Benton softball makes short work of Tipton

VAN HORNE - Behind the perfect arm of pitcher Amber Fiser and an explosive offense, it took Benton Community only three innings and less than an hour Tuesday night to cruise past Tipton, 17-0, in a Class 3A softball regional quarterfinal and extend its winning streak to 27 games.

Fiser pitched a perfect three innings, striking out eight of nine batters on only 30 pitches. The low pitch count and number of innings helped Fiser stymie the Tigers' offense (1-24) with minimal work.

'I went out there, warmed up, and knew I had the defense behind me no matter what,” Fiser said. 'I just went out there and did my thing.”

It was the career perfect game for Fiser's but the first in just three innings. She said she doesn't think about it too much, but just goes after each batter a pitch at a time.

Benton Community Coach Eric Stenberg said Fiser's perfection was the result of precision and a sound work ethic. With no room for error in the postseason, Stenberg said paying close attention to each game is critical.

'We were pretty focused, and Amber was throwing well,” Stenberg said. 'Obviously, we didn't have any defensive breakdowns, and that's what we've been striving to do all year - play good defense.”

The No. 1 Bobcats (36-4) advance in their regional bracket for the first time in two years; they were upset in the first round last year. The biggest credit for a honed in group of players this summer, Stenberg said, comes from unity.

'The girls have really come together team chemistry-wise,” he said. 'They have been working extremely hard in practice, and the key is we've started supporting our pitchers.”

Shortstop Alyssa Wiebel finished her night 3-for-3 with two singles and a double that drove in four runs.

'I stay focused at every at-bat, and I just want to hit the ball with solid contact to help out the team in any way I can,” Wiebel said.

Wiebel said there's only one goal on the players' minds now.

'We want to make it to the state tournament,” Wiebel said. 'Benton's team hasn't been there in how many years, so we definitely want to do that for our fans and make it all the way to the championship game.”

The Bobcats play Camanche at home Friday night at 7.

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