High School Girls Softball
Railers softball riding four-game winning streak

 

[May 06, 2024] 

The Lincoln Railers softball team is on a winning streak!

Ever since the 17-0 perfect game over Springfield Lanphier on April 25th, the Railers have been riding a wave of wins. And get this….Madisen Wurth threw another perfect game on April 30th!

The team started last week with a 3-2 win over Pleasant Plains on Monday.

On Tuesday Wurth and the team behind her defeated Decatur Eisenhower 21-0 in the second perfect game of the season.

On Wednesday the team beat Normal West 2-1.

Lincoln improved their record to 10-16 on the season and head coach LeeAnn Gilbert is very pleased with the consistency the team is showing.

“We are playing our best softball so far this season,” said Gilbert. “Our games against Pleasant Plains and Normal West were total team efforts. They were two really quality wins and proved (what I’ve known all along) we’re a really good team. We fired on all cylinders in both of those games. Our pitching, our defense, and finally our bats came up big for us in clutch times. We’re seeing consistent production from top to bottom in our lineup. Our girls are feeling really good right now. For me, I’m most proud of their fight and grit these past few weeks.”

Prior to today’s home game with Tri-Valley, the Railers will honor their lone senior, Taryn Stoltzenburg.

Coach Gilbert had high praise for the standout athlete.

“Taryn’s leadership is what sets her apart from everyone else,” said Gilbert. “She never stops communicating with the girls on defense, and as of late, is really finding her groove offensively. She’s seeing the ball super well and making the defense work really hard to get her out. We’re going to miss her so much next year! I’m so proud of the player and leader she’s become. She really committed herself to the sport two years ago when she made the switch to the left side. Since then, she’s never looked back and has established herself as one of the Central State Eight and the surrounding area’s top players.”

Pleasant Plains 2
Lincoln 3

A walk-off win on your home field is always a great way to start the week. That’s just what the Railers did on Monday against Pleasant Plains.

Pleasant Plains took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning but Lincoln cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning.

Taryn Stoltzenburg led off the inning with a single and she scored on a groundout and an error. Grey Gilbert hit the groundout.

Lincoln tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Stoltzenburg reached on an error and this time she scored on a sacrifice bunt and an error. Gilbert came up with the sacrifice bunt.

The 2-2 game in the bottom of the seventh inning started with a walk to Faith Eckhardt. Madisen Wurth moved Eckhardt to second on a sacrifice bunt. Emma Hutchison singled to move Eckhardt to third. Morgan Sheley’s two-out single was the game-winning hit for the Railers as Eckhardt came home with the winning run.

Regan Kutz picked up the win in relief. Kutz worked one and one-third innings, allowing one hit and one walk.

Madisen Wurth started the game for Lincoln and she worked five and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and one earned run. She struck out six and walked three batters.

Lincoln had four hits versus the Cardinals.

Taryn Stoltzenburg, Regan Kutz, Emma Hutchison and Morgan Sheley had hits for Lincoln.

Lincoln 21
Eisenhower 0

Another Perfect Game!

The Railers pounded out 14 hits versus Decatur Eisenhower on Tuesday and walked away with a win that looked more like a football score.

Lincoln scored seven runs on three hits in the top of the first inning against Eisenhower. Grey Gilbert and Faith Eckhardt each singled and Madisen Wurth tripled. The Panthers committed three errors in the opening inning.

Lincoln quietly scored two runs in the second inning on a walk, an error and an RBI single by Wurth.

In the top of the third inning Lincoln sent 17 batters to the plate and the team scored 12 runs. There were a ton of big hits in the inning, including a triple by Regan Kutz that drove in two runs and a double by Grey Gilbert that batted in two more runs. Faith Eckhardt also tripled in the inning and Kelsey Marten hit a double to keep the hit parade going. Kutz, Marten, Taryn Stoltzenburg, Emma Hutchison, Morgan Sheley and Lily Holmes had singles in the inning to keep the Railers busy on the base paths. The Panthers committed four costly errors in the inning, helping Lincoln to the 21-0 lead.

In the circle it was another perfect game for Madisen Wurth. The freshman tossed four innings, facing the minimum 12 batters. She struck out nine and walked zero. She threw 48 pitches and 40 were for strikes.

Wurth was also one of many players having multiple hits on the day.

Wurth was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Grey Gilbert was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.

Regan Kutz was 2-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored.

Kelsey Marten was 2-for-2 with a run scored.

Faith Eckhardt was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI.

Taryn Stoltzenburg, Emma Hutchison, Lily Holmes and Morgan Sheley each had one hit in the win.

Lincoln 2
Normal West 1

Lincoln’s win on Wednesday was in dramatic fashion but first the Railers were down 1-0 after Eden Hafermann hit a home run to lead off the second inning.

In the top of the fourth inning Lincoln tied the game.

After singles by Kutz, Eckhardt and Wurth, the Railers squeezed in a run on a sacrifice bunt by Norah Block to the first baseman.

Neither team created much offense until the top of the seventh inning, when Block started the inning with a single to right. Hutchison advanced Block over to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Kate Farnam walked, Stoltzenburg hit into a fielder’s choice, the Railers had two outs with runners at first and second. Gilbert’s heroics came on an 0-1 count when she doubled to center, easily driving home Farnam. Stoltzenburg, trying to score from first on the play, was out at home for the third out. But the hit gave Lincoln a 2-1 lead that stuck.

Madisen Wurth had another great pitching performance for Lincoln. She worked seven innings, allowing two hits and one earned run. She walked one and struck out eight batters. She threw 94 pitches and 61 were for strikes.

Lincoln had six hits versus Normal West.

Gilbert, Kutz, Marten, Eckhardt, Wurth and Block each had one hit for Lincoln.

The Railers will host Tri-Valley today at 4:30 p.m. for Senior Night and honor their amazing senior, Taryn Stoltzenburg.

[Teena Lowery]