Sheldon, Iowa — The Orab softball team claimed at least a share of the Siouxland Conference title to move a game up on Sioux Center with 1 conference game remaining for each team.
6-2 was the final at Sheldon Wednesday night. Sheldon moves to 11-2 in the conference with a game left on Friday against West Lyon. The Warriors are 10-3 with a home game against Boyden Hull Rock Valley on Friday.
Both teams scored an unearned run in the first inning. Sioux Center got a lead off double to the right field corner from Willow Bleeker. She scored on a ball put in play by Taya Gesink.
Sheldon answered in the bottom of the first as Makenna Kleinhesselink led off with a walk and scored on a ball put in play by Emma Barwick to tie the score at 1-1.
Sheldon went ahead with three runs in the second inning. Claire Johnson tripled to the right field corner to start the inning. Keely Simonson followed with a bunt single. both would come in to score. Reese Strouth drove in a run with a single to left and Strouth would score on a Barwick rbi double to make it 4-1 Orabs.
The Warriors got a run in the top of the third as Bleeker singled up the middle and scored on a ground ball by Makena Walhof that cut the lead to 4-2.
Sheldon got a pair of insurance runs in the 6th as Simonson and Kourtney Dekker had back to back singles. Strouth doubled up the middle to bring them both in.
Kourtney Dekker got the win going 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits. She struck out 10 and did not walk a batter. Tatum Schmalbeck took the loss going 6 innings. She gave up 4 runs on 8 hits. She struck out 5 and walked 2.
With the win Sheldon is 17-2 on the year while Sioux Center is 23-6. Sheldon will host Hinton Thursday night in a non conference match up before the regular season finale at home Friday against West Lyon. Sioux Center returns to action on Friday at home against Boyden Hull Rock Valley to close the regular season.
This marks the first Orab softball conference championship since 1988. Junior Makenna Kleinhesselink broke Beth Meendering’s school record for career steals with 83
