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Pirates beat Culdesac 7-3
Meghan VanderPas allowed just 3 hits and hit a 2-run homer as the Prairie softball team beat Culdesac 7-3 Tuesday, April 25 to gain a first place tie in the league standings with the Wolves. If the two teams wind up tied for first, Culdesac will be the number 1 seed into district as they won a coin toss with Prairie. VanderPas’ homer came in a 3-run third inning in which Prairie took the lead. Culdesac came back with 2 runs in the fourth but Prairie added 4 runs in the fifth to extend the lead. Culdesac was able to add a run in the seventh but Tiffany Schaeffer made a great running catch of a fly ball into short right field to end the game. VanderPas struck out 7 hitters while walking just 1. The Pirates amassed 8 hits led by VanderPas who had a single in addition to her homer. Tiffany Schaeffer had 2 singles while Ashley Schaeffer had a double and Natalie Arnzen, Alli Holthaus and Lindsey Crea each had a single. The game was moved from Cottonwood to Culdesac due to the prison escapees. Culdesac 0 0 0 2 0 0 1—3 3 4 Prairie 0 0 3 0 4 0 x—7 8 2 Lady Pirates crush Spartans The Prairie Lady Pirates jumped on Timberline for 10 runs in the first inning a cruised to a 16-0 win in 3 innings Thursday, April 27 at Pierce. The game was called after 3 innings on the 15-run mercy rule. Meghan VanderPas and Alicia Pepper combined to toss a no-hitter. Natalie Arnzen made a diving catch at shortstop in the third inning to preserve the no-hitter. Ashley Schaeffer’s 3-run triple in the first started the scoring explosion. VanderPas had 4 RBI in the game while Schaeffer and Arnzen had 3 RBI each. Prairie had 10 hits in the game led by VanderPas who was only a single short of the cycle with a double, triple and homer. Arnzen had a homer and a single and Brooke Holthaus had a double and single. Ashley Schaeffer had a triple and Tiffany Schaeffer and Kara Guyer each had a single. Prairie 10 1 5—16 10 1 Timberline 0 0 0— 0 0 4 Lady Pirates beat Lewis County 19-4 Eighteen walks helped the Prairie Lady Pirates cruise to a 19-4 win over Lewis County in the completion of a rain-suspended game Friday, April 28 at Cottonwood. 
Prairie led 4-0 in the top of the second when the game was halted due to rain a couple weeks ago. Lewis County had the bases loaded though due to 2 hit batters and a walk. In the restart Meghan VanderPas hit the first batter to force in a run. The next hitter bounced one back to the pitcher’s circle and VanderPas threw home for the forceout. A groundout to short plated another run before VanderPas ended the inning with a another comebacker. Prairie had scored their four first inning runs on 3 walks, a hit batter and an RBI single by Brooke Holthaus. In the second inning Prairie added 4 runs on 4 walks and a single. The first three hitters all walked to load the bases. Prairie then made two outs. Alli Holthaus then singled to left to score two runs and a third run came in on a couple of errant throws with Holthaus making it all the way to third. Alli then scored on a wild pitch. Lewis County added a run in the third on a walk and a couple of passed balls. VanderPas wound up with 4 strikeouts in the inning as one batter reached first on a passed ball on strike three. In the bottom of the inning the first six Prairie hitters all reached bases, 5 of the by way of walks. Tiffany Schaeffer had the only hit of the inning as she beat out an infield roller with Lindsey Crea scoring. Ashley Schaeffer, Tiffany Schaeffer and Meghan VanderPas all came in from third on passed balls. After Kylie Uhlorn walked, Lewis County changed pitchers and the new pitcher promptly walked Natalie Arnzen before getting a pair of outs. Prairie wound up scoring 5 runs in the inning. Prairie added 6 more runs in the bottom of the fourth on 6 more walks and two hits. VanderPas had an RBI double and Arnzen had a single. In the top of the fifth Lewis County added a run on a triple with the runner scoring on a groundout. The game was called after five inning on the 10-run mercy rule. Prairie had just 5 hits in the game as VanderPas had a double and Tiffany Schaeffer, Arnzen, Alli Holthaus, and Brooke Holthaus each had singles. VanderPas gave up 2 hits with 2 walks, 3 hit batters and 9 strikeouts. Lewis County 0 2 1 0 1— 4 2 3 Prairie 4 4 5 6 x—19 5 0 Lady Pirates sweep Troy The Prairie softball team had little trouble with the Troy Trojans as they registered two shutout victories, 17-0 and 17-0 Monday, May 1 at Cottonwood. The games were makeups of games postponed by snow on April 15. In the opening game Meghan VanderPas tossed a no-hitter while allowing just 2 base-runners, one on a hit-by-pitch and the other on an error. She struck out 11 with the only out not by strikeout being a groundout to short.  On
offense Prairie scored in every inning. In the first inning Ashley Schaeffer
walked and scored on VanderPas’ triple to left center. Kylie Uhlorn then
reached on a passed ball third strike and Natalie Arnzen walked. Alli Holthaus
then tripled to right to score both runners.
