Wright earns first varsity win
by Warren Kozireski
Kari Hurlbutt and Morgan Thompson each stroked two-RBI singles in a six run second inning and eighth-grader Chelsea Wright scattered nine hits to lead Kendall to an 11-6 win over visiting Byron-Bergen in girls softball.
Kendall opened the scoring in the first inning when centerfielder Ashley Makowski tripled and scored on a Hurlbutt single. Hurlbutt advanced to second on a fielder’s choice and later scored the second run on Allison Christenson’s RBI single.
In the six-run second inning, Morgan Thompson and Wright singled and Makowski drew a walk to load the bases for Hurlbutt’s two-RBI single. A walk to Tayler Butterfield again loaded the bases before Christenson drew an RBI walk, Jorden Ammerman plated a run when she was hit by a pitch and Thompson followed with her two-RBI single for an 8-0 Eagles lead.
Byron-Bergen followed with their biggest inning offensively with Kristen Magguilli and Courtney Bow stroking consecutive two-RBI singles to make it 8-4.
Thompson singles to center to drive in pinch runner Allie Knapp for Kendall in the fourth inning before the Bees plated two runs in the sixth on an RBI double by Angela Almeter and an RBI single from Christine Stevens to pull within 9-6.
But the Eagles put the game out of reach in their half of the sixth. Christenson led off with a single and Olivia Welch sent pinch runner Knapp to third with a single. An RBI groundout by Ammerman scored Knapp and the eleventh run scored on a strikeout wild pitch scoring Welch.
Wright, called up from junior varsity to fill in for regular starter Jordan Heller, allowed nine hits and struck out one batter in earning her first varsity win, which evened the Eagles division record at 2-2.
