Valley softball roundup: State champ Western blanks Lady Vikes

Bussard stars in home win over Bremen

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Dalynne Bussard

Softball

Western 14, Tippecanoe Valley 0 (5 innings, Monday): Dalynne Bussard had Valley’s lone hit in a home loss to Class 3A, No. 2 Western Monday.

Lucy George pitched a one-hitter with no walks and 14 strikeouts for Western, the reigning Class 3A state champions.

Three Valley pitchers combined to walk 11.

Bussard started and pitched two innings and allowed two hits and three runs (two earned). She walked two and struck out two. Naomi Gaerte relieved and allowed three hits and six runs (five earned) in one-third of an inning. Elise Smith pitched 2 ⅔ innings and allowed three hits and five runs (two earned). She walked six and struck out one.

Brynley Erb hit a two-run homer off Bussard in the first inning.

Western 14, Valley 0 (5 innings)

Western 216 23 – 14 8 0

Valley 000 00 – 0 1 6

WP – George (5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 14 K)

LP – Dalynne Bussard (2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)

HR – Erb (WEST)

Valley 4, Bremen 1 (Thursday): Dalynne Bussard pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts, and she also had a single and a double and two RBIs at the plate for Valley in an Indiana Northern State Conference home win over Bremen Thursday,

Kahlyn Manns, Mackaylie Costello, Naomi Gaerte, Kaitlyn Threlkel and K.C. Shriver had one hit each.

Valley committed three errors, and Bremen’s only run was unearned in the top of the third.

Valley swept the season series from Bremen.

Valley 4, Bremen 1

Bremen 001 000 0 – 1 1 2

Valley 021 010 X – 4 7 3

WP – Dalynne Bussard (7 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 12 K)

LP – Grabowski (6 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

2B – Mackaylie Costello (TV), Dalynne Bussard (TV)