Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Softball

By ADAM J.S. HOLT – Faribault Daily News

It’s early in the season, but the opposition wouldn’t know it, the way the Buccaneers are hitting.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team opened Gopher Conference play with another big win, drubbing New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 14-4 in five innings Tuesday at home. WEM pounded out 12 hits and scored six runs in the fourth inning.

“Our bats stayed hot tonight,” coach Crystal Lamont said. “The girls were making solid contact almost every at bat.”

Riley Luebben went 3 for 4 with four RBI in a career night, and got the deciding hit in the fifth to end the game on run rules. Hayley Baker was 2 for 3 with two runs, three RBI, a walk, a steal and a triple. Kate Masberg found a groove, with a three-hit night, clubbing two doubles and driving in two runs while scoring three herself. Nicole Neutzman was 1 for 2 with four runs scored, to go with an RBI, two walks and three stolen bases.

Trista Hering allowed four runs, two earned, in five innings of work, giving up six hits and two walks while striking out five.

The Bucs (3-0, 1-0 Gopher) have scored at least 13 runs in all three of their games to start the year, all run-rule wins, and they’re beating opponents by a combined 40-7 through three games.

WEM’s first early test comes in a 4 p.m. Thursday home game with Bethlehem Academy.

WEM 14, NRHEG 4 (5)

NRHEG 012 10x x — 4

WEM 302 63x x — 14

WEM hitting — Meskan 2-3, RBI, BB; Adank 0-3, R, BB; Tegmeier 1-4, 2R, SB; Masberg 3-4, 3R, 2RBI, 2 2B; Neutzman 1-2, 4R, RBI, 2BB, 2B, 3SB; Baker 2-3, 2R, 3RBI, BB, SB, 3B; Luebben 3-4, 4RBI; Paulson 0-3, R; Hering 0-3; Taylor 0-0, R.

WEM pitching — Hering 5 IP, 4R, 2ER, 6H, 2IBB, 5K, 1 HB

By MATT BIGELOW – Faribault Daily News

WATERVILLE — The Buccaneers hung a pair of crooked numbers up on the Cyclones, and it was enough to end the game in five innings.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team beat St. Clair 13-0 Friday in non-conference play, using a seven-run second and six-run third to put the game away early on run rules.

“Another good win tonight,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “We took advantage of some errors and had some timely hits.”

The Bucs only managed six hits in the game but drew seven walks and scored five unearned runs. Only four WEM players had hits. Makayla Paulson and Allison Rients had two hits apiece while Hailie Tegmeier and Kate Masberg each had one.

Tegmeier led the team with four RBI, while Hayley Baker, Masberg, Paulson and Trista Hering each added one RBI.

“Offensively we put the ball in play and forced them to play defense,” said Lamont. “Hailie Tegmeier ripped a bases clearing double. Makayla Paulson also was hot at the plate tonight. I like our batting line up right now. Every one of our hitters can be a threat at the plate.”

Hering turned in another top-notch pitching performance, striking out 10 batters over five innings. She allowed just one hit and one walk, throwing just 56 pitches in the entire game.

“She has really improved her accuracy this year,” said Lamont. “She is challenging batters and forcing them to swing the bat. When they did hit it our defense was solid behind her.”

WEM improves to 2-0 on the season and heads into conference play next week. The Bucs play again at 5 p.m. Monday at home against New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.

“We had a good start to our season and now I’m excited to start conference play next week,” said Lamont. “I think we will have a balanced conference and I’m anxious to see how we respond.”

WEM 13, STC 0 (5)

STC 000 00X X — 0

WEM 076 0XX X — 13

WP: Hering

By MATT BIGELOW mbigelow@faribault.com Apr 6, 2017

The Buccaneers have the bats, pitching and defense to win a lot of games on their own. When they get help from the opposition, they are going to put crooked numbers up on teams.

The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team opened up its season with a 13-3 non-conference win over Waseca Thursday, taking advantage of six Bluejay errors to end the game in five innings on run rule.

“It was nice to get out and play a game today,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “The girls were anxious to get the season started. We played well for our first game.”

The Bucs picked up seven hits in the game and drew nine free bases combined between walks and hit batsmen. WEM scored 10 runs in the first three innings.

