By Jacob Heid

Sports Editor

PLOVER – The Pacelli varsity softball team remained undefeated on the season after a closely contested non-conference game vs. Edgar on Apr. 18 at Woyak Park in Plover.

Offensively, the Cardinals jumped out to an early lead, coming away with a 6-4 win. It puts Pacelli at 7-0 on the season. 

Pacelli spread out five hits with five different batters, scoring all six runs in the first two innings.

Freshman Kaydyn Nelson led the offense with two RBIs, adding to a team-high in RBIs with 14 this year.

Junior Hannah Trzinski got Pacelli’s first hit and RBI of the day, driving in Ava Tess on an opposite-field hit to right field in the first.

Sophomore Kaylin Yenter followed Trzinski’s lead and singled to right.

A throw over to third allowed Yenter to advance to second, putting two runners in scoring position with one out. 

Two batters later, senior Laine Ilkka grounded a ball to second that got coughed up, allowing the Cardinals to score twice and lead 3-0.

The young core of Cardinal hitters kept the momentum rolling in this game. 

Freshman Amelia Martini joined the hit party in the first, driving in Pacelli’s fourth run of the inning on her fourth RBI of the season.

The Wildcats threatened in the top half of the second inning with sophomore Peyton Mancl in the circle for the Cardinals. 

Edgar got a two-run shot as the only score in the inning to cut into the lead, 4-2.

Nelson had the answer in the next half inning, boosting Pacelli’s lead back to four, 6-2. 

With two on and two outs, the lefty smacked one back up the middle deep enough to score two runs. 

After that, Pacelli’s offense settled down for the remainder of the game. 

With only one hit the rest of the way, Pacelli’s defense kept Edgar’s deficit at four. 

The Wildcats threatened again in the third with runners on second and third, but Mancel forced a fly ball to right that ended the inning.

A 6-2 advantage remained until the sixth and seventh when Edgar crept closer by two runs. 

Mancel closed the door on the Wildcats with her eighth strikeout of the game. 

Pacelli’s next game is a big Central Wisconsin-South showdown with 7-0 Almond-Bancroft on Friday, Apr. 21, at Spud Field at Woyak Park in Plover. The game starts at 4:30 p.m.