Cougars navigate stretch of key Region 4 matchups
The Central McLean Cougars softball team battled through another demanding week of Region 4 competition, closing the stretch with an emphatic victory over Wilton-Wing after facing two difficult tests earlier in the week.
With postseason positioning beginning to take shape, every contest carried added significance for the Cougars as they continued working to climb the regional standings.
Central McLean opened the week Tuesday, May 5 on the road against Washburn/Center-Stanton in a tightly contested matchup that came down to the final inning before the Cardinals escaped with a 7-6 win.
Washburn/Center-Stanton built an early advantage with two runs in both the first and second innings before adding two more in the fourth to take control. The Cougars, however, refused to go away quietly.
Trailing late, Central McLean erupted for four runs in the sixth inning to pull within striking distance before adding two more in the seventh to make things interesting in the final at-bats.
The Cougars collected 10 hits in the loss, led by Abigail Gross with a 3-for-4 performance. River Fylling added two hits and an RBI, while Sally Heger delivered a big offensive game by going 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Nora Fiedler continued her recent strong stretch at the plate with two hits and an RBI, and Aylee Rust also drove in a run.
Inside the circle, Fylling worked all six innings while striking out nine batters.
The schedule did not get any easier two days later as the Cougars hosted undefeated Velva/Drake-Anamoose, one of the top teams in Region 4.