Love, Wildcats collect seventh straight win

Sophomore pitcher Madison Love threw a complete game and drove in four runs in the New Bloomfield Lady Wildcats' 8-2 win over the Hallsville Lady Indians 8-2 on Friday night.

Love (5-1) allowed two earned runs on five hits, struck out three and walked two. Love also helped herself at the plate by finishing 3-for-3 with a double as New Bloomfield (7-1) posted its seventh straight victory.

The Lady Wildcats tallied two runs in the bottom of the first inning, the first coming on a sacrifice fly by freshman Madi Craighead to drive in sophomore Kate Baxter. Senior Kennedy Pieter then scored on an error on a ball hit by Love.

Love singled home Craighead in the third to extend New Bloomfield's lead to 3-0. Love's two-run double and Pieter's RBI single highlighted the Lady Wildcats' five-run outburst in the fifth.

Hallsville plated both of its runs in the sixth.

Craighead and senior Keaira Ruppel were both 2-for-3 as New Bloomfield collected 10 hits, while Baxter was 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI and a triple, and Pieter went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman Shelby Ruppel was also 1-for-3.

The Lady Wildcats fell in the junior varsity game 15-2.

On Thursday night in Harrisburg, Love struck out nine in a complete-game effort in New Bloomfield's 11-0 triumph. Love scattered two hits, walked two and was also 2-for-4 from the plate.

Baxter scored the game's first run on senior Mykaela Bonnett's RBI double in the top of the first. Bonnett then reached on an error in the third, allowing Craighead to score.

Craighead drove in three of New Bloomfield's four runs in the fourth with a two-out, bases-clearing double. She scored on an RBI single by Pieter to give the Lady Wildcats a six-run lead.

Kearia Ruppel hit an RBI single in the sixth and the Lady Wildcats finished their scoring with four more runs in the seventh.

Craighead went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles as New Bloomfield exploded for 18 hits, while Kearia Ruppel was 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Baxter and Pieter were both 2-for-5.

The Lady Wildcats pulled out a 6-5 win in the JV game.

New Bloomfield hosts Fatima in a Show-Me Conference contest at 5 p.m. Tuesday.