Softball: Betzold blanks Stars again, 4-0

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Ashley Betzold must enjoy pitching against Holy Angels.

The sophomore shut out the Stars for the third time in her young varsity career Tuesday afternoon, holding them to five hits while striking out six in a 4-0 Tigers victory in Richfield.

In four career starts against Holy Angels, Betzold is 4-0 and has allowed two runs in 28 innings. She was given a lead to work with on Tuesday when Paige Lindrud led off the third with a walk and Aleah Williamson followed a Holy Angels error with a two-run single.

Alyssa Hagen, Williamson and Betzold plated another run with three straight hits in the fifth and Toni Hunsinger knocked in the fourth Tiger run with a base hit in the sixth.

Hagen and Williamson each had two of the team’s six hits.

The Tigers managed just five total hits in their previous two games, a 3-2 loss to Chaska at home Monday and a 6-0 loss to seventh-ranked (Class 3A) Shakopee in Farmington last Friday. The team is averaging 3.6 runs per game (10 of its 25 total runs came in one game vs. New Prague) and Hagen and Williamson are the only players hitting .300.

“Our defense has been pretty good, Ashley’s pitching has been really good, but we’re just not getting enough hits,” Farmington coach Rob Laden said. “I think it has a lot to do with our youth.”

The Tigers, 3-4 overall, traveled to New Prague for a make-up game Wednesday afternoon and will take on Northfield today in Farmington. The team is set to play three games this weekend at the Lakeville North Tournament.

Tags: sports, farmington, tigers, prep, softball