One strike from victory, Raiders give up tying and winning runs in bottom of seventh at Piasa

PIASA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team was one strike from victory, but a two-out two-strike RBI single tied the score and another RBI single drove home the winning run for Piasa Southwestern in an 8-7 victory on Thursday afternoon.

The Raiders led 7-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Caitlin Bunte gave up three singles, walked a batter and intentionally walked another batter, leading to two runs and loading the bases. Madison Fenstermaker then singled to right field to score Sydney Valdes and win the game.

QND (15-3) raced to a 5-0 lead after 1½ innings. Alyssa Ley and Morgan Zanger had RBI singles in the first inning, and Ley scored on a wild pitch. Josie Boyer and Madalyn Boyer each had run-scoring hits in the second inning.

The Birds scored once in the second and twice in the third. After Bunte hit a solo homer in the top of the fourth, the Birds added two more in the bottom of the frame. Sophia White singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Bunte for QND’s last run in the sixth.

Bunte had two hits, drove in two runs and scored three times. Zanger also had two hits.