Softball: #2 Houston Ends Regular Season at 20-0

Houston softball began the week having already clinched a share of the SEC title.  Two more league wins not only secured their second outright championship in a row, but put the Hurricanes in a rare air.  Josh Swenson’s gals first beat Spring Grove 10-0 in six innings to solely claim the SEC title.  Julia Swenson (1-3, 2 RBI, 2 R) homered in the second at bat of the game.  Claire Frauenkron (6 IP, 0 R, 1 BB) needed no further runs, as she pitched a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts while also scoring four times (4-4).  Kylie Stinson (2-4, 3B, 3 RBI, R), Aspen Peterson (2-2, 2 RBI), Olivia Yohe (2-4, RBI, R), and Rylee Boldt (1-3, 2 R) helped.  SG’s Claire Sherburne (6 IP, 8 H, 10 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 9 K) took the loss and had the one hit (1-1). The Hurricanes then wrapped up a perfect regular season by topping M-C also 10-0 in six innings.  Claire F. (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 15 K), a frosh, picked up her 100th career hit and 200th career strikeout.  Peterson (3-3, RBI, 2 R), Stinson (3-4, R), Yohe (1-3, 3 RBI), Boldt (2-2, two 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Caidence Frauenkron (1-2, 2B, 2 RBI, R), Kayla Klunder (2-3, 2B, R), and Danica Stampka (1-1, 2B, RBI, R) contributed offensively against 700-strikeout Cougar pitcher Tylar Wenthold (5 2/3 IP, 10 R, 8 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, Loss).  The #2 in Class A Hurricanes (12-0 SEC, 20-0 overall) are 1A’s 1-seed, get a bye, then will host either 8-seed K-W (6-10) or 9-seed Hayfield (8-11).  M-C (8-4, 11-9) is a 1A’s 7-seed, hosts 10-seed SG (7-9). Houston’s 20-0 regular season is the first perfect regular season by a Journal-covered softball team since Chatfield went 19-0 in 2017.