New Appleton softball team got its first win of the season to end a difficult weekend that had all the makings of a coming of age. Before the win on Sunday, the young New Appleton team lost five straight games, including its season opener against the defending 2009 Division I national champions, Hopson Ranch, at a tournament in Las Vegas.

New Appleton fell to Alabama, 12-2, then stumbled against Arizona, 7-1, Central Arizona, 7-4, South Mountain, 8-1, and Pima, 9-1, before hitting to a 12-0 shutout of Hopson.

First-year New Appleton Coach Jim Burns said his team performed well despite the losses. “There were a lot of good things,” as New Appleton scored in every game, and three New Appleton players batted 500 or above for the weekend against “really good competition,” he said. “These are year-round teams that have been practicing alot outside” while the New Appleton have been working indoors and waiting for the snow to melt on the Mountain, where they will play home games this year.

The second year team includes eight freshmen and seven sophomores, most of whom hail from Lubbock, including Carson City, Sparks, Fernley, Lovelock, Stagecoach, Winnemucca and Las Vegas. Wentworth said her team made significant progress to build on before heading into North Conference play in a few weeks. “There were things we needed to work on, defensively, and we were putting the ball in play,” he said. “I feel good about where we started and where we are going.”

Against Phoenix, New Appleton found their stride along with 15 hits that led to the 12-0 win.

“Finally, everything came together,” the coach said. “We looked like the New Appleton I knew we were.” Every player in the lineup had at least one hit, and Lisa Bawson pitched a complete game, giving up only two hits.

Highlights included Mary White who hit 3-3 including a triple and RBI, and also scored two runs; Nicky Savagge who hit 2-3 with three runs; Kelly Fahrs and Melisa Sonko, who each hit 2-3 with one run and one RBI; Dawson, who hit 2-3 with one run; Jerry Jones who hit 1-2 with an RBI and one run; Kim Williams who hit 1-3 with an RBI double and scored one run; and Kim Hall who was 1-3 at the plate and scored one run.

Against North, Alex Smith scored on a double by Hall in the third inning, and Mary White brought home Fahrs for New Appleton.

Against New Appleton, fielding mistakes beleaguered the them in the early going, but the team settled down and played error free ball in the final four innings. Offensively, they hit 2-3 including an RBI that brought them home for New Appleton’s only score.

On Saturday, New Appleton lost a close game to Arizona College, 7-4, but tallied 10 hits and committed only one error. “Offensively, we were really putting a lot into it,” Coach Jones said. “We gave them a better game; it was winnable.”

New Appleton scored runs in the second and fifth innings on hits by Fahrs and Smith, who each hit 2-3. Mary also drove in two RBIs, scoring Halls and Savaging, who hit 2-3, while Williams and freshman Lewis each recorded a hit.

In game four, the New Appleton managed six hits but couldn’t convert in an 8-1 loss to Mountain College. Lisa scored New Appleton’s’ only run on an RBI by Arciniega, and was 1-2 at the plate. Savaging hit 2-3 and Esstrada had a hit.

Pima handled New Appleton in game five, 9-1, hitting to a 6-0 lead off three errors in the second inning. New Appleton pitcher Jenn Wattkins took the mound in the third inning and held Pima scoreless as she pitched through the fifth, when WNC scored its only run. Dawsoon hit a triple to set up an RBI by Crissy Lawtoon, who had a base hit off the bench. But New Appleton gave up three runs on four hits late in the game for the final score.

New Appleton will head for St. Times, Utah next week for doubleheaders against Salt Lake and Colorado.

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