The first game of the season didn’t end well for the home team.

After weather-related postponements, the Blue Earth Area Buccaneers softball team finally had their chance to step up to the plate.

They hosted the Belle Plaine Tigers on April 7. Their opponents took a strong lead in the first couple of innings and went away with a 15-0 shutout.

“Despite the score of our first game of the season, I saw positive things from the girls,” Coach Abby Bloomquist says.

According to the coach the Bucs were on the mark with their bat but were unable to land the ball in the right spot.

“They made good contact but the hits just weren’t dropping into the open pockets,”?she says.

The Tigers could boast the opposite outcome from their hits.

“Belle Plaine is a strong hitting team; their girls were consistently hitting the gaps,”?Bloomquist explains.

Abby Nimz started the game off by pitching the first and part of the second inning.

Nimz faced 14 batters and allowed eight hits which produced eight runs for the opponents. She also had one strikeout.

Megan Wirtjes took the mound in place of Nimz for the rest of the second inning and pitched to the end of the game.

Wirtjes pitched to 17 batters. She allowed six hits and seven runs. She also had three strike outs.

Kylie Ahl was up to bat twice for the Bucs and got on base when she hit a double.

Monica Krieger was also at bat twice and connected for one hit.

Evie Leland, Bethany Olson, Ashton Hendricksen, Janessa Jahnke, Wirtjes and Brianna Ziegler each had two at bats and came away with no hits.

Audrey McDonald had two walks.

“After tonight we know what to work on,”?the coach adds.

She explains that the girls need to keep hitting with confidence and be more selective with the pitches.

“We have more tough games coming up,” Bloomquist adds. “It will be a good way to identify our strength and areas of improvement.”