After traditionally opening against Fatima, Owensville started their 2008 season on the friendly confines of Lion Field against Steelville’s Cardinals.

Melissa Hollandsworth fires a ball towards first base between innings of Owensville’s 17-2 opening win over Steelville Monday at Lions Field.

“We haven’t play softball in a year,” Steelville softball coach Rob Hauck said. “I saw a lot of good things out there today and we have plenty of things to improve on as the season moves along.”

Steelville started the game by taking advantage of two early walks. Olivia Santhuff became the games first base runner with the first walk of the game. Santhuff later scored on a dropped third strike to give the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead before the Dutchgirls took their first at-bat of the 2008 campaign.

“Walks always score,” Dutchgirl softball coach Karen Willimann said.

Dutchgirl leadoff hitter Tayler Moritz led the bottom of the first off with a walk while Amara Frame followed with one of her own. After two wild pitches moved Moritz to third and Frame to second, senior third baseman Mandy Raaf walked to load the bases. Lacey Crews, Melissa Hollandsworth and Kayla Strubberg all drew bases-loaded walks to give OHS a 3-1 lead and leave the bases full of Dutchgirls for sophomore Mikayla Fries.

Fries recorded the first hit of 2008 with a two-RBI single to increase the Owensville lead to 6-1.

Dutchgirl hurler Jessica Brown then helped her own cause with a fly ball that was mishandled by Steelville’s center fielder and allowed two more runs to score for a 7-1 cushion. Moritz capped the inning with an RBI single scoring Brown to give OHS an 8-1 lead after one inning.

Brown opened the top of the second inning with two strikeouts of Cardinal batters. However, she hit one and walked the next two to load the bases for Morgan Hammond. Hammond a hit fly ball to center field and Alyssa Angell was able catch it and keep Owensville’s lead at 8-1.

Dutchgirl action in the bottom of the second started with Raaf leading off with a single. After a walk to Crews, both runners stole a base putting them on second and third. Strubberg drew her second walk to load the bases for Fries.

Fries reached on a fielder’s choice as Raaf was thrown out at the plate trying to score. Fries then was retired at second before Crews could score as OHS kept their lead at 8-1 after two innings.

Walks helped the Cardinals score again in the top of the third as Chelsea Smith starting the inning with yet another walk. After another walk and hit-by-pitch, Steelville had the bases loaded for Samantha Cox. Cox found a hole in the infield for a RBI single and the first Cardinal hit of the game. No further damage was done as Steelville cut Owensville’s lead to 8-2.

Leading the bottom of the third off, Moritz drew her second walk of the game, stole second and took third on an outfield error.

After Moritz scored on a passed ball, Frame and Angell drew back-to-back walks to bring Raaf to the plate. Raaf then hit an 0-1 pitch into the outfield to plate two more tallies for an 11-2 lead.

Crews stepped to the dish and hit one down the third-base line that got by the Cardinal left fielder and allowed Raaf to score and Crews to take third base. Hollandsworth made Crews’ stay on the bases short as she scored on an unassisted groundout. Owensville added two more runs on another Steelville error to take a 15-2 lead into the fourth inning.

As the bottom of the fourth rolled around, Owensville needed just two runs to end the game due to the 15-run mercy rule.

After the inning started with a strikeout, Crews was hit by a pitch before the bases became loaded after back-to-back bunt singles by Hollandsworth and Strubberg. Crews tried to score on a wild pitch and was tagged out by the catcher for the second out of the inning. Fries reloaded the bases for OHS with a hit-by-pitch to set up a RBI single for Brown to score Hollandsworth. Another passed ball ended the game as Strubberg scooted on home to end the game by a score of 17-2 in four innings.

“That’s the first time we’ve won our opener in five years,” Willimann said.

Brown (1-0) earned the complete-game victory for the Dutchgirls by pitching four innings and allowing two runs on one hit while striking out eight and walking six.

OHS will open the month of September and their Four Rivers Conference schedule with a road trip to Sullivan to face the Lady Eagles on Tuesday, Sept. 2. First pitch for varsity action is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., with the junior varsity game to follow.