium at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday, May 13, the day was about much more than just getting a win against a rival.

“Today is about so much more than a game,” Smith said. “Whoever wins or loses, that’s second and way behind the cause and purpose of what we’re doing today. In the grand scheme of things, that’s what is important. A lot of these girls have been impacted by cancer. For them to come out and raise money toward the cause, I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

Smith credited assistant coach Jess Olson with the idea for a Strikeout Cancer event and organizing all of the logistical efforts that go hand in hand with a fundraiser.

“I’m so proud of coach Jess Olson for putting all of this together,” Smith said. “All of the credit goes to Jess for this. She did an outstanding job putting this together for a great cause.”

Although Prescott head coach Nick Johnson was disappointed with his team’s performance in the 7-0 defeat on Saturday afternoon, he couldn’t help but smile as he heaped praise on the fundraiser and its success.

“This is our first time doing (Strikeout Cancer) and to do it against a rival like River Falls, it was such a great event,” Johnson said. “I think they did it really well here. It’s awesome to see how much we raised.”

While Prescott and River Falls always play an annual rivalry game, the 2023 iteration was the first time it has been a fundraiser for a larger cause. Given the rave reviews by both programs, coach Johnson hinted that it could become a permanent aspect of the rivalry.

“Yeah, absolutely, that’s what we’re hoping for,” Johnson said about Strikeout Cancer becoming an annual event. “Especially playing here at UW-River Falls, it worked out great.”

River Falls’ success against Prescott was in large part because of senior pitcher Ali Laube, who tossed a complete-game two-hit shutout that propelled the Wildcats to a 7-0 win. It was the first time River Falls defeated Prescott in more than a decade.

Laube struck out three batters and didn’t allow a walk in addition to her seven shutout innings on Saturday afternoon. Coach Smith spoke about his ace’s sublime performance against a Prescott lineup that hasn’t had any issues scoring runs this season.

“Ali pitched a phenomenal game today,” Smith said. “She hit her spots and trusted our defense. She’s done a tremendous job this year and has been outstanding in her approach. Her confidence is unbelievable, and that’s how she pitches too.”

The Wildcats sprayed the ball around the park and scored at least one run in each of the opening four innings. River Falls senior Avery Amidon led the charge with a pair of RBIs while Laube and juniors Jordan Torrez and Lilly Burke had one apiece.

“The girls had great at-bats, had great approaches and they put the ball in play,” Smith said. “We had aggressive baserunning and top to bottom we barreled up the ball well. I’m proud of our girls and their mentality offensively today.”

Prescott’s lackluster performance was a perfect dichotomy of River Falls’ honed offensive and defensive efforts on Saturday. The Cardinals, who have been a strong defensive team all season, made four errors that led to as many unearned runs which broke the game open.

The Cardinals booted the ball around and trailed by more than half a dozen runs just four innings into the game. Coach Johnson spoke about the lethargic start and not competing early.

“That’s what happens when you don’t get off the bus,” Johnson said. “We just didn’t show up. I thought we were flat and we’re disappointed, as we should be. You can’t just show up and expect to win against a good team.”

Johnson praised Smith for the job he’s done in his first year as head coach of the Wildcats. Smith has led River Falls to a 14-3 record thus far, its most wins since 1981. The second-best season since then was the 1989 campaign when the Wildcats finished 12-3.

This is just the fourth time since 1981 that River Falls has won double-digit games. One of this year’s 13 wins was against Chippewa Falls, which has been a dominant softball program on this side of the state for decades.

That upset victory, played at Faye Perkins Softball Stadium on Thursday, May 11, was the first time since 1995 that River Falls defeated Chippewa Falls. Johnson spoke about Smith’s coaching and his inability to take any credit for the success.

“River Falls is good and what Matt has done in a year speaks volumes for how good of a person and coach he is,” Johnson said. “He won’t take any credit. I always tell him he’s too humble, but people know how great of a coach and person he is.”

River Falls and Prescott are slated to be back in action on the road on Monday, May 15. The Wildcats face off with Menomonie in a Big Rivers contest while the Cardinals square off with Bloomer. Both games are slated to begin at 5 p.m.