Wauwatosa East softball team drops five of seven games

Last week was a tough week for the Wauwatosa East girls softball team, as they dropped five of seven games and fell to 5-11 coming into this week, including a 1-7 record in the Greater Metro Conference.

They crushed St. Thomas More to start the week but then lost conference games to Divine Savior Holy Angels, Sussex Hamilton and Menomonee Falls.

They ended the week by going 1-2 in the Cudahy Tournament on May 7, beating West Allis Central, 11-0, and losing to Brookfield East, 7-6, and Cudahy, 12-0.

St. Thomas More

The Raiders began the week with a 20-2 win over St. Thomas More on May 2 at home. East scored 20 runs in just two innings (seven in first, 13 in second) to put the game away quickly.

Nat Yahn started it with a triple and scampered home when the relay throw was mishandled as Tosa East was on the way to victory. The Raiders walked 15 times and banged out 10 hits in two innings.

Two hits each by Analiese Glawe, Morgan Schamanski and Yahn led the attack. Schmanski drove in five runs, and Glawe and Yahn have two each. Glawe got the three-inning win behind seven strikeouts.

DSHA

The Red Raiders then dropped a 5-4 loss to co-conference leader Divine Savior Holy Angels, seeing a two-run, seventh-inning rally fall short.

The game ended when Shea Murphy, who was on third, raced home as the ball got by the catcher. But the ball caromed right back to the catcher, who dove to tag a sliding Murphy for the final out.

"Sooo close is the best way to describe today's game," a disappointed coach Ed Raue said.

Schmanski had two hits and an RBI, and Cora Bilitz toughed it out through five innings to keep the Raiders in the game. Allie Kuhn made three great defensive plays to stymie Dasher rallies.

The game was tied at 2-2 when the Dashers scored twice in the fourth and once in the fifth for a 5-2 lead and then stopped East after allowing two runs in the top of the seventh.

"I can't express how proud I am of their effort and the way they are responding to the adversity we are going through (losing two players who were injured in a car accident)," Raue said. "We needed players to step up, and they all have taken to their role and are playing with confidence."

Sussex Hamilton

A "unique" strike zone was the story today as the Raiders were called out on strikes seven times in an 11-3 loss at Sussex Hamilton on May 4.

Schmanski had two hits, and Glawe drove in two of the Raiders' three runs. Glawe also went the distance, striking out five while allowing six hits. East outhit the Chargers, 7-6, but could only muster the three runs.

"The strike zone was based on where the catcher caught the ball by the umpire's admission," Raue said. "Still trying to figure that one out."

Raue had praise for Glawe, Schmanski and Kuhn.

"Glawe threw the ball much better than the numbers showed," Raue said. "Sussex had to foul off 20-plus pitches and some were very good pitches that, to their credit, they were able to fight off. And her bat is coming around with two RBIs.

"Morgan continues to hit the ball well; two more hits today. She keeps it simple and as soon as she realizes what the pitchers are trying to do, she will be that much more dangerous. Allie Kuhn is settling in at third. For the second straight day, she made a diving stop and threw the runner out. She has great instincts and reacts real well to the ball. Her at bats are getting better, too."

Menomonee Falls

Tosa East lost 10-0 at Menomonee Falls on May 5, as the Raiders could only manage three hits in the loss to the conference leader Indians. Schmanski, Kuhn and Murphy collected the three Raider hits.

Cudahy Tournament

What started with a bang ended with a battle, and in between, many lessons were learned as the Raiders went 1-2 on the day in the Cudahy Tournament on Saturday.

A six-run first, highlighted by Meghan Erickson's first of two triples in the game, put the Raiders on cruise control in the 11-0 win over West Allis Central. Bilitz pitched the five-inning shutout, allowing five hits while striking out two.

Game two was all Cudahy in the 12-0 defeat. Glawe pitched and struck out six in her six innings of work.

Game three was a back-and-forth battle with Brookfield East that ended in a 7-6 defeat. Eight hits weren't enough; six different deep fly balls or line drives found gloves that prevented the Raiders from tacking on runs. Bilitz and Kuhn each had two hits, and Glawe went the distance and struck out three.