87 strikeouts, no walks: Sigourney’s Carly Goodwin is more rested and more relaxed

You probably won’t hit her. She definitely won’t walk you.

So, how to beat Carly Goodwin? It’s a riddle that, so far this season, has gone unsolved.

“I have a lot less to worry about (this season),” said Goodwin, a junior at Sigourney High School. “I can relax more and focus on things that will bring our team success.”

Gone is the burden of recruitment: Goodwin committed in October to play softball at the University of Northern Iowa. And with that, gone is another layer -- travel ball.

“I played last year (in addition to high school ball) because it was the summer to get recruited,” she said. “By the end of the season, I was just done.”

Relaxed and rested, Goodwin has put up head-shaking numbers through the first two weeks of the season:

A 7-0 record and a 0.40 ERA, for starters. Teams are hitting .100 against her.

In 35 innings, she has struck out 87 batters and walked none.

Zero.

“That’s pretty good,” Savages Coach Shelly Streigle understated. “That impresses me, a lot.

“Carly worked really hard in the offseason, increasing her productivity. Her college commitment let her body and mind loosen up and play.”

Another facet has loosened Goodwin’s approach -- the Class 1A fifth-ranked Savages (8-0) are scoring, and scoring a lot. Sigourney has outscored its competition by a 95-3 margin.

“We’ve been putting up runs right away, in the first and second inning,” said Goodwin, who is hitting .536 with 11 runs and 13 RBIs. “It allows me to relax.”

Goodwin possesses 65-mph heat, and her spin has improved.

“I try to get ahead in the count, 0-and-1, 0-and-2,” she said. “Maybe I’ll waste a pitch, but I don’t waste too many.

“My rise has been working good, then that makes the change work that much better.”

Along with being Goodwin’s battery-mate behind the plate, Josephine Moore is Sigourney’s No. 2 pitcher.

“Our coaches have left it to us to call our own pitches,” Goodwin said. “We have a great connection, and (Moore) knows where the ball should be pitched.

“I only shake her off once or twice a game.”

Seven of Sigourney’s wins have come at the expense of South Iowa Cedar League opponents. The other was an 8-1 conquest of West Burlington.

The Savages do have an intriguing home doubleheader against 2A No. 4 Wilton, scheduled for June 20. They hope to add another quality opponent at the end of the regular season.

“Those are the kind of teams we’ll see at state, if we get there,” Goodwin said. “We need that kind of competition to get us prepared.”

A cycle for Greiner

Sophomore Ella Greiner hit for the cycle (a single, double, triple and home run) in the first game of Washington’s sweep of Fort Madison on Monday.

Greiner was 4-for-5 in the game, scoring four times and driving in a pair of runs.

The Demons (10-5 overall, 5-0 Southeast Conference) won both games, 10-7 and 16-4.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com