The Class B No. 6 Blair softball team started the 2024 season with a full slate.
It's a good thing, coach Jennifer Fangmeier said, particularly with an inexperienced lineup.
“We kind of got the nerves out last night,” she said Friday during the Chieftain Invitational in Papillion. “Today they came in, and they're confident. We were a little bit looser.”
The Bears won at Wayne in their opener before opening Bellevue East's annual tournament with a 16-1 win against Omaha Mercy.
“I like this tournament because we do have a lot of different skills here,” Fangmeier said. “If we can get in that top bracket and see some of the best teams in Class A, I love that.”
BHS did earn its place in the top bracket when it knocked off Class A No. 8 Bellevue East on Friday night, 5-3. From there, the Bears played No. 2 Papillion-La Vista and No. 3 Millard North on Saturday, going 0-2 to complete their 3-2 overall start.
Both defeats were quite close.
The Chieftain Invitational began, though, with Blair's 15-run victory against Mercy. Brooke Janning — who started the season with an 18-strikeout performance against Wayne — struck out five Monarchs from the pitching circle, while Abby Leggott struck out three during the four-inning game.
Offensively, the Bears' Regan Blattert, Laynie Brown, Mia McClain, Taytum Macholan and Hannah Heuton all delivered RBI swings. Heuton's cleared the bases during the top of the fourth frame as BHS scored it's 14th, 15th and 16th runs.
“It felt good,” Fangmeier said. “We left eight runners on base last night, so, today, we were able to get those runners on base and then produce and get them in.”
It's necessary for a successful softball team to do, after all.
“It's going to be essential the whole season,” the coach explained. “Get runners on and be able to move them around.”
To beat Bellevue East, Blair scored all five of its runs during the first two innings. Blattert plated two during the first inning, while London Larsen scored one with a single.
Then, during the second inning, McClain and Janning turned their at-bats into two more runs.
The Chieftains battled back into the Friday night game, but Janning ultimately shut them down, finishing with 11 strikeouts in victory. The pitcher was strong against Papillion-La Vista on Saturday, too, throwing more than 120 pitches during a 2-1, 11-inning loss.
The Bears and Monarchs battled through eight scoreless innings before Coach Fangmeier's team scored the game's first run during the top of the ninth frame. With Blattert starting on second base according to extra innings rules, Taylor Munger singled to score her.
The 1-0 lead wasn't enough, though, as Papillion-La Vista evened the score during the bottom half and, ultimately, scored the game-winner during the 11th.
Peru State head softball coach Toni Closner took to social media to commend the effort of both teams, typing “WHAT A GAME!” on X.
After the marathon game, BHS had one more to play in Saturday's heat. It dropped the 3-0 contest to No. 3 Millard North.
The Bears again held strong against the Mustangs, allowing no runs until the three-run bottom of the sixth inning. Coach Fangmeier's team had one more inning to respond, but was unable to scratch across a run to avoid the shutout.
The early-season full slate continues as Blair was scheduled to face Omaha Skutt on Monday and competes against Lincoln Northwest on the road today. The 5 p.m. varsity game is on Field K at the Doris Bair Softball Complex.
Janning dominates season-opener
Blair's starting pitcher struck out 18 batters Thursday during the season opener, propelling her team to a 5-0 road victory in Wayne.
Janning didn't just excel from inside the circle, though. The senior also produced at the plate, pushing across the Bears' first run of the 2024 campaign with a first-inning triple before blasting a two-run homer during the top top of the seventh frame.
While Janning plated three runs, McClain and Macholan notched one RBI apiece. McClain — who finished 4-for-4 at the plate — scored Brown during the second inning, while Macholan gave BHS a 3-0 lead during the fifth inning.
BHS SOFTBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
No. 3 Millard North 3, No. 6 Blair 0
BHS (3-2) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0
MN 0 0 0 0 0 3 X — 3
No. 2 Papillion-La Vista 2, No. 6 Blair 1, 11 inn.
BHS (3-1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 — 1
PLV 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 — 2
Friday
No. 6 Blair 5, No. 8 Bellevue East 3, 6 inn.
BE 0 0 1 0 1 1 — 3
BHS (3-0) 3 2 0 0 0 X — 5
No. 6 Blair 16, Omaha Mercy 1, 4 inn.
BHS (2-0) 3 0 7 6 — 16
MERCY 0 0 0 1 — 1
Thursday
No. 6 Blair 5, Wayne 0
BHS (1-0) 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 — 5 10 0
WHS (0-1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 1 2
