The Sumner-Fredericksburg softball team got back on the winning track Thursday night with a 5-1 victory over a tenacious Columbus Catholic (13-11) club. The win puts the Cougars in a four-way nine-win logjam in the North Iowa Cedar League with East Marshall, Wapsie Valley, and Dike-New Hartford. The Cougars improved their overall record to 16-9 with six games remaining in the regular season.

Cougar senior Addi Murray pitched her way out of trouble in the top of the first, stranding two Sailor baserunners and keeping Columbus Catholic off the board. Carly Krueger got the ball rolling for Sumner-Fredericksburg with a leadoff single to right followed by a successful bunt by Elle Wedemeier. Jamie Jones earned an RBI with a sacrifice fly to center to score the Cougars’ first run. Kylee Krueger then drove in a run with a single to give Sumner-Fredericksburg a 2-0 after one.

Both teams failed to score through the middle innings until Columbus Catholic pushed their first run across the plate in the top of the fifth. Sumner-Fredericksburg answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning and added two more in the sixth to close the game out with a 5-1 win.

Murray pitched a complete game, fanning ten and allowing one unearned run on six hits, six walks, and two sacrifices.

Leadoff hitter Carly Krueger went three for four with three singles and two walks while Sydney Zupke hit two doubles and scored a run. Jones, Aubree Land, Kylee Krueger, and Livy Schoonover each recorded an RBI.

Sumner-Fredericksburg will be in Denver (16-6) Monday the 29th for a 7:00 game, then play Turkey Valley (10-15) in Sumner Tuesday at 5:30. The Cougars will host the Crestwood Cadets (21-5) on Thursday at 5:30 then travel to #1 Clarksville (17-5) for a 7:00 game Friday the 3rd. Sumner-Fredericksburg will host the first game of the postseason against the South Winneshiek Warriors on Wednesday, July 8th. This Class 2A Region 7 quarterfinal game has a 5:00 start time in Sumner.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 T

Columbus Catholic 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

Sumner-Fredericksburg 2 0 0 0 1 2 0 5

Pitching: Addi Murray (WP, 13-8) – IP: 7.0, PC: 131, BAA: .182, H: 6, R: 1, ER: 0, BB: 6, HB: 0, SAC: 2, SO: 10, ERA: 0.00, WHIP: 1.71

Hitting: Carly Krueger (3/4, 2-R, 3-1B, 2-BB), Elle Wedemeier (1/3, 1-R, 1-1B, 1-BB), Aubree Land (1/3, 1-1B, 1-RBI, 1-SO), Jamie Jones (0/2, 1-RBI, 1-SF), Kylee Krueger (1/3, 1-1B, 1-RBI), Erin Steege (0/2, 1-BB), Livy Schoonover (1/3, 1-R, 1-1B, 1-RBI), Sydney Zupke (2/3, 1-R, 2-2B), Devyn Freitag (0/2, 1-SAC).