Morris softball falls to Kaneland

MORRIS – A day after knocking off unbeaten and Class 3A second-ranked LaSalle-Peru, the Morris softball team took on another highly ranked team, Kaneland, on Thursday.

The Redskins had a bit of a letdown after the big win, allowing a pair of unearned runs in the top of the first inning and then loading the bases with no outs in the bottom half but not coming away with a run as Kaneland cruised to an 8-3 Interstate 8 Conference win.

Kaneland, which entered the game ranked seventh in 3A, took advantage of some uncharacteristic fielding errors by Morris (7-5, 4-2) in the first. Rose Roach led off with a single, then stole second and third. After Morris pitcher Ella Davis induced a comebacker, Olivia Stocker hit a fly to center that was dropped, scoring Roach and putting Stocker on second. A wild pitch moved Stocker to third and she scored on an error on a grounder to third by Abby Latka. Olivia Ortegel doubled to center to put runners on second and third, but Latka was thrown out at home on a grounder to second and Davis ended the inning with a strikeout.

Morris got a leadoff single by Kennedy Dransfeldt in the bottom of the first, the first of four hits on the day for the Morris shortstop. A dropped fly ball to right by Kylee Claypool put runners on second and third and Taylor Nelson was safe at first on a comebacker when the Kaneland first baseman pulled her foot off the bag, loading the bases. Dransfeldt was forced out at home on a grounder to short, and Kaneland pitcher Grace Algrim struck out the next two Morris hitters to end the threat.

“That first inning, we gave up two unearned runs and didn’t score when we had the bases loaded with no outs,” Morris coach Jen Bamonte said. “If things go our way in either the top or bottom of that inning, it’s a different game from the start.”

Kaneland added two more runs in the top of the third on an RBI single by Delaney Douglas and an RBI fielder’s choice by Gabby Gonzalez. The Knights scored three more in the fourth, highlighted by a two-run single by Ortegel, her third hit of the day.

Meanwhile, Algrim kept Morris off the board, allowing just four hits and striking out five in five innings.

“We swung the bats well today,” Kaneland coach Mike Kuefler said. “Olivia Ortgel has been hot as heck the last week and a half, and Grace threw the ball well. We usually don’t start her, but she did a good job today.”

Morris rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Grace Lines led off with a double, her second hit of the day, and went to third on a wild pitch before Madigan Doss walked as Lines scored on another wild pitch. Dransfeldt reached on an infield single and Doss was safe at third on a fielder’s choice by Claypool. Two outs later, Jaelyn Wiers singled through the middle to score Doss and Dransfeldt.

“I loved the fight we showed right to the end,” Bamonte said. “Kennedy was 4 for 4 and doing her thing. Kaneland puts the ball in play and they put it in play hard. They run the bases aggressively and make teams make mistakes.

“If you would have told me two days ago that we would split these two games, I would have been OK with that. We were a little flat after Wednesday’s big win, but we did have something we can build on in that last inning.”

On Wednesday, Morris defeated undefeated Lasalle Peru, 13-9. Maddie Noon picked up the win, pitching four innings and giving up three hits and no earned runs while striking out two. Maddy Shannon (2 doubles, 4 RBIs) and Wiers (RBI) led the way with three hits each. Davis (double, 2 RBIs) and Dransfeldt each added two hits, while Claypool, Nelson (double, 2 RBIs), Lines (double), and Doss (RBI) all added hits.