WNHS softball earns win over WHS

The Woodstock North High School girls varsity softball team avenged an earlier extra-inning loss to crosstown rival Woodstock High School May 3 defeating the Blue Streaks 8-3 at Bates Park. 

The Streaks (5-18, 2-7 Fox Valley Conference Fox) defeated the Thunder (9-18, 2-6 FVC Fox) 12-9 in eight innings April 16 at WNHS, and the Thunder were hoping to spoil the Streaks senior night. 

The Thunder scored single runs in the first and fourth innings and then broke through with six runs in the sixth inning to go up 8-0.  

Senior Kendyl Schwebke pitched six scoreless innings to lead the Thunder. She tired in the seventh inning, giving up three runs before she was replaced by junior Rebecca Einspahr, who got the last out of the game on a pop fly to first base. 

“Kendyl did a really good job,” Thunder head coach Kristin Holzbauer said. “She forced [WHS] to hit a lot of ground balls, which were easy outs.”

According to Holzbauer, junior Rachael McDow had her best game of the year collecting two hits and driving in three runs. Also for the Thunder, sophomore Sierra Meiners and junior Paige Busch each had two hits and two runs batted in.

Holzbauer was impressed with how her team handled themselves.

“We played very steady throughout the game,” Holzbauer said. “Our defense was strong, and we had some timely hits. … It was a consistent overall performance for our team. With the distractions [WHS senior night], I’m very happy the girls were able to stay focused and get a win I think they deserved.”

For the Streaks, sophomore Rachel Lohmeyer pitched seven innings and gave up eight earned runs. Senior Christine Orndahl and juniors Sydney Haulotte and Hannah Jacobs each collected two hits and an RBI.