By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA — Humboldt built an early four-run lead, but Forest City rallied with 11 unanswered runs to defeat the Wildcats 14-7 in a non-conference softball game Thursday night.
The Wildcats took control early, leading 7-3 after three innings. Elyse Olson highlighted the first inning with a two-run double, while Gracie Lyon delivered a three-run triple in the third.
Forest City answered with a steady comeback, scoring three runs in the fifth, three more in the sixth and putting the game away with a four-run seventh inning capped by Hayden Brown’s grand slam. Brown finished with a team-high five RBIs for the Indians.
Brooklyn Gerdes earned the complete-game victory for Forest City, allowing seven runs on 12 hits while striking out two.
Adalee Nolting took the loss for Humboldt after pitching five innings, allowing eight runs, six earned, on 10 hits while striking out three. Tessa Thompson worked 1 1/3 innings in relief, and Hayden Graaf retired both batters she faced to finish the seventh inning.
Lyon led the Wildcats offensively with three RBIs, while Sollson added two RBIs.
Humboldt head coach Sheridan Zeka said her team let the momentum slip away after building the early lead.
“Honestly, at the end of the game, we just talked about how making errors that are unacceptable, getting to the box and getting ahead 3-1 and then swinging at a pitch and grounding out, or being ahead 3-0 and popping up on a pitch to the catcher—that’s just not how you play softball. We looked like we were complacent once we took the lead, and then that was fine, and it’s not fine. We’ve got to learn how to put teams down and keep them there, and right now we’re struggling with that.”
With the loss, Humboldt fell to 5-11 overall. The Wildcats will next compete in the Roland-Story Kiwanis Softball Tournament, facing Roland-Story and Benton on Friday before taking on Solon and South Hamilton on Saturday.