The tough start to the season for the young Cuba High School softball team continued after dropping five games in a busy week of action. The Black and Gold are now 0-7 to start the season.

The Lady Wildcats hosted Richland Sept. 8, played in Sullivan Sep. 10 and hosted Hermann, St. James and Newburg in the Cuba Lady Wildcats Tournament. Newburg won the tournament after going 3-0 on the day and Hermann finished in second place. Cuba lost all three match ups, but were competitive against eventual champion Newburg, falling by only three runs.

The busy schedule continued for the Lady Cats. who played in St. James Sept. 14 and welcomed Jefferson (Festus) to Steve Schuette field Sept. 15 in its final game of the week. Both match ups will be detailed in next week’s edition. Cuba will play back-to-back home games Sept. 22 and Sept. 23 against Newburg and St. James, respectively, and will travel to Perryville Sept. 24 to play a double header against Perryville and Hancock.   

Sept. 8 vs. Richland

After six days off, the Lady Wildcats’ softball team hosted the Richland Lady Bears at Steve Schuette field. The game was pushed from a 4:30 p.m. start to a 6:30 p.m. first pitch due to high temperatures in the area.

The Lady Bears plated four runs in the first and three runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead. After Cuba scored one on a Teryn Vass dash to the plate on a wild pitch, Richland responded with four runs in the top of the third and top of the fourth. The Lady Cats rallied in the third and fourth innings to score two and four runs respectively, to trim its deficit from 13-3 to 13-7 heading into the fifth inning.

However, Richland exploded for nine runs in the top of the fifth and Cuba was held scoreless as the Lady Bears emerged with a 24-7 mercy rule victory at the end of the frame.

Maklenlei Shafferkoetter started on the mound for Cuba, striking out three Lady Bears in 3 1/3 innings of action. Harper Maxwell pitched the final 1 2/3 innings, fanning four Richland hitters.

Cuba was active on the base paths, stealing 15 bases throughout the contest. Teryn Vass swiped five to lead Cuba and added a base hit, a run scored and a run batted in. Addison Lowes led the Lady Cats with two base hits and had one run batted in, one stolen base and scored one run.

Maxwell singled, scored and stole a base, Lily Becherer walked, scored twice and stole two bases, Brooklynne Tiner singled and stole two bases, Adreana Valadez singled and Adysen Ferguson and Kaylee Whitworth each stole a base. Richland junior Eva Alexander homered, drove in three runs and scored three times to lead the Lady Bears.

Sept. 10 vs. Sullivan

Two days later, the Lady Wildcats traveled to Sullivan to take on the Lady Eagles. Cuba couldn’t keep up with Sullivan, who poured in eight runs in the first inning and nine runs in the second en route to a 17-0 victory in three innings.

Cuba’s offense was stifled by Sullivan senior pitcher Rae Corwin, who hurled a three inning no-hitter. Sophomore Eliza Ledbetter was the Lady Cats’ lone base runner, earning a walk in the top of the third inning. Corwin also went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and three runs scored and her younger sister, Reese Corwin also had three base hits including a home run blast, and added three runs batted in and three runs scored.

Cuba’s junior varsity team fell 20-5 in the second match up of the day between the Lady Wildcats and the Lady Eagles. Maxwell and Lowes each had two base hits out of the top two spots in Cuba’s batting order and Becherer stole two bases to pace Cuba.

Cuba Lady Wildcats Tourney

9 a.m. vs. Hermann

A full day of action for the Lady Wildcats began at 9 a.m. with a game versus the Hermann Lady Bearcats.

Hermann put the game out of contention immediately, pouring in 14 first inning runs en route to a 22-3 victory in three innings. Keira Long pitched all three innings for Cuba, striking out two Lady Bearcats. Adreana Valadez doubled and drove in a run, Teryn Vass singled, stole a base and drove in a run. Lowes singled and scored and Tiner singled to round out the Lady Wildcats’ offensive production. Delilah Nobel homered, scored four times, drove in two runs and pitched all three innings to lead the Lady Bearcats.

2:15 p.m. vs. St. James

After holding the St. James Lady Tigers scoreless in the top of the first, Teryn Vass and Maxwell each scored in the bottom of the first to give Cuba a 2-0 lead. St. James then responded with six runs in the second inning and 11 runs in the third inning while holding the Lady Cats scoreless and cruised to a 17-2 win in three innings.

Shafferkoetter pitched the first two innings, striking out one, before Maxwell hurled the third inning. Becherer added a base hit, Tiner stole a base and the Lady Wildcats defense didn’t commit an error throughout the contest. St. James junior catcher Kirrah Drennan had three base hits, four runs batted in and one run scored to lead the Lady Tigers.

5:45 p.m. vs.  Newburg

Despite having nine base hits compared to four hits from the Newburg Lady Wolves, the Lady Wildcats fell 9-6 in its closest contest of the season so far. Newburg took a 7-0 lead after the top of the first, but Cuba clawed back as the game went on. The Lady Cats scored one run in each of the bottom of the third and fourth innings before plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth and final inning.

Lowes starred at the plate for Cuba, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a stolen base, a run batted in and a run scored. Tiner singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in a run, Teryn Vass and Maxwell each tripled and scored, Becherer walked, singled, scored and drove in a run and Savannah Vass singled and stole a base.

Maxwell pitched the first two innings, striking out one and Shafferkoetter held the Lady Wolves to just one hit in three innings of work in relief, while striking out two batters. Newburg was paced by sophomore Kynleigh Hammock, who had two base hits, two runs batted in, three runs scored and pitched all five innings.