“Our hitters were hitting the ball hard and [we were] aggressive at the plate,” said Lamont. “Almost everyone in the lineup had a hit. That’s fun to see.”

Seven Bucs finished with hits in the game and six tallied at least one RBI. Kate Masberg and Nicole Nuetzman both had two RBIs while Megan Adank, Hailie Tegmeier, Makayla Paulson and Hayley Baker all drove in a run.

The offensive support was more than enough for Trista Hering who struck out seven batters over five innings. Hering gave up four hits and walked a pair but the three runs Waseca scored were unearned.

“Trista pitched a great game,” said Lamont. “She didn’t give up any earned runs and limited her walks. Hopefully, we can keep things rolling.”

WEM plays again at 5 p.m. Friday at home against St. Clair.

WEM 13, Waseca 3

WEM 433 03X X — 13

WHS 000 30X X — 3

WP: Hering

WEM hitting: Meskan 1-4; Adank 1-3, RBI 4 runs; Tegmeier 1-2, RBI, 2 BB; Masberg 0-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 3 runs; Nuetzman 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 runs; Baker 1-3, RBI; Luebben 1-2; Paulson 1-3, RBI; Hering 1-3, double.

Returning talent has Buccaneers thinking big in 2017
Faribault Daily News

WATERVILLE — The Buccaneers had something of a surprising season last year, winning the Gopher Conference and a pair of section tournament games. They expect more of that kind of success this upcoming spring.
The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown softball team went into the 2016 season with an eighth-grader penciled in as the starting pitcher, a bevy of first-year starters and their best player trading in her softball cleats for track spikes.
Expectations were that the team would experience some ups along with inevitable downs breaking in so many youngsters.
The Bucs went on to win 16 games — their best mark since 2009.
They head into this year with entirely different expectations.
“I’m very excited,” said head coach Crystal Lamont. “We bring back a lot of our girls. Expectations are raised this year but that’s a good thing.”
“Super excited, it’s something I’ve been looking forward to since the year started,” said catcher Maddy Meskan. “I know this year we are going to be pushing ourselves to get to another level. It’s going to be a fun season.”
The Bucs won the Gopher Conference last year, and while the league figures to be better this year as teams like Bethlehem Academy, Blooming Prairie and New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva expect to be strong, the WEM wants to defend its conference title.
“We try to take it game by game as best you can but you also look at the big picture it helps motivate the girls,” said Lamont. “We absolutely want to defend our conference championship and we expect to do a little better in sections returning as much as we did.”
WEM’s strength was its ability to put up runs in bunches last year. The Bucs scored at least eight runs 11 times last season, getting terrific production from Meskan and Hailie Tegmeier along with clutch hitting from Megan Adank, Mackenzie Kuball and RaeAhna Harmon.
Harmon is gone to graduation, as is starting first basemen Val Adank and Madison Barber. But WEM’s offense figures to be strong again in 2017.
“Our offense is pretty exciting this year,” said Lamont. “We return most of our top hitters. Hailie and Maddy of course and we have a lot of youth that can give us some speed on the bases. I’d expect the girls to take the batting averages up a notch and get a little more power too. Our biggest thing will be getting comfortable with the faster pitchers we’ll see in section play.”
A big factor in that is the return of Kate Masberg, who rejoined the team after a year of track and field. Masberg was one of the best overall players in the area two years ago as a sophomore, hitting .506 with 17 doubles and 24 RBIs. She joins Tegmeier who hit .422 with 30 RBIs and Meskan who hit .397 with 16 walks and seven extra base hits last year to form a lethal top of the order lineup.
“Any time you can add a .500 hitter back to the lineup it’s a huge bonus,” said Lamont.
Softball is a tough sport to predict because there can be a lot of variation from game to game or year to year but the Bucs feel like they’ve got more than enough talent and plenty of experience to make 2017 a memorable one.
“It’s great to have Kate back,” said Meskan. “We’re welcoming her back. We’re a team together. I think we’re going to work hard, we’ve got good hitters. I think we can do a lot of good things this season.”

Coach Lamont and the WEM Softball program hosted its annual softball camp this week.
Picture shown here is our K-3rd grade camp participants and coaches.

Thanks for attending girls, we hope you enjoyed it!