After winning Regional Championship, Spartan Softball hosts Olympia on Wednesday
BY FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden’s reward for beating Maroa-Forsyth on its softball field on Saturday is the opportunity to play Stanford Olympia on its field next.
Zoey Witruk pitched a complete-game two-hitter on Saturday, striking out 15 and walking two as the Spartans earned their 11th consecutive softball regional crown, 5-1 over the host Trojans.
Witruk also collected one of the Spartans’ seven hits.
Kaylee Ward had two hits and drove in two runs for SJ-O. Savannah Smith also had a hit and an RBI.
The Trojans made certain that state career home run leader Bailey Dowling didn’t add to her totals. She was walked three times intentionally, including as the Spartans’ leadoff batter in the first inning.
“We thought that might happen,” SJ-O coach Lary Sparks said. “If teams are willing to give us runners, we’re willing to take our chances with the kids behind her.”
Raegan Crippin, Jacey Lewis and Katie Poulter also had hits for the Spartans.
Catcher Hannah Dukeman ended the game by picking a runner off second base in the seventh inning, the only inning that the Trojans scored.
Sparks doesn’t mind a rematch with Olympia, a team it beat recently 7-2.
“I like how the schedule lays out for us,” Sparks said. “We’ll go in with confidence blazing and they’ll have to make some changes.”
SJ-O will take a 22-9 record into Wednesday’s 4:30 p.m. Class 2A sectional semifinal game against Olympia.
