Softball: Hailey Larsen’s 4 hits, 4 RBIs help Ottawa slug past Serena 15-9

SERENA – It’s been said pitching usually is ahead of hitting when games start on the diamonds, but that wasn’t the case for the Ottawa and Serena softball teams Tuesday.

The squads combined for 24 runs and 21 hits but committed 11 errors, with the Pirates posting a 15-9 victory to improve to 3-1 on the year.

“We have to clean things up in the field,” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said. “We can’t have errors like we did today moving forward, it will eventually bite us if we give teams multiple outs in an inning. We have girls that can hit, and I expect us to score our share of runs, but we have to be much better in the field if we expect to win games, especially when conference play comes around.

“I was happy with adjustments we made throughout the game at the plate. I thought we did a good job of hitting the ball where it was pitched and ran the bases pretty well.”

Ottawa took a 1-0 lead in the first on Maura Condon’s solo homer off Serena starter Maddie Glade (loss, 4 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K), then added two runs in the third on sacrifice flies by Condon and Kendall Lowery.

The Pirates plated four more in the fourth on an outfield error and a two-run double by Hailey Larsen.

“I think we all thought we’d have a pretty good-hitting team coming into the season. I think we are all starting to get comfortable with each other and what each of us can do with the bat and in the field. We have kind of a younger team, but I feel like everyone is really starting to settle in.”

—  Hailey Larsen, Ottawa junior

The Huskers got those four back in their half of the inning off Condon (win, 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K), with an error, RBI hits from Makalya McNally and Lanee Cole and an RBI groundout by Cali Edwards.

“Up and down their lineup, they can really hit the ball,” Serena coach Kelly Baker said, her squad now 1-1. “Then you add Maura’s pitching and our mistakes in the field, and it makes it awful tough to win. Nine out of 10 times you put up nine runs you’re going to win, but the combination of Ottawa’s hitting the ball and our inability to make some plays defensively we have to make made today that one out of 10.

“We battled, we started chipping away and closed the gap a couple times, but then they would just stretch the lead back out. We just couldn’t get all the way back after getting down seven. Hopefully we can learn a lot from today and use it going forward.”

Ottawa scored three times in the fifth off Serena reliever Jenna Setchell (3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K), one on an error, one on a sacrifice fly by Aubrey Sullivan and the last on a Larsen RBI single.

Serena pushed across three runs off Ottawa reliever Peyton Bryson (3 IP, 6 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), two on a McNally triple to right. Ottawa then scored five in the seventh, two on RBI hits by Larsen and Condon and two on Bobbi Snook’s towering two-run homer, her fourth in the past two games.

Serena finished the scoring in the bottom half of the seventh on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk by Cole.

Larsen finished the day 4 for 5 with four RBIs, while Snook had three hits, including a double. Condon and Zulee Moreland added two hits, the former with three RBIs.

Setchell, Paisley Twait (double), and McNally (three RBIs) had two hits apiece to pace Serena.

“No special secrets, really, I was just really focused at the plate today,” said Larsen, who is 8 for 13 (.615) to start the season. “I’ve really just played mostly catcher in the past, but I have been getting moved around to different positions on the field so far this season, and for whatever reason, that, I feel, has made me more relaxed when I’m batting.

“I think we all thought we’d have a pretty good hitting team coming into the season. I think we are all starting to get comfortable with each other and what each of us can do with the bat and in the field. We have kind of a younger team, but I feel like everyone is really starting to settle in.”

Ottawa is next scheduled in action Thursday at Streator, while Serena will head to Murphysboro, Tennessee, for a six-game spring trip starting Monday.