SHARON SPRINGS –– The mercy rule was in effect.

The Lady Bulldog softball team traveled to Sharon Springs on Monday for its first game of the season and blew up the Spartans, 20-3.

The umpires called the game an inning early because BKW led by more than 10 runs with only one inning left. Both teams were anxiously awaiting the end, due to a blistering cold wind.

“We’ve been on the other side of the mercy rule before and it’s not fun,” said Bulldog Head Coach Mike Reynolds. “I’ve been in games that got called after just three innings. Every game should be six innings at least.”

The Lady Bulldogs put the game in the bag by scoring 10 runs in the fifth inning, increasing the lead to 15 to 2. The team added five more in the sixth.

“Someone started it off in the fifth and we continued the trend after that,” said senior Lacey Yakel after the game. “We needed runs and scored plenty of them. This team is well connected.”

Freshman Danielle Krueger made her first start on the varsity mound and pitched a complete game with nine strikeouts. She gave up only one earned run.

“We all worked as a team and everyone was behind me all the way,” said Krueger. “Tomi-Lee Springer did an amazing job catching and worked me through the game.”

“It’s really something special when a freshman can step up and perform like that in her first start,” said Reynolds.

BKW had a 4-to-0 lead heading into the third inning. Springer reached base after the Spartans couldn’t catch her infield pop-up. Springer scored off a single by Jennifer Crounse and the score was 5 to 0.

Krueger struck out Christina Lockenwitz and Jordan Brown in the bottom of the third, making quick work of the Spartans. However, Krueger would find herself in a jam in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sharon Springs had the bases loaded after a throwing error and a few walks by the Lady Bulldogs. Lockenwitz brought Paige Quimby and Emily Hoffman home with a single to left field. BKW was up three after four innings.

Batting around

BKW went on a scoring tear in the top of the fifth inning, putting the game away for good. Kaitlyn Dunigan was the first to reach base after Brown couldn’t catch a fly ball. Dunigan scored after Bridget Hurst blasted a double to center field.

“We went absolutely crazy with the bats in the fifth,” said Reynolds. “I don’t think we’ve ever lost to Sharon since I’ve been coaching, but this was an explosion. We had a lot of extra base hits and it shows me that their heads are in the game.”

Yakel hit a deep drive off of Spartans’ pitcher Brittant Baker to left center field, but the outfield had no fence. The umpires weren’t sure if it landed behind the home-run line, so a meeting was called. It was called a home run and the lead was now 9 to 2.

Krueger followed the home run with a double to right field and Kivea Reynolds added a single. Krueger scored for the Lady Bulldogs off a groundout by Kristin DePeaux, and DePeaux crossed the plate after a single by Springer. The team would not let up and it was 11 to 2 with two outs.

Yakel finished the fifth inning with four runs batted in.

“We went through the order twice in the fifth and it was nice for the girls to get some swings,” Coach Reynolds said. “I’m seeing more of a winning attitude than last year.”

BKW added five more runs in the sixth inning and Kivea Reynolds led off with a triple. She scored quickly off a DePeaux single. Becky Amedio hit a triple down the third-base line, scoring two more runs. The team posted its 20^th and final run when Yakel crossed the plate.

“A majority of these players are returning from last year and they come back knowing the basics,” said Reynolds. “Gary Morin and I are both coaching, and, between the two of us, the girls are benefiting a lot.”

Kivea Reynolds, the coach’s daughter, is the other full-time pitcher for the Lady Bulldogs. Coach Reynolds told The Enterprise that Kivea is happy to have Krueger pitching. “She’s relieved to have Krueger in there because she threw a ton of innings last year,” he said.

The team travels to Middleburgh today for a game at 4:30 p.m.

“We did very well despite the cold conditions today,” Reynolds said on Monday. “The girls weren’t flat footed and the hustle was there. Scoring all those runs is a confidence booster.”