Softball: Reagan Stoudt gives herself, St. Bede a big lift

PERU - Reagan Stoudt was struggling a bit pitching Thursday, so she gave herself a lift at the plate.

The St. Bede senior belted a deep, two-run blast to center field to cap a five-run fifth inning as the Bruins rallied for a 7-3 win over Dwight at Abbot Philip Davey Field on the campus of St. Bede Academy.

“That’s the good thing when you’re pitching and you get to hit,” Stoudt said. “I wasn’t pitching my best tonight, I don’t think. So to have the chance to get in the box and make up for it is huge. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance next year (at the University of Texas-San Antonio), but I do this year.”

Stoudt said it was nice to come back for the win after a slow start.

“There’s a lot of emotions going on with the team right now. This win wasn’t our prettiest one, but we’re glad we got the job done,” she said.

Lili McClain got St. Bede’s fifth-inning rally started with a pinch-hit single, and Lily Bosnich and Emma Slingsby beat out bunt singles, with McClain scoring to tie the game at 3.

It was the first of two bunt singles for Bosnich, and Stoudt said, “If [Lily] gets thrown out, there’s something going on, a wrong call or something.”

Bosnich scored on a wild pitch to put the Bruins ahead 4-3, Ella Hermes drew a walk, and catcher Bella Pinter made it 5-3 with an RBI groundout to short.

That brought up the left-handed swinger Stoudt, who blasted a home run among the vehicles parked behind the left-center field fence to give the Bruins a 7-3 lead.

Like they did in last year’s state championship victory, Stoudt handed off to Hermes in the circle to finish the Tri-County Conference victory.

Stoudt was touched for nine hits and three earned runs over five innings with seven strikeouts in the win. Hermes pitched two scoreless innings with no hits, striking out five of six batters.

“Rup [coach Rob Ruppert] calls us the 1-2 punch,” Stoudt said. “It’s easy to compete with each other at practice to be the better one, but we both have our own strengths and we know that. And to have each other’s back is great.”

Pinter helped Stoudt work through her struggles in the circle.

“Sometimes it can be a little difficult, especially with some private matters with the team right now. That definitely plays a role with everyone’s attitude right now,” Pinter said. “So, it’s mostly just about reminding her she’s totally capable and you have a bad game sometimes, and that’s OK. And just also, keeping our defense on lock and making sure everybody else is picking her up.

“It can be difficult sometimes, but she did a great job. And she definitely picked herself up in the box.”

It was the Bruins’ second 7-3 victory over the Trojans in three days.

Slingsby led the Bruins at the plate with three hits and McClain and Bosnich had two each.

Dwight (4-4) struck first with two runs in the first after a leadoff double by Taylor Heath, who went 3 for 4, and an RBI single by catcher Avery Scheuer.

The Bruins tied things up in the home half of the first. Slingsby hit a leadoff double to left and Hermes followed with an RBI triple down the line. Hermes scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-2.

Scheuer came through for Dwight again in the top of the fifth with another RBI hit to put the Trojans up 3-2.