The Lady Wildcats had some thunderous bats Tuesday in their 12-2 win against Linn but were quiet Thursday in their 8-0 loss to Helias.
Helias (8-3-1) was coming off a 9-0 shutout loss to Blair Oaks on Tuesday, and a great pitching performance by the Lady Falcons' Alli Siebeneck, and New Bloomfield (6-4) was on the wrong end of another such performance by Helias freshman Cambri Van Loo.
Defensive errors were scarce while defensive gems were plentiful as the Lady Wildcats just couldn't get back in the game.
Head coach Dara Reinkemeyer said there is no cause for concern after the lack of offense Thursday as New Bloomfield, especially in the later innings, were hitting the ball harder without finding holes.
"We hit the ball well but didn't find the holes tonight," Reinkemeyer said. "If you don't find holes, you can't score. I'm not concerned considering we did put the ball in play, and we hit it pretty hard but just right at them."
The Lady Crusaders struck in the first inning compiling three consecutive hits off sophomore Peityn Thomas, with the third hit by senior Paige Schaffer being the run-scoring one to give Helias an early 1-0 lead.
New Bloomfield didn't have much activity early but had a runner at third when junior Raegan Smart reached on an infield single and errant throw by Helias. Van Loo would strike out two to keep the Lady Wildcats off the board.
Helias would add in the third when senior Liv Bloomer used her speed to reach on an infield hit and then was at third with no outs after a stolen base and the first of two passed balls of the game. Senior Mallorey Rogers hit a sacrifice fly and then senior Gabrielle Bax drove one over the left field fence to double the Lady Crusader lead to 4-0.
The middle innings were when New Bloomfield's bats were at their quietest, Reinkemeyer said. The girls seemed to be just overanalyzing and couldn't mount much of an attack against Van Loo - seven innings with six hits, one walk and three strikeouts - after Helias scored some runs. Freshman Macie Abbott hit a two-out double in the fourth but was stranded and then senior Kamryn Herron had a two-out hit an inning later but was thrown out at third trying to advance on junior Avery Nichols' single.
"We were extremely loud in the beginning of the game and then we got very quiet," Reinkemeyer said. "When we get quiet with anybody, sometimes you start overanalyzing things and making things harder than what it needs to be. That's something that they know that they need to continue to focus on, which impacts all aspects of the game."
In the meantime, Helias added two more with a Rogers single, giving her 2-for-2, three-RBI day, and then had more insurance in the seventh provided by a home run to center from junior Molly Berkey off the bench.
Reinkemeyer praised Helias' ability but thought that both teams played some clean softball, whether it was catchers keeping balls from going to the backstop or catching baserunners like junior Brinley Dysart doubling off a runner at second to end the fifth inning. She said there were a few hiccups behind Thomas - seven innings with 10 hits, eight runs (seven earned) two walks and four strikeouts - but neither team was giving away runs.
There was some lightning in New Bloomfield's bats in the sixth when Dysart led off the inning with a double but wasn't able to pushed across. Abbott almost hit a home run to center, but the ball died at the track. Reinkemeyer said the Lady Wildcats were strong in many aspects against a Class 5 team in Helias that should help them in a Saturday tournament in Cairo.
"We did attack at the plate, our pitching was well tonight and we did make some really big plays," she said. "We turned that double play from left field, and we had some good plays on the infield. There was still good things."