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JEFFERSON TWP — Angie Reddick kept waiting for a little help from her friends.
She wound up getting a lot of it.
Butler snapped a scoreless tie with a four-run fifth inning, then added seven
tallies in the seventh for an 11-0 softball victory over Knoch Tuesday
afternoon at Laura Doerr Park.
The win marked the first varsity shutout of Reddick’s career.
“I’m always a little nervous before a game, but I was really nervous on the bus
ride over here,” the sophomore said. “I know a lot of the girls on their team
from summer ball.
“A bunch of us know a bunch of them. That made this game a little more
important.”
Reddick struck out five and allowed only four singles.
“She’s a good pitcher and she had us off balance,” Knoch coach Tim
Knappenberger said. “It’s early in the season. I think pitchers have a bit of
an advantage early.”
Both teams had scoring chances early, but the game was scoreless through four
innings.
Butler (3-0) stranded two runners in the first and third innings, and Knoch
center fielder Taylor Smith threw a runner out at the plate in the second.
Knoch (2-1) had a runner at third with one out in the first, but Reddick got
Mindy Bierhals to pop out to shallow center and pitching opponent Amanda
Sheppeck to ground out to the mound.
The Knights had runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth before
Kazie Reushel bounced out to the mound.
“Our girls were very tentative early in this game,” Butler coach Lori Kline
said. “I think playing against girls they know personally as friends had
something to do with that. We weren’t playing Butler softball, that’s for
sure.”
That all changed in the fifth. Olivia Hortert walked to start the inning and
Nikki Hladik produced her second bunt single of the game. Olivia Vasey singled
to left, plating Vasey.
Erica Thrower’s ground ball to shortstop scored Hladik and Vasey crossed the
plate when the ball was thrown away. Thrower scored on a two-out infield single
by Amanda Skidmore.
“I knew someone was going to break through eventually,” Knappenberger said.
“But I thought it’d be one or two runs, not something like that.”
Once she got the lead, Reddick allowed only one baserunner over the final three
innings.
“I finally relaxed a little,” she admitted.
The Golden Tornado tallied seven runs in the seventh, highlighted by a two-run
homer to center by Jenna Geibel. Vasey added a two-run double, giving her three
hits and three RBI for the day.
The first four batters in the Tornado lineup — Hladik, Vasey, Thrower and
Geibel — combined for eight hits, six RBI and six runs scored.
It was more than enough help for Reddick, who contributed two singles.
“My catcher (Thrower) calls my pitches. She knows what I can throw. All I do is
listen to her,” Reddick said.
Butler 11, Knoch 0
WP: Angie Reddick (7 IP) 5 strikeouts, 2 walks. LP: Amanda Sheppeck (7 IP) 4
strikeouts, 5 walks
Butler (3-0): Nikki Hladik 2-1B 2-R, Olivia Vasey 2-2B 1B 3-RBI, Erica Thrower
1B RBI 2-R, Jenna Geibel HR 2-RBI, Amanda Skidmore 2-1B RBI, Angie Reddick 2-1B
RBI, Olivia Hortert 1B RBI 2-R