E-Hawks shut out Cherokee girls, 4-0

Lacie Drennan of Cherokee fields the ball and prepares to throw it to first in recent Lakes Conference softball action in Cherokee, while second baseman Jesselyn Racine backs up on the play. Photo by Paul Struck [Click to enlarge]

EMMETSBURG - The host Emmetsburg E-Hawks tallied two runs each in the second and third innings and made them stand up for a 4-0 Lakes Conference softball win over visiting Cherokee here on June 9th.

Emmetsburg rode the pitching prowress of Woodruff, who fired a one-hit shutout at the Washington High girls. Woodruff walked three and struck out 13 of the 24 Cherokee batters she faced.

Kelsie Peterson took the pitching loss for Cherokee, allowing two earned runs on six scattered hits, seven walks, and striking out four in the six innings worked.

Peterson also had the lone Cherokee hit in the game and also drew a walk against the tough Woodruff pitching. Lacie Drennan also walked twice for WHS.

Cherokee first baseman Lynn Carlson moves towards home plate while a Le Mars runner takes a lead during recent softball action in Cherokee. Photo by Paul Struck [Click to enlarge]

Cherokee threatened once in the game when Peterson walked to lead off the first inning, was sacrificed by bunt to second by Kelsey Essick, followed by a walk to Drennan. Lynn Carlson's ground-out advanced the two runners to second and third, but a strikeout ended that threat and Woodruff maintained control the rest of the way.

"We were able to work our way out of some tough situations by playing tough defense, but offensively we just couldn't get the bats going," said Cherokee assistant coach Cara Lubeck, who filled in for an absent head coach Jeremy Dettmer.

Cherokee is now 4-7 this season and 2-4 in the rugged Lakes Conference.