Spring ball equals summer success

The Benton Bobcats got a head start on their season, and their competition hasn't caught up."In the past, it has taken a few games to get going, but that hasn't been the case this season," said Coach Ali Galbraith. "The girls played a lot of spring ball, and that has made a big difference."The difference is tangible. After a 20-22 campaign last season, Benton Community is 14-1 and finds itself in an unfamiliar place -- first place in the Wamac Conference West Division.Benton's last league championship came in 1993. The Bobcats are more than halfway toward breaking the drought; they're 7-1 in league play with six divisional games to play.And this might only be the beginning.Pitchers Amber Fiser (9-0) and Alyssa Wiebel (5-1) both are freshmen. Fiser pitched for Marion last year as an eighth-grader before moving west."Amber is a little quicker, maybe more consistent. Alyssa has a different movement on her ball," Galbraith said.Wiebel is batting .542 and leads the team in RBIs, with 20.Junior outfielder Savannah Halstead was batting .609 with a team-high 20 runs before suffering a torn ACL on Monday."It's really unfortunate," Galbraith said. "I think we'll be OK defensively, but we'll miss her at the leadoff spot. Our bats are going to have to come around to make up for her absence."Galbraith is in her second season as head coach. It's been an easy gig this year."I don't feel like I have to do a whole lot; they're a self-sufficient group," she said.

RACKING UP THE RBIsMaddie Hansen tries to avoid the home-run mentality."I don't focus on hitting the ball over the fence," she said. "I want to hit solid live drives to the outfield."A sophomore at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Hansen is the state leader in RBIs, with 41. She had four in the J-Hawks' double-header sweep of Waterloo West on Wednesday, including a three-run double in the second game."Maddie has become more disciplined, and she understands when people are trying to pitch around her," J-Hawks Coach Brian Erbe said. "When our 1, 2 and 3 batters get on base, though, there's nowhere to put her."Hansen already has eclipsed her RBI total from last year (40). Now she wants to obliterate it."I'm setting high goals for myself," she said. "At the beginning of the year, I was hoping for 60. But 75 would be really nice."Anything to drive in my teammates and help us win."Hansen has three home runs, 13 doubles.