In the second Tiffany Schaeffer walked and scored when Ashley Schaeffer’s single to right was misplayed for a 2-base error. VanderPas then tripled to left again to score Ashley. VanderPas then scored on a passed ball. Arnzen reached on an error and scored on Alli Holthaus’ single. In the third Kara Guyer led off with a triple and scored on a passed ball. Ashley Schaeffer later walked, stole second, moved to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a passed ball. In the bottom of the fourth Alli Holthaus led off with a single right back at the pitcher that caught the pitcher on the jaw, literally knocking her out of the game. Brooke Holthaus was hit by the first pitch from the new pitcher. Kim Altman wnet into run for Brooke. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Alli scored on Guyer’s groundout to second. Altman then scored on a wild pitch. 
Lindsey Crea walked and Tiffany Schaeffer was hit by a pitch. Ashley Schaeffer popped up in the infield and the infield fly rule was called. Both runners advanced when the popup was dropped. VanderPas was hit by a pitch and Altman, pinch-hitting for Uhlorn, singled to score Crea and Tiffany Schaeffer. One run away from ending the game on the 15-run rule, Arnzen hit a fly ball over the rightfielder’s head and raced all the way around the bases for a 3-run homer to end it. Prairie had 9 hits in the game led by VanderPas who had 2 triples. All Holthaus had a triple and 2 singles. Arnzen had a homer, Guyer had a triple and Altman and Ashley Schaeffer each had a single. In the second game Prairie kept up the attack against Troy’s #2 pitcher with 8 runs in the first and 9 more in the second. In the first inning there were 4 walks, singles by Ashley Schaeffer and Uhlorn, a 2-run triple by VanderPas and a 3-run homer by Tiffany Schaeffer. In the second inning there were 6 more walks plus 2 singles by Altman and a single each from Carolyn Sonnen, Ashley Schaeffer and Camille Schumacher led to 9 more runs. Meanwhile Alicia Pepper pitched for Prairie and gave up just 1 hit, 1 2-out triple in the second inning. She allowed only 2 other base runners and they were both put out in a bizarre double play. In the first inning the leadoff hitter reached on an error. The next hitter grounded to Arnzen at short who tossed to Alli Holthaus at second for a forceout. Alli’s then turned and fired to first with Kim Schaeffer unable to handle the throw. Rightfielder Tiffany Schaeffer backed up and threw the ball to second where Arnzen tagged out the runner to complete the double play. Pepper wound up with 3 strikeouts and allowed no walks. Prairie had 9 hits in the game. Altman had a pair of singles, Tiffany Schaeffer had a homer, VanderPas a triple and Ashley Schaeffer, Uhlorn, Sonnen and Schumacher each had a single. With the wins Prairie improves to 10-1 in league play and 14-3 overall. Prairie 4 4 2 7—17 9 1 Troy 0 0 0— 0 1 2 Prairie to host District Softball The District Softball tournament gets underway this Saturday, May 6 at the Wimer Ballfields in Cottonwood. This year both fields will be used for the tournament. Prairie has clinched the #2 seed as they lost the first place coinflip to Culdesac. Their first game will be at 10 a.m. on field 1 against the #7 seed, likely Timberline. With a win they would play again at 2 p.m. on field 2 against the #6 vs. #3 winner, likely Lewis County as they are the #3 seed.. With a loss they would play at noon on field 2 against the 3-6 loser. If they win both games Saturday they would play in the championship game on Tuesday, May 9 at 3 p.m. Teams that lose 1 game on Saturday will play in loser out games on Monday starting at 3 p.m. Tuesday’s championship game loser will play again right away against Monday’s survivor for the second seed to state. LADY PIRATES SOFTBALL 2006 May 6, 8, 9-District at Prairie. Prairie to play at 10 a.m. on Saturday. 19-20-State at Caldwell |
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