GMG freshman pitcher Riah Boege delivers to the plate during the second inning of Monday’s Class 1A Region 8 first-round softball game against Baxter in Green Mountain. Boege struck out 11 and caught the only other out on a pop-up as the Wolverines beat the Bolts 10-0 in four innings. PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

GREEN MOUNTAIN — A year after not even fielding a team, GMG softball advanced through the first round of regional play this past Monday (July 7) for the first time in a long time.

The Wolverines beat Baxter for the third time this season, powered by freshman pitcher Riah Boege’s no-hitter in a 10-0, four-inning battering of the Bolts.

GMG (11-9) moved through its Class 1A Region 8 first-round pairing with ease, registering the program’s first postseason victory since 2009 to earn a much-anticipated rematch with BCLUW. The Comets (19-7) claimed the Iowa Star Conference South Division title this season, boosted by a pair of narrow victories over the Wolverines – 3-1 and 4-3 – and hosted Wednesday’s regional quarterfinal in Conrad. Coverage from that game will print in the Friday, July 18 edition of the Sun Courier.

“It was so close the last time, it’s been close every time, but I think we can do it,” Boege said. “If we have the same energy we had tonight, we can do it.”

Boege gave GMG the boost it needed in the top of the first inning by striking out all three Baxter batters she faced, and then the Wolverines whipped up a quick six runs to steal all the momentum right out of the gate.

Tatum Jones (17) and Grace Mathern (3) welcome Addison Elmore (second from right) and Piper Jones back to the GMG dugout after they scored on a single by Rhianna Murty in the first inning of Monday's regional softball game against Baxter. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

GMG hasn’t lost this season when scoring four runs or more.

“Usually when we come out hyped up, we stay hyped up and can carry that out,” Wolverines head coach Autumn Sash said. “So it was nice to get those six runs on the board right away and say ‘hey, we’re here. We mean business today.'”

Boege was the tip of the spear. She struck out 11 of the 12 batters she faced and caught the only pop-up the Bolts (2-22) put in play.

Baxter’s Lillian Grunstead was the only player to reach base for her team, nullifying Boege’s perfect game as the leadoff batter in the top of the second. Grunstead swung and missed at Boege’s rise ball for strike three, but the ball popped out of catcher Skyler Murty’s glove. Murty erased the runner shortly thereafter by throwing out Grunstead on a stolen base attempt.

Baxter’s first 10 batters struck out before Madison Jochems popped up to Boege for the second out of the fourth inning.

Safe! PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“Especially when we have insurance runs, it’s easier for me to go out there and not be afraid to pitch what I want,” Boege said.

Murty echoed her fellow freshman’s perspective.

“Her pitches were, like, really, really great today,” Murty said. “She did a really great job. She hit almost every spot that she was supposed to. It was a good day.

“Almost every time, I’m like ‘yeah, this is probably going to be a strike.'”

Boege’s third shutout of the season coincided with the team’s fourth double-digit scoring outburst as well. Baxter contributed to its own demise, issuing a total of 10 walks in 3 2/3 innings as the Wolverines ended the game with four runs by mercy rule with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.

GMG eighth-grader Taelyn Sash. Sash ended the game Monday evening with an RBI single up the middle to plate teammate Grace Mathern as the final run. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

GMG’s 6-0 start required only three hits from the home team, as Bolts starting pitcher Blaire Jutting hit leadoff batter Natalie Upah, gave up a bunt single to Taelyn Sash, and walked the next three hitters — Addison Elmore, Boege and Murty — to force in two runs.

Quickly trailing 2-0, Baxter went to its bullpen. Klaire Shanks came in and threw strikes, but the Wolverines were hungry to hit, too. Rhianna Murty blooped a two-run single to right, and Tatum Jones mimicked it with a two-run double on a 3-0 pitch down the right-field line to make it 6-0.

In the fourth, Boege led off with a double, Skyler Murty singled, and Rhianna Murty was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jones walked and Grace Mathern was plunked as well, forcing home two runs, before Madison Bryant plated another run with her sacrifice fly.

After Jones was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Upah’s grounder, Taelyn Sash ended the game with an RBI single up the middle to plate Mathern as the final run.

Sash, Boege and Rhianna Murty had two hits apiece, while Jones drove in three runs for the Wolverines. GMG totaled nine hits.

Rhianna Murty, a junior, is the only player on the GMG roster who isn’t a freshman or an eighth-grader.

“It’s amazing to show everyone that such young girls can have the heart to do anything,” Coach Sash said. “You can do anything you put your mind to. So for them to come out there and win this, it shows they have the determination and the grit to get things done.”

Whether or not they can beat BCLUW remained to be seen Monday evening as the ball field cleared.

“We’re hoping that this time, the third time’s the charm for us,” Coach Sash added. “We’re hoping that we can show them those two games were a fluke and we’re here to win.”