Wauwatosa East batters come to life against Brown Deer, Brookfield East

Red Raiders win two of three games to improve to 4-6

May 4, 2016

After scoring 48 runs in wins over Brown Deer and Brookfield East to begin the week, the Wauwatosa East softball team only managed three runs and dropped an 8-3 decision to Sussex Hamilton on April 29.

Tosa East used 17 hits and 19 walks to whip Brown Deer, 35-8, after two rain delays and some sloppy play on Aug. 25 to start the week.

In the 35-8 win over Brown Deer on April 25 at home, East used a 19-run second inning to expand a 5-3 lead and roll to the victory. Walks have played a big roll in the Red Raiders' last two games.

"We maintained our great approach and coaxed them into 19 walks, after 17 versus Tosa West, and rapped out 17 hits," coach Ed Raue said.

Allie Kuhn pitched for the first time this year and picked up the win, going three innings, with Natalie Yahn pitching the last two innings for the first time in her career.

"She did a great job considering she wasn't expected to pitch," Raue said.

Morgan Schmanski drove in five runs, scored four times and added a double and two singles. Yahn scored four runs, drove in four runs and singled twice.

On another bright note, Kenzie Miller and Courtney Sullivan collected their first career hits.

"They have worked very hard since day one and were anxious to get their chance," Raue said. "They got it today and took advantage."

Brookfield East

Tosa East then nipped Brookfield East, 13-12, on April 27 in Tosa.

Brook East took a 1-0 lead in the second, but the Red Raiders scored six runs in the bottom of the second for a 6-1 lead. The Spartans rallied with five runs in the third to tie the game, 6-6, only to see both teams score four runs each in the fourth to make it 10-10.

The Spartans scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a 12-10 lead, but the Red Raiders bounced back with a run in the sixth and two runs in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

In the seventh, Riley Breider singled with one out and stole second, and Mollie Schneider dropped a single to right that scored Breider. Walks to Yahn and Cora Bilitz loaded the bases, and Schmanski had a walk-off single.

Schneider and Schmanski singled twice and drove in three runs each. Bilitz got the win, allowing 11 hits, three walks and seven strikeouts in a complete-game win.

Sussex Hamilton

A well-played, well-pitched game broke apart early in the fourth when Keri Bohlman and Karly Vigani went back-to-back with home runs that propelled Sussex to a 8-3 win.

The Raiders got their first run when Miller's bloop dropped and was mishandled into a single and two-base error. She scored on Bilitz' second hit of the game. A couple of great plays by the Sussex defense stymied the Raiders' offense in the sixth but not before they scored two runs to cut the lead to 5-3. A three-run seventh for Sussex provided cushion, though.

Of the Raiders' five hits, four went for doubles, but three were with the bases empty.

"(Sussex is) a very good team whose record is not indicative of who they are," Raue said. "They had back-to-back homers (Schneider and Vigani) that took the wind out of our sail. Sussex made a couple of big defensive plays that kept us at bay at key points."

Raue was happy with his improving defense.

"Our defense is starting to make plays, and that is keeping us in games," he said. "Everyone looks more reactionary vs. thinking. We've settled on where we are going to play everyone, and it has been fun to watch them make plays but, more importantly, smile again.

"They were so concerned about where they were supposed to be that it took away from their ability to react and play. I'm very pleased with the strides we are making defensively."

East did have bad news as they lost Taylor Cure and Schneider, who were involved in a car accident on April 27. Although not seriously hurt, both (along with JV player Celia Venturi, who was with them) are dealing with concussions and general aches and pains.

"From a team standpoint, we lost two hitters off to good starts," Raue said. "Taylor was reaching at a 71 percent clip and Mollie at 47 percent. We're glad they escaped serious injury and hope they get well soon. Their loss changed the lineup drastically."

The Red Raiders were 4-6 overall with a 1-4 mark in the Greater Metro Conference.

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