Softball struggles to find momentum

Iron struggle to convert baserunners to runs; Pitcher Lindsay Leathery sidelined with injury

Brantley Dumas II, Senior Staff Reporter • Apr 4, 2024

Maddie Ummel lead Community at the plate in average at .458 and extra-base hits with four doubles. However, the team has struggled to hit with runners in scoring position, stranding 50 baserunners.

The 2-6 softball team’s woes continued as pitcher Lindsay Leathery suffered an injury in March 26’s 10-5 loss to the East Peoria Raiders (5-1).

Leathery suffered a dislocated kneecap, causing a “kissing contusion,” contusions of both surfaces of the knee joint, and a subchondral fracture in last Tuesday’s loss. These injuries are likely to sideline the pitcher for considerable time.

Leathery led the Iron in innings pitched with 19.1. In her four appearances, she struck out 13 while allowing 19 earned runs.

The pitcher’s injury comes amid a slow start to the 2024 campaign, with the Iron struggling to translate baserunners into crucial runs.

After opening the season with a 10-1 victory over Lincoln, the Iron suffered a 15-5 rout at the hands of the Pekin Dragons.

The loss to Pekin started a five-game losing streak, with the Iron losing a string of two-run games, falling 5-3 to Mundelein and losing both ends of a doubleheader to Whitney Young (4-2, 14-12) before a 15-1 loss to the Minooka Indians. The Iron snapped the skid with a 13-6 road win over Tolono Unity on March 21.

After eight games, Community boasts seven hitters batting .300 or better. The team’s struggle has been hitting in clutch situations, stranding 50 baserunners this season.

Scoring consistency has been a struggle early this season. 35 of the team’s 46 runs came in three contests, and just three players have tallied five or more RBIs on the year.

The trio of Maddie Ummel, Meadow Bronke and McKenna Baughman have led Community at the place, combining for 20 of the team’s runs.

Baughman, a junior, leads the team with eight RBIs, batting 0.421 with two home runs.

Ummel leads the team with a .458 average, knocking in six this season. Bronke has six RBIs of her own, hitting .333 on the season.

Community looks to right the ship heading into Friday’s doubleheader against Rochester (7-3) and Joliet West (3-2).

Sporting a 7.61 ERA, Community will also need to see some improvement on the mound not just at the plate.

Linsday Leathery was the Iron’s innings-eater last season with 159. Opponents hit .326 against Leathery as a junior. With Leathery injured, Tessa Bittner looks to lead the team from the bump, with junior Ava Prevo seeing an expanded role.

With Leathery sidelined, senior Tessa Bittner looks to be the Iron’s workhorse with junior Ava Prevo seeing an expanded role.

Bittner leads the team with a 5.83 ERA, striking out 15 while allowing 15 earned runs over 18 innings this season.

Prevo has allowed 16 runs across eight innings, seeing action in three contests.

Community takes on Rochester at home Friday at 5:30 p.m. before facing Joliet West at 7.

The team opens conference play on the road on Saturday with a doubleheader against the 3-5-1 Champaign Central Maroons.

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About the Contributor

Brantley Dumas II, Senior Staff Reporter

Brantley Dumas is a senior at Normal Community High School. He is the president Black Student Union and is on the varsity bowling team. He is a second-year Staff Reporter on the Inkspot. If I were to win a million dollars I would definitely pay for college, then buy all the shoes and clothes I could ever want. I enjoy fashion, making and listening to music and anime. So, if you like any of those we can probably be friends. My biggest pet peeve is when people chew too loud. Gross.