Cuba High School’s softball team lost a high scoring home game versus Newburg Sept. 22 and a doubleheader against Perryville and Hancock Sept. 24 to fall to 0-12 on the season with six games left in the regular season. Cuba’s junior varsity team fell 19-13 to St. James Sept. 23 in its only game of the week.

The Lady Wildcats hosted Hermann Sept. 28 and Vienna on Sept. 29 in back-to-back games. Cuba’s contest versus Vienna was its Pink Out Game, which raised funds for a community member’s battle with cancer. The Lady Cats will play in Hancock Sept. 30 and will have four days off before hosting Owensville Oct. 5 for senior night and its last home game, where Cuba’s lone senior Teryn Vass will be honored.

Sept. 22 vs. Newburg

Before the varsity game Sept. 22 versus the Newburg Lady Wolves began, the Lady Wildcats recognized staff members who had made a positive impact on their lives. Once the game started, a shootout ensued that ended with a final score that resembled the results of a football or basketball game.

Newburg erupted for 11 runs in the first inning and plated another four runs in the second to take an early 15-1 lead heading into the bottom of the second. The Lady Wildcats were unbothered by the large deficit and started chipping away. Cuba scored three in the second and one run in the third and fourth innings and trailed 17-6 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Cuba then exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 17-14 game heading into the sixth inning. However Newburg responded with four runs in the sixth and 10 runs in the seventh to push its output to 31 runs. The Lady Cats added five runs in the sixth inning and sixth runs in the seventh to give themselves a chance, but eventually lost the offensive onslaught 31-25 for its 10th straight loss to start the season.

The Wildcats had a season-high 23 base hits and its 25 runs scored were five fewer than the 30 runs they scored in their first nine contests, combined.

Jaci Sanders led Cuba with a game-high four base hits including two doubles and added two runs batted in and two runs scored. Lily Becherer drove in a team-high six runs on two base hits, scored three runs and stole two bases. Harper Maxwell tripled, singled twice, walked twice, stole a base and scored a team-high five runs.

Brooklynne Tiner and Savannah Vass each had three hits, scored three times and stole a base. Teryn Vass singled twice, stole a base, scored three times and drove in three runs. Eliza Ledbetter hit two doubles, walked twice, drove in five runs and scored twice. Kaylee Whitworth had two hits and scored twice and Makenlei Shafferkoetter singled and drove in a run.  Adreana Valadez singled, scored and drove in a run and Emma Baker singled and scored to round out Cuba’s offensive output.

Shafferkoetter pitched the first 2/3 of an inning before Maxwell tossed the final 6 innings on 146 pitches in relief. Maxwell struck out four batters but was plagued by 12 walks.

Newburg sophomore catcher Haley Steffe singled, doubled, tripled, scored six times and drove in seven runs to lead the Lady Wolves.   

Sept. 23 vs. versus St. James

The Lady Wildcats’ junior varsity team hosted the St. James Lady Tigers the following afternoon at Steve Schuette Field. Many of Cuba’s varsity athletes who are freshman and sophomores played in this match up.

The scoring from both teams came in threes throughout the afternoon. St. James plated three runs in each of the first six innings before adding one run in the seventh and Cuba scored three runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings. Unfortunately for the Lady Wildcats, they were held scoreless in the second and fifth innings as St. James came away with a 19-13 victory.   

Addison Lowes singled twice, walked, scored and drove in a run to lead Cuba. Maxwell had two hits and drove in a pair of runs. Emma Baker walked twice and stole three bases. Adysen Ferguson singled, drove in a run, scored twice and stole two bases. Ledbetter doubled and stole a base, Riley Portell singled, scored and drove in a run and Whitworth singled and scored.

Akadia Sanazaro and Ledbetter combined to strike out four Lady Tigers from the pitcher’s circle for Cuba. Sophomore Allison Shields led St. James with four runs batted in.

Sept. 24 double header vs. Perryville and Hancock

Cuba traveled to Perryville to compete in a double header against Hancock and Perryville. The Lady Wildcats played Perryville first, falling 14-0 in three innings. Perryville scored three in the first, seven in the second and four in the third inning, while holding the Lady Wildcats to one base hit.

Savanna Vass singled and Sanders walked as Cuba’s only base runners. Shafferkoetter struck out two Perryville hitters in 1 2/3 innings on the pitcher’s circle and Maxwell got the final two outs.

The Lady Wildcats had little time to rest and took on Hancock in its second game of the day. Hancock’s offense poured on four runs in the first, five runs in the second and nine runs in the third en route to a 18-3 win over Cuba in three innings.

The Black and Gold scored all three of its runs in the second inning. Two of those runs came on a single from Maxwell that scored Whitworth and Teryn Vass. Tiner and Lowes each singled, Ledbetter stole a base and scored Cuba’s third run and Maxwell and Whitworth each stole a base.

Maxwell struck out three Hancock hitters in 1 2/3 innings and Shafferkoetter whiffed two in the final 1 1/3 inning on the mound.