Blasczyk leads Appleton East over Kaukauna

KAUKAUNA - The Kaukauna softball team entered Tuesday’s showdown with Appleton East having scored 35 runs in its first three games.

But through the first three games the Ghosts hadn’t faced a pitcher of Lauren Blasczyk’s caliber. Could the high-powered Kaukauna offense continue its hitting ways?

In a matchup of power vs. power, Blasczyk’s power won out. The hurler tossed a one-hitter as the Patriots ended the Ghosts’ 35-game Fox Valley Association winning streak with an 8-1 win at Bayorgeon Field.

“Coming in we knew Kaukauna was going to be an aggressive team and we had to come out on top,” Blasczyk said. “We had to start strong. We knew it was going to be a good game and we had to come to play.”

Blasczyk stymies Ghosts batters
Kaukauna grabbed a 1-0 first-inning lead when one batter reached via error and one via walk. After that, Kaukauna never stepped on home plate again.

Blasczyk struck out nine and allowed just one hit to Savannah Marischek in the fourth inning. The junior was spotting her fastball and allowed just one runner after the first inning to reach second base.

“She was outstanding,” East coach Janel Batten said. “She held some great hitters to no hits.”

Kaukauna coach Tim Roehrig knew Blasczyk would be tough.

“When she’s on the mound you know you’re going to get a good game out of her,” Roehrig said. “That was nothing new to us. I thought she threw a great game. We just have to take care of our bats.”

Blasczyk said the key to her success was simple.

“I think having confidence in my infield and outfield,” Blasczyk said. “Knowing that they had my back, really helps a pitcher.”

East bats break out
While Blasczyk had Kaukauna’s bats in control, the game was still tight after five innings with East leading, 2-1. That’s when Roehrig replaced starter Jordan Haen in the circle with Lizzy Elrick.

Haen allowed one hit, struck out three and walked four in five innings.

This move turned the game.

After Elrick retired her first two batters she faced, East registered six straight hits and scored four runs, breaking open the game with a 6-1 lead.

Batten didn’t say the pitching change was the reason for the explosion.

“At the time they pulled Jordan, I told the girls it’s a new pitcher and they go, ‘Oooh!’” Batten said. “We were just starting to hit Jordan effectively and I think that’s why they took Jordan out. We made an adjustment that the first pitch had to be a perfect pitch.”

Blasczyk had a run-scoring single in the rally and didn’t say it was easier to hit Elrick, despite the outburst.

“We go up every at-bat knowing we want to make a good at-bat,” Blasczyk said. “Later in the game we just started focusing in, wanting to get good at-bats. We just went up there solid.”

What was Roehrig’s reason for the change?

“Lizzy’s been throwing well,” Roehrig said. “From our end of things we’re not going to be one-dimensional. Jordy threw well tonight, but Lizzy works hard, too. Tonight, she didn’t have her best ball. Jordy threw well for us.

“We gave them both their shot against a good team.”

East win keeps it in touch
If East lost Tuesday it would’ve fell two games behind first place in the loss column. With the win, the Patriots are 2-1 in the FVA, while Appleton North leads at 4-0.

It is early, but one game out of first place is better than two.

“Our conference is so tough,” Batten said. “There are five or six teams that are in it, so this means everything. Kaukauna always comes to play.”

And a key for East was not making mistakes. In its loss against Neenah, the Patriots helped Neenah out.

This time, East made an error on the first batter of the game, and she scored. After that, no mistakes.

“Against Neenah we had three errors in an inning that cost us five runs,” Batten said. “That’s tough. We just keep preaching do the little things.”

Added Blasczyk: “It was big game. Kaukauna’s a good team. We wanted to come out and play strong. We had a roller-coaster road last week, so we wanted to come out strong.”

• Notes: The last visiting team to win at Kaukauna was Kimberly, April 16, 2010. … Molly Krause and Tierney Wittmann were each 2-for-4 for East with a double and a RBI, while Blasczyk was 2-3 with a walk and an RBI. … Kaukauna shortstop Ashley Van Zeeland twice caught line drives and turned double plays. … East left six runners on base, Kaukauna left four on base.
• Game ball: Blasczyk was tough in the circle and with the bat.
• Numbers game: 35 Game-winning streak vs. FVA teams ends for Kaukauna.

APPLETON EAST 8, KAUKAUNA 1
Appleton East…001 104 2 – 8 10 1
Kaukauna….......100 000 0 – 1  1  2

WP – Lauren Blasczyk (7 IP, 9 K, 2 BB).
LP – Jordan Haen (5 IP, 2 R, 3 K, 4 BB).
Records: East 5-1, 2-1. Kaukauna 3-1, 3-1.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.com