Columbia’s Keeler van Breusegen leads the Eagles in hitting this spring at .514 with 28 runs. (Corey Saathoff photo)

The Columbia softball team simply refuses to lose. 

The Eagles flew past Freeburg in a battle of unbeatens on Friday, winning 10-0 to run their season record to 18-0. The game was scoreless through four innings before the Eagles erupted for six runs in the fifth.

Chelsy Pena and Lexi Touchette collected three hits each. Keeler van Breusegen added two hits and three RBIs. Kaelyn Rheinecker struck out seven in the complete game win. 

Columbia posted wins over Red Bud last Wednesday and Park Hills Central on Thursday.

The hot-hitting van Breusegen went 3-for-4 and Calli Wibbenmeyer homered in last Wednesday’s 8-5 win. 

Rheinecker struck out 12 and allowed just two hits in Thursday’s 10-0 shutout. Pena went 3-for-3 and Kylie Cleveland went 2-for-3 with three RBIs for the Eagles.

Columbia won 10-0 over Wesclin last Tuesday. Wibbenmeyer went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Rheinecker struck out nine in a four-hit shutout.

Leading the way on offense for Columbia is van Breusegen at .514 with nine doubles, 26 RBIs and 28 runs. Touchette is next at .476 with three homers and 24 RBIs. Pena is hitting .475 with four homers and 23 RBIs. Wibbenmeyer is hitting .403 with five homers and 22 RBIs.

Rheinecker is 10-0 with a 1.39 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 70.7 innings.

Weather permitting, Columbia hosts Edwardsville on Wednesday, Belleville West on Friday, and both Collinsville and Centralia on Saturday.

‘Dogs win 2 of 3
Waterloo (5-9) picked up a 4-2 win over Chester on Friday. A three-run sixth inning propelled the Bulldogs to victory. 

Taylor Kaufmann and Lindsey Merritt contributed two hits and an RBI each and Merritt picked up the win in the pitching circle for the Bulldogs, who host Mascoutah on Wednesday and play at Highland on Monday.

Waterloo won 11-9 at Jerseyville last Wednesday. Skyler Barker and Taylor Downen collected three hits each and Kaufmann went 2-for-5 with three RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Waterloo lost 15-0 to Triad last Tuesday. Heather Albers collected the only hit of the game for the Bulldogs.

Kaufmann leads Waterloo in hitting at .409 with four home runs and 12 RBIs, followed by Downen at .408 with seven doubles and nine RBIs.

Pirates staying afloat
Valmeyer (6-7) won 15-4 at Lebanon on Thursday. Chelsea Hooker and Stephanie Meister homered for the Pirates and Jaynie Vanatta collected four hits to reach 100 for her varsity career.

Last Wednesday, the Pirates dropped a 14-4 contest to Sparta. Vanatta and Mallory McCarthy had two hits each.

Valmeyer dropped a 4-1 contest to a good New Athens squad last Tuesday. Hooker hit her first home run of the spring for the Pirates.

Hooker leads Valmeyer in hitting at .541 with 10 doubles and 17 runs, followed by Lilly Schlemmer at .488 with 18 RBIs. Vanatta is hitting .480 with 15 runs and six stolen bases. 

Cierra Goldschmidt is hitting .474 with 13 runs and is also 3-2 in the pitching circle.

Tigers keep fighting
Dupo (4-11) won 16-7 at Wesclin last Wednesday. Kayla Prater went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBIs. Sarah Ostertag went 4-for-5 with a double and two runs. 

On Thursday, The Tigers lost 14-2 to Marissa.

Dupo hosts Red Bud on Thursday and will play at New Athens on Friday.

Kenzie Kloess leads the Tigers in hitting at .523 with 18 RBIs, followed by Cameron Foster at .429 with 14 runs. Reagan Carner is hitting .395 with 16 runs.

Hawks struggling
Gibault (1-7) lost 18-1 to Collinsville last Wednesday and dropped a 17-7 contest at Okawville on Thursday. 

Maliyah Phillips and Sidney Wightman had two hits each for the Hawks against Okawville.

Lexi Poepper is hitting .455 for the Hawks. Ashlyn Wightman is hitting .286.