Lady Pirates start 0-2
The Prairie Lady Pirates softball team opened their season with a pair of lopsided losses. On Thursday, March 19, they traveled to Kooskia where they lost to Clearwater Valley 7-17. That game was originally scheduled for Monday, March 16 but was rescheduled due to weather. On Friday, March 20, they hosted Kendrick in a rare home game in March, and lost 7-24. The game had been moved from Kendrick due to flood damage at the Kendrick field.
In the season opener at C.V., Prairie scored 3 runs in the top of the first. Zoey Behler started things with a 1-out double. Kenly Forsmann followed with a single to right. Hailey Hanson then grounded out to second with Behler scoring and Forsmann advancing to second. Avery Schacher then reached on a dropped fly ball with Forsmann scoring. Schacher wound up going all the way to third on the play. Audrey Warren then singled over shortstop, scoring Schacher for a 3-0 lead. A strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play ended the inning.
Halee Rowland was the starting pitcher for Prairie and had trouble finding the plate. She walked the first two hitters and then hit the third to load the bases. After a strikeout, 3 consecutive walks allowed C.V. to tie the score. A single brought home the go-ahead run and another bases loaded walk made it 3-5. Rowland then was able to get out of the inning as the batter popped out to second baseman Mikayla Rowland who doubled off the runner at second.
Prairie started the second inning with a walk to Halee Rowland, a single by Bailey Key and walk to Mikayla Rowland to load the bases with no outs. The threat died after a lineout and then a short to second to first double play.
In the bottom of the second Rowland got the first batter out on a pop up to left. Then a single, hit batsman and walk loaded the bases. Another walk scored a run to make it 3-6. Hanson then went in to pitch and got a lineout to herself and a pop-up to catcher Forsmann to get out of the inning.
In the third Hanson reached on an error by the shortstop with 1 out. Schacher followed with a single and Warren singled to load the bases. Hanson scored from third on a wild pitch but a strikeout and a groundout to first ended the threat.
Things came unraveled for Prairie in the bottom of the third as C.V. scored 8 runs against Hanson on 4 walks, 3 singles, a hit batsman and an error. Further damage was avoided on a pop-up to Behler at third who tagged the runner trying to advance for an inning-ending double play.
Mikayla Rowland opened the fourth inning with a single to left but a ground ball double play and a ground out to third ended the inning.
C.V. added 3 more runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 4-17 lead. Hanson gave up a leadoff double with a sacrifice bunt moving the runner. A single scored 1 run. 2 walks loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice scored another run and a walk  added the other.
Prairie needed 4 runs in the top of the fifth to extend the game and scored 3. Forsmann reached on an error. After an out, Schacher and Warren each singled with Forsmann scoring on Warren’s single. Halee Rowland singled to score both Schacher and Warren. After a walk by Key, a ground ball double play ended the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
The Pirates had 10 hits in the game led by Warren who had 3 singles and 2 RBI. Schacher had 2 singles. Behler had a double. Halee Rowland had 1 single and 2 RBI. Forsmann, Key and Mikayla Rowland each had a single and Hanson had an RBI.
Rowland game up 6 runs on just 2 hits with 8 walks and 1 strikeout in 1 1/3 innings. Hanson gave up 11 runs on 6 hits with 7 walks.
Prairie 3 0 1 0 3 -  7 10 3
C.V.   5 1 8 3 x -17   8 3
Longtime Prairie softball coach Jeff Martin, who resigned after last season, thinks they might have played 1 game in March while he was coach and Travis Mader, who coached prior to Martin thought they may have had one when he was coach. Prairie usually doesn’t schedule home games prior to Spring Break due to the cold, wet weather we normally get on the Prairie.
Catherine Seubert, a St. John Bosco student playing with the Pirates, was the starting pitcher against Kendric. She gave up 3 runs in the first inning on 2 walks, an error and a single.
Prairie came back in the bottom of the first with 4 runs to take the lead. Schlader led off with a single up the middle. Behler was hit by a pitch and Forsmann singled to left to lad the bases. A wild pitch scored Schlader. After an out, Schacher was walked to reload the bases. After a second out, Seubert singled to right to score both Behler and Forsmann. Key reached on an error with Schacher scoring the go-ahead run.
The lead didn’t last long as Kendrick scored 8 runs in the second inning on just 2 hits. 2 errors and 7 walks contributed to the scoring. Halee Rowland was finally brought in to pitch after the 7^th walk and induced a forceout to end the inning.
Prairie went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Rowland walked the first two batters of the third inning. A groundout to Behler at third moved the runners over. A walk loaded the bases and then a wild pitch scored a run. Rowland got out of the inning with a short fly ball to Behler at third and a fly ball to Seubert, who had moved to center when Rowland went in to pitch.
Hanson led off the bottom of the third with a single and went to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball. Schacher walked and stole second. Warren walked to load the bases. Seubert singled to left to score Hanson. Schacher scored on an error. That made the scored 6-12.
Rowland struggled in the fourth as Kendrick pounded out 6 hits and drew 5 walks. 2 errors also contributed as the Tigers plated 12 runs to take a 6-24 lead.
Kendrick changed pitchers in the fourth and Forsmann led off with a walk. She was forced at second by Hanson. Schacher drew a walk. Warren reached on an error with Hanson scoring to make it 7-24.
Rowland got through the top of the fifth with just one baserunner on an error. The Pirates went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
Prairie had 5 hits in the game, all singles. Seubert had 2 singles and 3 RBI. Schlader, Forsmann and Hanson each had a single.
Seubert gave up 11 runs on 3 hits with 9 walks and no strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings. Rowland gave up 13 runs on 6 hits with 8 walks and 1 strikeout in 3 1/3 innings.
Prairie is now 0-2 on the season and in league play.
Kendrick 3 8 1 12 0 -24 9 4
Prairie     4 0 2   1 0 -  7 5 7