United South Central third baseman Olivia Bird takes a good cut at a pitch during the Rebels’ opening game victory over the Madelia Blackhawks on April 1. USC won in six innings by the score of 10-0.

The United South Central Rebels’ girls softball team got their 2026 season off on the right foot when they hosted the Madelia Blackhawks in the opening game on Tuesday, April 1.

The Rebel girls won the six inning game by a score of 10-0.

USC’s Mariah Anderson gave up just one hit in the game and it was to the first Madelia batter she faced.

After that she struck out 15 of the 19 Blackhawk batters she faced during the game. She did not walk anyone. Madelia’s pitcher, Emily Jacobs, walked three batters and struck out four.

Meanwhile the Rebels scored their 10 runs on 12 hits. They scored two runs in the first inning, four in the second, one in the fourth and three in the sixth.

Grace Walton had a great night at the plate, going 4-for-4, including getting a double and a home run and batting in four runs.

Alivia Bruegger also had a perfect night batting, going 3-for-3 at the plate with one of her hits being a triple.

Ivy O’Rourke was 2-for-4 at the plate, with one hit being a double, while Anderson, Olivia Bird and Reanna Obermeyer had one hit each, with Obermeyer nailing a triple.

The Rebels had no errors in the game, while the Blackhawks committed seven errors.

The Rebels’ next game was scheduled for Thursday, April 2, weather dependent, when they were to host New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.

This week USC goes to Randolph on Monday, April 6, then hosts Triton on Thursday, April 9.