HUMBOLDT — With the Super Bowl of Allen County softball right around the corner, the Cubs were able to sweep Lebo-Waverly on Friday night to ensure that they entered Monday’s doubleheader against Iola with a maximum amount of momentum.
The Cubs swept the Wolf-Dogs by scores of 10-0 and 10-2.
In game one, the Cubs were able to capitalize on Wolf-Dog mistakes in the first inning as they built a 3-0 lead despite the only hit of the inning being a double by pitcher Rylan Wilhite. The Wolf-Dogs hit the first two batters of the inning and also walked one.
The Cubs added four more runs in third inning with senior Makaylah McCall getting things rolling with a one-out triple and then with two outs, Sydney Barker, Kira McReynolds, Maggie Johnson and Morgan Mauk all reached base to extend the Cubs lead to 7-0.
While all this scoring was happening, Wilhite and her defense were equally impressive. The junior pitched a five-inning complete-game shutout and allowed just one hit.
“I did decent,” Wilhite said. “I could have done better, I need to work on hitting my spots a little bit better.”
McCall scored another run in the fourth inning and the Cubs ended it in the fifth with Barker and McReynolds scoring to run-rule Wolf-Dogs 10-0.
McCall and McReynolds each had two hits in the win.
GAME TWO
Humboldt coach Brad Piley had the option of letting Wilhite play the field in game two and give another pitcher some experience in the second game, but with all the shortened games the Cubs have had lately, he opted to get his ace as much work as possible.
“We are trying to stretch her out a little bit now, because we are coming to the end of the season,” Piley said. “I don’t think she has ever thrown 14 innings yet so we are just trying to stretch her out and make sure she can go for a full doubleheader.”
Early on, it appeared Wilhite wouldn’t be able to get very much more work in as the Cubs struck with a seven-run first inning and looked well on their way to run-ruling the Wolf-Dogs after three or five innings again.
The Cubs collected eight hits in the opening inning to take the 7-0 lead, but then the offense went cold for the next three inning with the only hits being a double in the second by junior Sydney Houk and a single in the third by Mauk, but no runs came from them.
“I wasn’t happy with our second game,” Piley said. “This game (we should have run-ruled them,) but we didn’t. We gave away outs and we had some lapses that we just can’t do.”
Defensive lapses were the most frustrating for Piley.
“Our defense on the infield is as good as anybody around,” Piley said. “We shouldn’t have (mistakes) on defense.”
The Wolf-Dogs were finally able to get on the board against Wilhite with a home run in the top of the fifth.
Giving up a run may have been the wake-up call the Cub offense needed though and back-to-back-to-back hits by Mauk, freshman Winter Snyder and Wilhite ended up in three runs for the Cubs and they padded their lead to 10-1.
The Wolf-Dogs got one run back in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as Humboldt notched the 10-2 win.
Wilhite wasn’t as crisp as she was in game one with the two runs allowed on eight hits, but she was able to complete all 12 innings and that is a great sign for the Cubs as they enter the stretch run of the schedule and prepare for regionals.
“I feel like I am doing well,” Wilhite said of her stamina. “I pitch a lot in practice to get used to it, so I think I’m ready.”
Mauk and Houk led the Humboldt offense with three hits each.
UP NEXT
The Cubs are scheduled to host Iola today at 4:30 p.m. in Humboldt.
“We are going to try our best,” Wilhite said when asked if they were going to beat the Fillies.
