Neuqua Valley is ready to take the field in the softball regional semifinal, holding the 11 seed, but did pick a win against Lake Park to end the regular season. Oswego East is the opponent, who beat the Wildcats on May 3rd but is on a three-game slide. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Nadia Casanova is in position to score on third base, and once the ball gets away she dashes home to give Neuqua an early 1-0 lead.
2-0 Cats, but the Wolves get the bats going in the second inning thanks to a lead-off base hit by Ryenne Sinta.
Nicole Stone goes yard for Oswego East
Then Nicole Stone is up, and she rockets her hit out to center, and that ball is gone. Stone with a two-run nuke turns the game around just like that because we are deadlocked at two.
Then Ronnie Craft flies out to left field, and turning on the jets is Lundin Cornelius, and she glides her way to home to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead.
Neuqua softball pitcher Ava Drehs quickly cools off the Oswego East bats with a punchout to end the frame.
Kate Scardina gets a spark for Neuqua
In the fourth inning, Kate Scardina keeps the Neuqua bats swinging with a hit that gets lost in the sun by the outfielder, so she takes advantage of it for a double.
Trista Werner is up, and she thinks her pop-up is going to be caught, but Katie Maday can’t make the grab, and pinch-runner Esha Argawal scores and this game is tied at three.
The Wildcats find a way to get some runs even if a sac fly is involved. Werner thinks about it, but the ball gets away, and there goes Werner who makes it home safely. Neuqua retakes the lead 4-3 after four innings.
The Wolves keep howling with more base hits as Olivia Owles hit lands in left for a single.
Wildcat fielders step up their defense
Katie Maday thinks she has an RBI with Oweles scoring, or so she thinks but the throw at home is in time, with Tegan Spellerberg tagging out Owles and keeping it a one-run game.
In the sixth inning, the Cats feed off that with an Ashely Pape delivering a hit that brings in Nadia Casanova and it’s 5-3 Neuqua.
6-4 Neuqua, but OE has the tying run at the plate. Spellerberg regains the loose ball and throws to Nalia Clifford at third, and she tags out the runner. The Neuqua infield with some huge stops to keep it a two-run game.
Neuqua keeps finding the Wolves’ weak spots, with Clifford beating the throw and Spellerberg adding another run. It’s 7-4 in favor of the blue and gold heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Complete game for Drehs equals a Wildcat Victory
Ava Drehs, the DVC Pitcher of the Year, ends her complete game with punchout number eleven, and Neuqua Valley softball wins 7-4 over Oswego East. The Wildcats will face Wheaton Warrenville South in the regional championship.
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