The Verona softball team entered last week tied with Sun Prairie East atop the Big Eight Conference.
Verona had its seven-game winning streak snapped in a 12-5 road loss to Middleton on Friday, April 26, at Firefighters Park. The Wildcats then lost a second straight conference game to Sun Prairie East 4-1 on Saturday, April 27, at Verona Area High School. Verona (8-5-1, 7-2 Big Eight) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 9-0 victory over Janesville Parker on Monday, April 29, at Riverside Park.
Verona is second place in the league, two games behind Sun Prairie East. Verona leads Middleton by 0.5 games for second and Janesville Craig by 1.5 games.
Verona junior Sierra Ejercito extended her hitting streak to 12 straight games. Senior Taylor Peterson has a 10-game hitting streak. Both of the Wildcats’ top two hitters have an on-base percentage better than .700 since returning from the Florida trip.
“We knew our top two hitters would need to have at least a .500 on-base percentage to help replace the offense we lost last year,” Verona coach Todd Anderson said. “I don’t want to say she (Peterson) is exceeding expectations because our expectations for her were high. She has just taken charge out there in a lot of ways, especially in her own hitting. They are doing what they are capable of.”
Verona junior Mallorie Kreuser pitched a no-hitter to lead the Wildcats to a 10-0 win over Madison East/La Follette on Wednesday, April 24, in Verona.
Verona 9, Janesville Parker 0
Peterson continued her hot hitting, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored to power Verona.
Verona freshman Addison Quackenboss finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and one RBI. The Wildcats had six stolen bases. Both Quackenboss and Ejercito had two stolen bases.
Kreuser pitched a complete game, five-hit shutout. She struck out nine and walked one.
Verona broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Both Quackenboss and Rayna Vogel had RBI singles in the big inning. Senior Harriet Salas knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly to help Verona take an 8-0 lead.
Sun Prairie East 4, Verona 1
Peterson went 2-for-4 and had an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Wildcats couldn’t rally by the Cardinals.
Sun Prairie East pitcher Tayler Baker tossed a complete game and struck out 14.
Rayna Vogel went 2-for-3. Kreuser pitched a complete game and gave up two earned runs on nine hits. She struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk.
Middleton 12, Verona 5
Middleton scored eight runs in the fourth inning on its way to beating the Wildcats.
The Cardinals scored eight runs in the fourth on just one hit. The big blow came on Middleton’s Hailey Stroede’s two-run double. The Wildcats walked in two runs in the inning and committed an error that led to a run to help the Cardinals take a 9-0 lead.
Verona scored five runs in the top of the sixth. Peterson went 3-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI. Quackenboss went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Ejercito finished 2-for-4 at the plate.
Verona used three pitchers. Kreuser pitched 3 ⅓ innings and gave up three earned runs on one hit to take the loss. She struck out two and walked two. Quackenboss allowed two earned and Emma Parker pitched two innings and gave up three earned runs on three hits, while striking out three and walking one.
Verona 10, Madison East/La Follette 0 (5 inn.)
Kreuser struck out 11 in tossing a no-hitter to lead the Wildcats past East/La Follette.
“Changing up the angle of the pitch and trying to get the batters off-balance,” Kreuser said. “I threw a few rise balls and some curveballs to really throw off the eye line of the batter.”
Kreuser was able to paint her pitches on the outside corner.
“Every umpire has a different zone so we (catcher Harriet Salas and Kreuser) are always communicating about where we think he is giving us the calls,” she said. “Outside was definitely an asset for today.”
The one threat United had came when Penny Milfred hit a squibber between Verona second baseman Morgan Kirwan and Quackenboss at shortstop. Kirwan couldn’t field the ball and make the throw in time and it was ruled an error.
Kreuser walked only one.
“She has been awesome this season and tonight was no exception,” Anderson said. “She is just able to hit the spot.”
Kreuser has thrown first pitch strikes on 77% of her pitches since the Florida trip.
“Getting that first pitch strike is critical and Mallorie understands that,” Anderson said. “When you do that, good things will happen.”
Ejercito went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
“My goal is to get on base and get it past the infield so we can score some runs,” Ejercito said. “I noticed I was kind of on top of the ball a little. I was trying to make some solid contact.”
Parker walked leading off the second inning. Kreuser singled to center. Salas reached on an error and the Wildcats scored a run.
Verona scored four runs in the bottom of the third without hitting the ball out of the infield. United had three of their seven errors in the inning.
Anderson said the Wildcats made adjustments by playing some small ball.
“The idea being get the ball in play and see what happens,” he said. “We often say there is a moment in games where a team wants to give you the game and you have to step up and take it.”
Verona took advantage of its speed and some fielding miscues by the United. Peterson and Ejercito beat out infield singles. Kirwan bunted for a single to load the bases. Parker then blooped an RBI single near second base to score Peterson to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. Kreuser hit a chopper to third base. The throw to the plate was dropped and Ejercito scored. Leah Irvin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run. Kallie Stebbeds walked and a run scored to extend Verona’s lead to 5-0.
Verona added to its lead in the fourth. Kirwan laid down a squeeze bunt to score Ejercito. The Wildcats scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth. The big blow came on Ejercito’s two-run double to center to end the game in the mercy rule.
