Class B No. 1 Blair High School earned its 18th and 19th softball victories of the fall on back-to-back nights.
Coach Jennifer Fangmeier's Bears (19-3 overall) hammered Omaha Skutt 13-2 on the Skyhawks' home field Monday before hosting and besting the Elkhorn Antlers on Tuesday, 11-6.
“I think we're just riding the wave,” senior Sophia Wrich said after win No. 18. “Just going with the flow and doing what's best for us.”
The Bears' most recent road victory came in just four innings. Wrich and Leah Chance blasted homers, while junior Brooke Janning struck out five from the pitching circle.
“I think the whole team had my back,” the lefty said. “I felt confident pitching it anywhere and knowing that every position would have my back, and I could trust everyone.”
Through 21 games, it appears BHS can trust its bats, too. The top-ranked team in Class B surpassed 200 hits this season against Skutt, while also pushing its home run tally to 24.
“We're relaxed and having fun, and we always have high energy,” Wrich said.
The centerfielder's second-inning homer pushed the Bears' lead from four runs to seven. She plated Janning and Nessa McMillen, who was intentionally walked, on the swing after Janning hit an RBI double.
Blair started Monday's game with three runs during the first inning, too. McMillen, Wrich and Claire Mann drove them in with their swings.
Fangmeier's team continued its offensive assault in the third inning as well when Chance hit a two-out three-run home run. Joslyn Policky and Janning scored on it.
Then, during the fourth frame, the Bears earned their last three runs of the run-rule victory. Audie Keeling scored Abby Leggott first before both Kaitlynn O'Neil and McMillen unleashed their own run-scoring swings.
“We had each other's backs all of the time,” Janning said after the win. “It's something I admire about the team.”
Against Elkhorn on Tuesday, Blair added three more homers to its season tally. McMillen's gave BHS a 2-1 lead before Chance's second in as many days pushed the advantage to 5-1.
Senior Kalli Ulven's two-run homer against the Antlers made the score 10-3. She also picked up the pitching win, while Janning threw in relief.
The Bears were scheduled to face Waverly on Thursday and next compete 6 p.m. Tuesday at No. 4 Hastings.
BHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Tuesday
No. 1 Blair 11, Elkhorn 6
EHS (6-9) 1 0 2 0 3 0 0 — 0
BHS (19-3) 4 1 5 0 1 0 X — 11
Monday
No. 1 Blair 13, Omaha Skutt 2, 4 inn.
BHS (18-3) 3 4 3 3 — 13
SKUTT (7-3) 0 0 0 2 — 2
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