Reliever Baylee Neyen closes the door on Western Dubuque’s sweep

CEDAR RAPIDS — The coaching staff won’t catch Baylee Neyen at practice.

“It’s hard to pick up the ball (when she pitches),” Western Dubuque softball coach Rex Massey said. “She’s almost 6 feet tall, all arms and legs.”

Arms and legs. And saves.

Neyen closed the door in the seventh inning of Game 2, and the Class 4A 10th-ranked Bobcats completed a sweep of Cedar Rapids Prairie, 4-1 and 4-3, Thursday night at Prairie High School.

“I went in there pretty excited,” Neyen said. “I have a lot of confidence in the team. If I give up a hit, the team is behind me. And I trust the pitches that my catcher (Kaitlyn Thole) calls.

“I do a lot of relief pitching, so this was nothing new.”

This is Neyen’s first varsity season. She throws in the low 60s, which makes her an optimal reliever.

“It’s hard to maintain what she does for seven innings,” Massey said. “But nobody wants to face her once in a game.”

Nine of Western Dubuque’s games have been decided by two runs or less. The one outlier was Thursday’s opener, and the Bobcats (8-2 overall, 6-1 Mississippi Valley Conference) trailed that one 1-0 in the top of the seventh.

Prairie pitcher Dani Klees was working on a tidy one-hitter through six innings, but when Carson Koerperich opened the top of the seventh with an infield single (and advanced to second on an error), Hawks Coach Alisha Frese went to the bullpen.

Kiya Steger tied the game with an RBI single and advanced two bases on an error. Hailey Wulfekuhle knocked in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice, then Morgan Hosch (sacrifice fly) and Erica Ernzen (single) tacked on insurance runs.

The teams combined for 11 errors in the nightcap. Anna Haverland broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly, and that’s how it stayed the rest of the way.

In the seventh, Neyen struck out two batters, walked one, then fanned the final one.

Neyen has made five appearances (four in relief). In 10 1/3 innings, she has struck out 13 and walked nine.

“We call her Wild Thing,” Massey said. “We had her watch Major League (the movie).”

Strikeouts and walks. Arms and legs. And saves.

Prairie is 2-5 overall, 2-4 in the MVC.

Western Dubuque 4-4, Cedar Rapids Prairie 1-3

At C.R. Prairie

GAME 1

Western Dubuque 000 000 4 -- 4 5 0

C.R. Prairie 001 000 0 -- 1 5 3

Kiya Steger and Kaitlyn Thole. Dani Klees, Piper Johnson (7) and Audrey Lueck. W -- Steger (3-1). L -- Johnson (0-1).

GAME 2

Western Dubuque 201 100 0 -- 4 7 5

C.R. Prairie 021 000 0 -- 3 5 6

Hannah Hoefer, Baylee Neyen (7) and Kaitlyn Thole. Tatum Goerdt and Audrey Lueck. W -- Hoefer (2-1). L -- Goerdt (1-1). SV -- Neyen (2).

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com