The Ridge View softball team made quick work of Westwood on Wednesday at Sloan. The Raptors jumped out to a 5-1 lead after one inning and extended the margin to 9-1 after two innings. Ridge View scored four more runs in the fourth inning to come away with a 13-1 victory. The Raptors were led at the plate by Abby Wandrey, who had two hits including a single and a triple, and drove in five RBI’s. Also smacking two hits for Ridge View were Shae Dutler, Tatum Shepherd, Addison Schmidt, Katie Pickhinke, and Faith Freese. Beth Mentzer added a single to the hit parade.
Coach Eric Myrtue and the Ridge View baseball squad are excited to begin the 2022 season. Top returning starters for the Raptors are seniors Tyhler Kolpin and Cameron Spina, as well as juniors Cael Myrtue, Tracin Price, and Caden Biede.
“This is a solid core that we will have to lean on if we are going to be successful,” said Coach Myrtue. “Our top two hitters from last year are returning in Cael Myrtue and Tyhler Kolpin. Four of the five will contribute on the mound. All but Spina will see significant time on the bump.”
The Ridge View girls softball team opened their season on a high note Wednesday, defeating Cherokee 13-3 on a cool, rainy night in Galva. The contest was called after five innings due to the ten-run rule. The Raptors took a 5-1 lead after two innings, then outscored the Braves 7-1 in the fourth inning to really break the game open. Winning pitcher Addison Schmidt struck out six batters, and helped her own cause at the plate by smacking four hits, including two doubles, and batting in six RBIs. Emma Vohs also collected four hits including two doubles, and scored four runs.
The Ridge View baseball team used an eight-run third inning to build an 8-3 lead against Cherokee on Wednesday, but the Braves clawed their way back to squeak out a 10-9 victory. Caden Biede and Cael Myrtue both pitched for Ridge View. Tyhler Kolpin smacked two hits and drove in two RBIs, while scoring two runs himself. Tracin Price, Caden Biede, Gavin Vohs, and Blake Myrtue all collected hits for the Raptors.
The Ridge View softball program will enter this season with very high expectations and a lot of excitement again this summer. This year’s Raptor squad returns 11 letter winners from last year’s squad who all saw a lot of playing time and gained a lot of experience throughout the season. Last year's squad finished 18-11 overall.
The Ridge View boys track and field squad competed well in the state qualifying meet at Holstein on Friday. Kolton Luscombe won the discus competition with a throw of 154 feet 11 inches, qualifying him for the state meet. Brody Deitering placed third in the 400 meter dash with a time of 52.40 seconds, good enough to secure one of the eight at-large bids for the state track meet. Ridge View’s 4x800 team of Tracin Price, Jake Breyfogle, Kyler Wunschel, and Travis Wiese placed third with a season-best time of 8:37.00. That effort also qualified them for an at-large spot at the state meet.
The Ridge View boys golf squad captured fourth place in a tight sectional meet at Willow Vale golf course in Mapleton. The Raptors were led by Aiden Martin, who fired an 82 to finish with the third best score of the day and qualify for the district meet. Gavin Vohs fired an 85, followed closely by Brady Clausen with an 88. Cayden Clausen shot a 99, followed by Levi Albers with a 105 and Ethan Mason with a 112. Ridge View shot a combined team score of 354. OABCIG won the meet with a score of 339.
The Ridge View boys golf team won third place at the Storm Lake golf invitational. The Raptors shot a team score of 176, just four strokes behind meet winner Alta-Aurelia with a 172. Ridge View was led by Aiden Martin, who fired a 39 to tie for the best score at the meet, then won a playoff to earn medalist honors. He was followed closely by Brady Clausen, who shot a 41. Levi Albers fired a 47, followed by Gavin Vohs with a 49 and Ethan Mason with a 50. Gabe Chance shot a 61 to complete the scoring.
