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No. 7-ranked Warriors blank Eagles

OUT! — North Union shortstop Olivia Von Bank tags out Eagle Grove baserunner Nadia Kaiser on a play at second base during Top of Iowa Conference softball action Wednesday in Swea City. (Photo by Greg Abel)

SWEA CITY – The Warriors built inning by inning.

Class 2A No. 7-ranked North Union scored in four of six innings to build a 10-0 run-rule shortened, Top of Iowa Conference win over the Eagle Grove Eagles on Wednesday in Swea City.

While the Warrior offense was building, Emily Meyer was continuing her dominance from the circle.

Meyer allowed only four baserunners on two hits, a hit batter and an error, while striking out 11 Eagles in her shut-out victory.

The Warriors’ bats got started in the bottom of the first.

Cassie Beadle dropped a bunt down the first base line for a single to start the inning, then Olivia Von Bank smacked the first of her four hits up the middle to put runners on first and second.

Kaylee Meyer then grabbed the lead for her sister with a hard grounder past the Eagles’ first baseman for an RBI, for the first of her three hits.

A lineout double play ended the frame without the Warriors able to add more runs.

North Union got back to work with another two runs in the second.

Naomi Jones got the frame started when she sent a fly ball rolling to the wall in right-center field for a triple, then with two outs, Sam Nielsen hit a high hopper to the Eagles’ third baseman and beat the throw to first, allowing Jones to score.

Beadle then hit a flair between second and third to put runners on first and third, before Olivia Von Bank hit a liner through the left side of the infield for the first of her three RBIs.

The Warrior biggest inning came in the fourth.

Ella Ulrich led off with a bunt single then stole second.

Nielsen followed with a high hopper to short and would have beat the throw to first, so the Eagles’ shortstop flipped the ball to second to hold Ulrich in her spot.

Beadle then walked to load the bases before Olivia Von Bank singled again, this time with a hard roller up the middle, for two RBIs, then took second on the throw in to the infield.

Kaylee Meyer collected her second and third RBIs of the day when she sent a fly ball over the Eagles’ center fielder’s head, before Shelby Fraker dropped down a bunt to put runners on first and third.

Maggie Engelby brought home the fifth and final run of the frame with an RBI groundout, building the Warrior lead to 8-0.

“We talked about how we needed to dig deep and just get it done,” North Union head coach Kim Price said of the Warriors scoring outburst. “We remembered how it felt the past few games when we weren’t scoring and we didn’t have that momentum, we didn’t want that to keep happening. … Their energy level in general was better, I think that helped.”

After the Eagles worked a clean home half of the fifth, the Warriors walked it off in the sixth.

Olivia Von Bank led off the inning with her fourth hit, a double that rolled to the warning track in left-center field, then Kaylee Meyer sent a short fly ball over the Eagles’ shortstop to put runners on first and third.

Courtesy runner Libby Stevens then stole second to put the game-ending run in scoring position.

Vanessa Von Bank brought in the Warriors’ ninth run with a groundout, then Stevens scored on a wild pitch to end the game with one out.

“I was proud of them for coming out and playing more of our game than we have been in the past few games,” Price said. “We kind of struggled coming back from the losses last week. … We had a slow start as far as runs, but it was situational, things that don’t always happen. … We had a lot of hits, we had some great defensive plays. … I’m very happy with them.”

Emily Meyer worked perfect first and fifth innings, while allowing one baserunner in each of the second, third, fourth and sixth.

In the second, Tarissa Middleton led off the frame with a single, then Emily Meyer struck out three consecutive batters to end the inning.

After two strikeouts to start the third, Lea Friedl singled, then was caught stealing on a throw from Kaylee Meyer behind the dish.

Nadia Kaiser reached base to lead off the fourth, but was caught stealing on another excellent toss from Kaylee Meyer, then Emily Meyer struck out the next two batters to close the frame.

Emily Meyer got two outs to start the sixth, then worked an 0-2 count to Friedl, but hit her with the third pitch, before closing the inning with a flyout.

Nielsen ended with two singles, two runs scored and an RBI for the Warriors, while Beadle had two hits, a walk and two runs scored.

Olivia Von Bank collected four hits, including a double, two runs scored and three RBIs, while Kaylee Meyer had three hits, including a double, three RBIs and two runs scored for North Union.

Vanessa Von Bank had two hits and an RBI, while Fraker and Ulrich each had a single and Jones smacked a triple and scored a run.

The Warriors (24-4) go to Fort Dodge Harlan Rogers Sports Complex for a nonconference matchup at 5:30 p.m. tonight, then close their regular season in Garner, Iowa, when they play Garner-Hayfield-Ventura at 6 p.m. Friday.

Eagle Grove (7-23) plays host to Webster City in a nonconference matchup at 6 p.m. tonight.

EG 000 000 – 0 2 0

NU 120 502 — 10 16 1

Winning run scored with one out in the bottom of the sixth.

LOB–EG 2, NU 6. 2B–Kaylee Meyer (NU), Olivia Von Bank (NU). 3B–Naomi Jones (NU).

Fairmont 16/18 7, New Ulm 16s 2 — Allison Janssen and Mandy Pytleski combined to pitch Fairmont to a win during summer softball action Tuesday.

Janssen earned the win with two runs allowed on four hits and three walks over four innings pitched, while striking out three.

Pytleski came in for the final three innings, gave up one hit, did not issue a walk and struck out four.

Nevaeh Rahm had two hits and two RBIs for Fairmont, while Anna Ehlert had two hits and one RBI.

Ava Terfehr added a double to Fairmont’s offensive effort.

Fairmont (7-6) will face New Ulm again in a doubleheader tonight with Game 1 starting at 6 p.m.

Game 2, which will start at approximately 7:30 p.m., will be broadcast on KNUJ radio out of New Ulm.

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