Bethlehem Academy Softball Drops Two Games

Momentum is huge in sports, and softball is no exception.

Faribault Bethlehem Academy had a five-run lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning against Waterville-Elysian-Morristown on Tuesday evening and ended up losing 8-7 in a hit fest.

Junior Cardinal pitcher Shelby Meyer took a ball off her knee and went down in a heap, and the fortunes of Bethlehem Academy went down with her. Meyer had not walked a batter and threw just 48 pitches in her four-plus innings of work and scattered seven hits with no strikeouts.

The Bucs erupted for four runs in the inning to make it 7-6 and momentum had clearly swung in Waterville-Elysian-Morristown's favor. Bethlehem Academy would score no more.

It looked as if they were going to get out of the sixth inning with no damage when the base umpire called a Buccaneer baserunner out on a pickoff throw from the Cardinal catcher to first base and girls from both teams were getting ready to leave the field when the call was reversed.

The first base coach for the Bucs questioned the call. The base umpire asked the home plate umpire, who called the runner safe, and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown went on to tie the game and score the winning run as well in the bottom of the sixth.

The game was played in North Alexander Park but the Buccaneers were the home team because the game was supposed to be in Waterville and was moved so the teams could get it in.

The Cardinals scored a run in the first on an RBI single by Jess Oathoudt scoring lead-off batter Tess Glenzinski, who rolled across the plate to score the game's first run.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown tied the game in the bottom of the first when their lead-off batter Maddy Meskan had a single, stole second, was wild pitched to third and scored on a groundout.

Bethlehem Academy scored a run in the second when Breanna Degrood scored on an error with two outs on a ball off the bat of Glenzinski.

The Cardinals would add three more runs in the third inning after the first two batters were retired on two pitches. Meagan Donahue started the hit parade with a single, Kylie Hanson followed with a solid single, Degrood had a single, then RBI singles were stroked by Delaney Donahue, Kelsey Novak and Glenzinski to give Bethlehem Academy a 5-1 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Buccaneers saw Meskan lead off the inning with another single and end up at third following a wild pitch and passed ball. She would score on a ground out and it was 5-2.

Bethlehem Academy added a run in the fourth when Meyer led the inning with a single and later scored on a fielder's choice off a ball hit by Kylie Hanson.

Novak led off the fifth with a single but was out at second on a fielder's choice. Glenzinski was the person at first following the fielder's choice and stole second. Glenzinski was out trying to advance to third on a grounder hit to the shortstop by Oathhoudt and she would score on a RBI single by Grace Viland following a single by Meyer.

Bethlehem Academy led 7-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.

The inning started with a single by No. 9 hitter Hayley Baker off Meyer, and then on a 2-1 count Meskan crushed the ball and it hit Meyer right in the knee. Meyer has had problems with dislocations of the knee before and said this time it went up into her thigh. One of the coaches pulled it back into place as I understand it, but Meyer's day was done. She hurt it in basketball I was told and came back to play later in a game this past season.

Sophomore Tess Glenzinski had to warm up quickly and was brought into a tough situation -- runners at first and second with nobody out. She walked the first batter she faced to load the bases. After back-to-back RBI singles, designated player Nicole Neutzman turned into a pitch and was hit to collect an RBI and the Buccaneers were back in the game down just 7-6.

In the bottom of the sixth, junior Hayley Baker led the inning off with a single and was thrown out by catcher Grace Viland trying to steal second base. Maddy Meskan was struck out by Glenzinski for the second out, retired for the first time in the game. Sophomore Megan Adank was walked and that's when it appeared the base umpire called her out trying to get back to the bag on a throw by Viland to first base.

The Cardinals were pretty excited after apparently getting out of the jam and pitcher Glenzinski even had her mask off ready to go to the dugout when the call was reversed.

Senior Hailie Tegmeier was walked and then the tying and go ahead runs scored on a error of a ball off the bat of senior RaeAhna Harmon.

Cardinal head coach Tom Langfeldt said he felt bad for Meyer and Glenzinski, noting how tough it is to come into a game and have to get ready quickly. Three of the final five runs scored by Waterville-Elsyian-Morristown got on base by walking. Glenzinski threw 44 pitches in two innings and 20 were for strikes with four first-pitch strikes dealt to the 13 batters she faced.

Buccaneer starting pitcher Trisha Hering is just an eighth-grader and threw a lot of pitches early (64 in the first three innings) including a 28-pitch second inning sandwiched between 18-pitch first and third innings, 30 of the pitches were for strikes. Then for some reason Bethlehem Academy swung early in counts and Hering would throw a 12-pitch fourth, 10-pitch fifth. nine-pitch sixth and 11-pitch seventh to finish with 106 pitches, 62 for strikes.

The eighth-grader struck out three batters and had two walks. Both walks scored.

Our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game in the broadcast with Waterville-Elysian-Morristown were Glenzinski, Meyer and Meagan Donahue.

Glenzinski was on base all four times she was up with two singles and a run scored and RBI. The speedy sophomore had four stolen bases in the game.

Meyer had two hits before being injured and scored a run to go along with a strong start in the pitching circle.

Donahue had a couple of solid singles in the game.

The Cardinals turned around and played New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva in a makeup game after the emotional loss and fell 11-4.

The Panthers came into the game red hot with a very good showing in the Hayfield Tournament over the weekend and a win over Blooming Prairie on Monday night. All three outfielders made nice catches for NRHEG of balls hammered by Cardinal hitters.

The Cardinals are now 12-6 and go to Medford on Thursday to finish the regular season. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is at St. Clair to finish their season. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva entertains Maple River.