Raiders unable to put together two comebacks, fall to Wolves to start competitive weekend

QUINCY — The first comeback showcased the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s resiliency.

The second rally never materialized.

Facing Pearl City on Friday night at the Backyard, the Raiders answered the Wolves’ two-run top of the first inning with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. They couldn’t do the same when Pearl City scored four times in the fourth inning and eventually won 7-2.

The two 20-win teams will meet again Saturday at the Backyard as they close the regular season with one of the most intense weekends of the season.

QND (21-7) and Pearl City (22-5) square off at 9 a.m. Both teams will face Class 4A power Edwardsville (21-2) as well — the Wolves get the Tigers at 10:45 a.m. and the Raiders meet them at 12:30 p.m.

Friday night, the Wolves grabbed the lead in the top of the first with back-to-back RBI doubles by Cheyenne Handsaker and Briann Stager. A fielder’s choice which led to Kylie Campbell getting tagged out at home and a strikeout got the Raiders out of the inning.

In the bottom of the first, Caitlin Bunte led off with a walk and went to third on Eryn Cornwell’s single. Abbey Schreacke’s double to center field got the first run home, while courtesy runner Lilly Marth scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2.

In the fourth, QND’s defense came unglued.

The first two Pearl City batters reached safely on balls misplayed on the infield. After both runners advanced on a wild pitch, an error on third baseman Brooke Boden allowed two runs to score. A groundout, a fielder’s choice and a walk put runners at the corners, and Handsaker capped the four-run inning with by driving in two runs with a double.

The Wolves added a run in the sixth on a single, a passed ball and an error.

Abbey Schreacke’s third-inning single and Cornwell’s sixth-inning single resulted in QND’s only baserunners the final five innings. Handsaker struck out 10 and walked two in earning the victory for Pearl City.