By Bruce Karnick

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The Raiders played host to Hill-Murray on Wednesday, April 14th, in a game that was moved due to weather. The weather was not perfect this day, but it was dry and the girls were able to take the field.

Hastings jumped out to an early 4-1 lead when their starting pitcher, Haley Hoff, had an off inning. Hoff’s pitches were narrowly missing the strike zone. Pitches she had command over earlier in the game, were suddenly just a hair wide or low couple that with the fact that the Pioneers adjusted and became more patient at the plate instead of chasing pitches, the one-off inning resulted in a game tied 4-4.

“We had too many free bases tonight,” explained Head Coach Jennifer Thesing. “Everything else felt pretty good, so, not a terrible loss, but it still hurts.”

Thankfully, Hoff recovered and pitched another couple solid innings for the Raiders despite being disappointed in her own performance according to Thesing. “I told her that this, this loss is on me. I’m still getting to know the girls, and kind of their limits, it’s always, you know, I think it’s a good thing. That Sports teaches us adversity and so I don’t always like to, you know, the first sign of trouble I’m not going to pull a pitcher. And I think I probably should have done it in the seventh or, you know, maybe the sixth event, and just, just gave them a hill a little bit different look. But it’s on me, as far as the learning goes. But I do think she bounced back the next the next inning after she kind of walked a few people in and. So, we’re, we’re learning. We’re all learning each other.”

The Raiders ultimately lost to the Pioneers 10-7 in extra innings.

Thursday’s game against Henry Sibley went the way of the Raiders. Hastings again took the first inning lead 1-0 and the game was, once again tied 4-4 after the fourth inning. The Warriors nabbed the lead in the top of the fifth 5-4 until the Raider bats exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth giving Hastings the 12-5 lead.

Henry Sibley never gave up, scoring a run each inning the rest of the game, but the eight run fifth was too much to overcome and the Raiders won 12-7 Lauren Jenkins, Kendal Jenkins, Reanna Reinke and Hailey Hoff all shared in the RBI column for the Sibley game.

The next chance to catch the Raiders in action is Thursday at Simley, 4:15 then Tuesday, April 27th home against Tartan at 4:15.

Raider pitcher Hailey Hoff pitched a complete game for Hastings in the season opener against Hill Murray. Overall, Hoff pitched very well in the season debut. Photo by Bruce Karnick