BRODHEAD — Teams and athletes don’t reach No. 1 status by accident, and that is certainly the case for Brodhead’s softball team, which is ranked first in the state in Division 3 by the state softball coaches association.
The Cardinals, also the reigning Division 3 state champions, put all their credentials on display Tuesday night, beating rival Evansville 10-0 in five innings.
Junior pitcher Ava Risum dominated from the first pitch, striking out six straight Blue Devils to start the game. Her final stat line included no walks, just one hit and a dozen strikeouts.
“When I call pitches for the game, it’s like playing a video game,” Brodhead coach Steve Krupke said. “If I ask for it up and in, it’s up and in; if I want it down and away, it’s down and away. Her control is just absolutely impeccable.”
Sophie Leitzen, Jaelyn Hilliard and Risum got their team off to a fast start at the plate, as well. Leitzen walked on four straight balls to lead off the game, and Hilliard and Risum backed that up with back-to-back singles.
Leah Rear and Allie Dahl brought a couple more runs home in the process of making outs, and the Cardinals were up 3-0 after one inning.
“We’ve had a history of pitching around here, so when you get three in the first inning and the other team’s looking at Ava Risum, it just starts you off in a good way,” Krupke said.
With that early lead and Risum in the circle, the story, unfortunately for Evansville, was pretty much already written.
Mackenzie Kostroun broke Risum’s strikeout streak and saved her team from a no-hit fate with a leadoff double in the top of the third for the Blue Devils, but she was left on base.
Brodhead, meanwhile, just kept tacking on runs when they came up to bat.
“Our kids are just really good at not expanding the zone and staying disciplined and waiting for a pitch they can drive,” Krupke said.
Tessa Kloepping and Leitzen, who went 2 for 2 and reached all four times she came up, hit back-to-back doubles in the second for a run.
Rear singled to start the third, and Dahl came up next and drove a pitch to center field that bounced off the very top of the fence and continued over for a two-run home run in the third.
Risum drilled an RBI double in the fourth, and a Blue Devils error allowed a pair of unearned runs to score in a three-run fourth.
Then in the fifth, Kloepping scored again on a throwing error on a bunt hit for Hilliard. That made it 10-0 and meant the end of the game.
“Brodhead’s a super team,” Evansville coach Jay Hrdlicka said. “They’re going to be a handful for anybody.”
The win made it eight in a row for the Cardinals, including four in a row with double-digit shutouts. Their next game is a matchup with Beloit Turner at 5 p.m. Thursday.
BRODHEAD 10, EVANSVILLE 0 (5)
Evansville 000 00 — 0 1 4
Brodhead 312 31 — 10 11 0
Leading hitters — Leitzen (B) 2x2, Hilliard (B) 3x4, Risum (B) 2x3, Kloepping (B) 2x3. 2B — Kostroun (E), Leitzen (B), Risum (B), Kloepping (B). HR — Dahl (B).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) — E: Ross L, 4 1/3-11-10-7-3-1. B: Risum W 5-1-0-0-0-12.
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