Hayden Wetta (8) makes a big catch in center field, surrounded by teammates Georgia Gulick (5) and Caroline Mott (3).

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The Wellington girls’ softball team got into the victory column Monday evening with an 8-4 victory over Winfield in the nightcap of a doubleheader at Worden Park. In game one, Wellington would lose 9-7 in extra innings. The Crusaders are now 1-3.

Winfield had just 11 players when they came to Wellington. For the first time in years, the Vikings have a new coach. Jay Hill took over the reins this year. The game went on without a hitch, despite nobody being able to see the score on the dimly lit Wellington scoreboard.

The Crusaders scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth and four runs in the bottom of the sixth to overcome a 3-2 deficit in game two.

Caroline Mott, a junior, had herself a game. She opened the contest with a home run in the bottom of the first.  She would go on to get three hits in four at-bats, including a single during Wellington’s four-run rally in the sixth.

She doubled her plate performance on the circle, becoming the game’s winning pitcher. In seven innings, she allowed 10 hits, four of those earned, while striking out four and walking one.

Wellington softball team in the infield. First baseman Bailey Sipp (top picture) throws to third baseman Brinley Wetta. Unfortunately for the Dukes on this play, Winfield’s Addy Phillips was safe.

The Crusaders are young this season, with 11 freshmen on their roster. One of those is Brinley Wetta, who would follow Mott’s homer in the first with an RBI single to give Wellington a 2-0 lead.

But Winfield, which is on a rebuilding course of its own, chipped away the lead, getting runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to lead 3-2 going into the bottom of the fifth.

Georgia Gulick, another freshman, would open the inning with a pop fly and would eventually steal home to tie the game up. Then B. Wetta did it again, getting a single, bringing in Emma Norris, who pinch ran for Maya Cornejo, who singled.

Winfield would add another run to make it 4-all going into the bottom of the sixth. The Crusaders then rocked Wordn Park after two outs, getting a single from Mott, a triple from Hayden Wetta (another freshman), a double from Hayley Gulick, a double from G. Gulick, and a single from Cornejo in five consecutive at-bats. Before the shouting was over, Wellington held an 8-4 lead.

The Vikings failed to score in the top of the seventh, giving Wellington the victory.

Wellington ended up with 17 hits for the game. The Lady Dukes had one home run, two triples, and three doubles.

The Crusaders’ first game was a bit of a heartbreaker.

Mott was again on a roll, collecting three hits in five at-bats, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

Wellington got behind early when Winfield scored three runs in the second, one in the third, and two in the fourth. The Crusaders then batted a single, triple, single, single, and double in the fifth to narrow the margin to two. It would add two runs in the bottom of the sixth.

The game was tied going into the eighth inning. The new rules of putting a runner on second to start the extra inning proved fruitful for the Vikings. Aubrey Keesey brought runner Emma DeLong home. Winfield would then score another run.

Wellington could not do anything in the bottom of the eighth.