The Fort Calhoun and West Point GACC softball teams are 1-1 against each other through the first weekend of the season.
After the Pioneers (3-1 overall) earned a 5-4 road win in Thursday's season opener, the Bluejays won the rematch Saturday during the championship game of the North Bend Central Invite. GACC broke a 5-5 tie with two runs in the fourth inning, topping coach Mandy Taylor's team 7-5 in five frames.
FCHS' Kaitlyn Welchert was 3-for-3 with a triple in defeat, while pitcher Anna Taylor struck out four Bluejays.
To reach the championship game, though, the Pioneers beat both Blue River and Cuming County. First, they topped Blue River 9-0 with Lucie Larsen going 3-for-3. Addie Benoit was 2-for-3 at the plate, too, while Anna Taylor struck out nine batters.
Next, during the 18-0 win against Cuming County, the Calhoun's Larsen, Kaylee Taylor, Welchert and Sam Brewer all went 3-for-3. Larsen struck out five batters from the pitching circle, too.
FCHS was scheduled to host a triangular on Monday and next competes at home 6:30 p.m. Thursday against Syracuse.
Pioneers win opener
Welchert hit into a sixth-inning error to score Izzy Greenough on Thursday as the Fort Calhoun Pioneers beat GACC on the road, 5-4.
The contact swing broke a 4-all tie as FCHS started the season 1-0.
Welchert finished the season opener 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Brewer went 2-for-3 as well. Greenough and Larsen added their own hits, and Zoe Gillespie, Greenough, Larsen, Brewer and Welchert scored runs.
Anna Taylor led the Pioneers in the pitching circle, striking out three batters across five innings and allowing just three hits. Larsen threw two innings, too, allowing one earned run.
FCHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
West Point GACC 7, Fort Calhoun 5, 5 inn.
FCHS (3-1) 1 0 4 0 0 — 5
WPGACC 3 2 0 2 X — 7
Fort Calhoun 18, Cuming County 0, 3 inn.
FCHS (3-0) 4 12 2 —18
CC 0 0 0 — 0
Fort Calhoun 9, Blue River 0, 6 inn.
FCHS (2-0) 1 0 1 1 0 6 — 9
BR 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
Thursday
Fort Calhoun 5, West Point GACC 4
FCHS (1-0) 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 — 5 7 2
WPGACC (0-1) 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 — 4 6 4
