Amherst jumps on Xavier early, wins WIAA Division 3 softball regional semifinal

AppletonSportsPage.com

AMHERST – Amherst scored seven times in the opening inning and went on to defeat Xavier 9-4 in a WIAA Division 3 softball regional semifinal Wednesday at Amherst High School.

The No. 3 seed Amherst (14-8) moves on to play at No. 2 seed Wittenberg-Birnamwood (15-10) in a D-3 regional final on Thursday at 5 p.m. The two teams split their Central Wisconsin Conference East Division season series this spring.

After the big inning by the Falcons, the No. 6 seed Xavier responded with three runs in the second inning as Ella Bauman had a double and an error on the play allowed Addison Hervey to score. Bauman later scored on a sacrifice fly by Elsa Dvoracek, and Riehl, who singled, scored on a single by Abby Ourada to make it 7-3.

Amherst added two insurance runs in the fifth and pitcher Carlee Patoka kept the Hawks (7-13) at bay until a single run in the seventh inning, which came on an RBI single by Anna Vanden Huvel.

Presley Firkus and Delaney Conner each had two hits, and Presley Voss drove in a pair of runs for Amherst.

Falcons 9, Hawks 4
Xavier   030   000   1   –   4   9   0
Amherst   700   020   x   –   9   9   2
WP: Carlee Patoka. LP: Addison Hervey.
SO: Hervey (1/3 inn.) 1, Elsa Dvoracek (3 2/3 inn.) 1, Mariah Potter (2 inn.) 3; Sam Nooyen (1 inn.) 3, Patoka 8. BB: Hervey 1, Dvoracek 4, Potter 0; Nooyen 0, Patoka 0.
Top hitters: X, Ella Bauman 2B, run; Anna Vanden Huvel 1×1, RBI; Abby Ourada 1×4, RBI; Dvoracek 1×3, RBI, run. A, Presley Firkus 2×3, RBI; Delaney Conner 2×3, RBI; Sacha Golton 2B, RBI; Presley Voss 2 RBI; Ivy Boelk 2 runs.
Records: Xavier 7-13; Amherst 14-8.