The Boone Central/Newman Grove softball team finished the 2016 season with a flurry of action, success, and a bit of disappointment.
The Cardinals competed in the C1-5 District tournament at Pierce this past week, posting a 2-2 mark and finishing the overall campaign 16-19. That signified a 12-win improvement over 2015’s 4-29 record.
Boone Central/Newman Grove rallied to nip host Pierce 5-4 with two runs in the sixth inning of its district opener.
Keiley Tisthammer garnered the victory, allowing three earned runs on five hits and striking out four. Taylor Olnes, Keiley Tisthammer, Riley Boyd, Ashtin Kaumans and Hanna Seier each collected one hit and scored one run for the Cardinals.
BC/NG was knocked out of the winners’ bracket with an 11-3 loss to Guardian Angels CC (22-9), but bounced back to defeat West Point-Beemer (6-24) 9-4. The Cardinals trailed 3-2 before finishing with an eight-run explosion in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Cardinals saw their season come to a close in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Pierce (13-17), as the Bluejays tallied the game winner in the bottom of the sixth.
Boone Central/Newman Grove prepped for the district tournament at the Twin River triangular Oct. 3.
The Cardinals scored a 5-3 victory over Madison/Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (2-28). scoring twice in the sixth inning. Keiley Tisthammer was the winning pitcher, allowing three earned runs while fanning 11 batters. She also collected two hits and scored twice and Karley Tisthammer drove in three runs.
The host Twin River Titans (28-6) blanked BC/NG 11-0 in four innings. Brandy Thieman had the Cards’ only two hits in the contest.
Boone Central/Newman Grove went two-and-out in the Mid-State tournament Oct. 1 at Pierce.
Pierce took a 6-0 lead with five runs in the second inning and held off a Cardinal rally to edge BC/NG 6-5. Thieman had two hits and scored two runs, while Karley Tisthammer and Olnes each drove in a run and single base hits.
O’Neill (16-11) ended Boone Central/Newman Grove’s conference tourney with a 7-1 victory.