Austin 16U softball team continues to gain experience in sweep over DE
Published 10:40 pm Monday, July 14, 2014
Austin’s Danielle HInz flips the ball to Kayla Swanson in a 16U softball game against Dover-Eyota in Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin varsity softball team is still looking for a new head coach after Cindy Owen resigned after the season, but that doesn’t mean the team is stuck in a stand still.
Austin’s Brandi Meyers lines a single against Dover-Eyota in Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Austin 16U softball team has been playing all summer and it swept Dover-Eyota by scores of 11-4 in five innings and 13-1 in four innings Monday at Todd Park. The team has a record of 20-14 overall.
Austin has a lineup of mostly players who haven’t seen varsity time before, but they are getting crucial experience this summer with head coach Lisa Jacobs, who was the C squad coach for the Packers in the spring.
“These girls are going to get in close to fifty games this summer and that’s going to give them an advantage over some girls that might not see that,” Jacobs said. “It helps them with experience, base running, hitting and last minute decisions.”
Monday’s games showed how much the 16U squad has improved this season as Austin was forced to play small ball with a strong wind blowing in throughout the game. Austin trailed 4-0 going into the bottom of the third inning of the first game, but it posted three runs in the bottom of the third and eight in the bottom of the fourth to take over.
The squad was very active on the base paths in the win.
Justine Reimers scores a run for the Austin 16U softball team in Todd Park Monday. — Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“We’re working on the fundamentals and we’re working on a lot of small ball,” Jacobs said. “These girls didn’t have a lot of confidence with bunting at the beginning of the year. I’m a strong believer that small ball wins games.”
Jacobs said she is trying to teach her squad the value of playing fundamental softball and she thinks learning that will fit in with any head coach.
“I just think about what I was taught from my coaches and I try to do the same,” she said. “The fundamentals of softball are going to be the same no matter who’s coaching it. The fundamentals of softball will be the same no matter who’s coaching the team and hopefully that can help them in the future.”
DE 2 0 2 0 0 — 4 3 1
Austin 0 0 3 8 X — 11 6 2
Austin pitching: Brooke Pazurek (W) 5 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 4 R, 5 K, 1 HBP
Austin hitting: Pazurek, 2-for-3, double, 2 RBIs, R, SB; Mattie Hackensmith, 1-for-2, double, 2 RBIs, R, BB; Jaidyn Bastian, 1-fro-2, double, RBI, R, BB; Brandi Meyers, 1-for-3, RBI; Kayla Swanson, 0-for-2, R, SB, BB; Jess Peil, 0-for-2; Cally Heiny, 1-for-2, RBI, R; Ally Wood, 0-for-1, 2 R, SB, HBP; Danielle Hinz, 2 BB, 2 R; Justine Reimers, 0-for-1, R, BB
Austin 2 3 1 7 — 13 8 2
DE 1 0 0 0 — 1 2 0
Austin pitching: Bastian (W) 4 IP, 2 H, 6 BB, 1 R, 5 K, 1 HBP
Austin hitting: Pazurek, 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 SB, BB; Hackensmith, 1-for-1, 2 R, 2 BB; Bastian, 1-for-2, 2 RBIs, BB; Meyers, 2-for-2, 2 R, BB; Swanson, 1-for-2, double, RBI, R, SB, BB; Piel, 0-for-2; Heiny, 1-for-2, R, BB; Hinz, 2 R, HBP, BB; Reimers, 1-for-1, RBI, 2 R, SB, BB