By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Union Grove High School softball team had hoped to at least advance into sectional action this season.
That hope was shattered May 23 at home in a 7-1 loss to Janesville Craig.
The Broncos, who were seeded No. 2 in their sectional, had received a first-round bye. Craig, seeded No. 7, had defeated Janesville Parker 11-1 two days earlier.
“Not a good day to lay your worst game,” head coach Ryan Boylen said. “This isn’t to take any credit away from Craig. They played smart ball and executed very well.”
Craig took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first off Ali Trudeau, but Union Grove came right back to tie it at 1-1 in the bottom of the first on an RBI by Sarah Petrovic, driving in Annie McClelland.
That was all the scoring the Bronco girls would do, though, while Craig added a single run in the second, two more in the third, and three in the seventh.
Only three of Craig’s runs were earned as the Broncos committed five errors.
“You cannot give a well-coached team like Craig extra attempts to manufacture runs and you cannot beat yourself or they will continue to stick the needle deeper and deeper,” Boylen said. “We felt the full length of that needle today.”
Union Grove outhit Craig 9-7, but the errors were very costly.
Offensively, Cassidy Kortendick was 2-for-4 and Allysa McClelland 2-for-3 for the Broncos.
Trudeau pitched just 1-2/3 innings, giving up two runs (both earned) on three hits. She struck out two and took the loss.
Alyssa McClelland pitched the final 5-1/3 innings, giving up five runs (only one earned) on four hits and four walks. She struck out four, as well.
Union Grove ended the season 19-6 overall. The girls won 18 of their last 20 games, after starting the season 1-4. At one point, the Broncos won 17 in a row.
After losing five starters off last year’s squad, the team did not have a lot of experience to start with. As the season progressed, though, the talent on the team emerged.
Four seniors – Annie McClelland, Brooke Repta, Sarah Petrovic and Dani Vogt – will graduate. McClelland received signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball for the University of Wisconsin–Parkside.
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