By Mark Murdock

mmurdock@kpcmedia.com

WATERLOO — The weather feels like it’s the end of the season, but softball teams show that peak form is somewhere in the distance.

While DeKalb kept it close with Bishop Dwenger, it was the Saints who found the holes on offense with some key hits that keyed a 7-2 non-conference girls softball victory April 11.

The Saints (2-2) had three two-run innings and got a solid pitching effort from Melanie Lapp, who scattered six hits and allowed only one earned run while striking out six.

The Barons (1-7) got an RBI double from Paige Storck in the second. Trailing 6-1 in the fifth, they had a chance when singles by Delaney Cox and Kayla Leins and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases with one out.

DeKalb scored only on Rylee Moore’s sacrifice fly, however, as Lapp worked out of further trouble.

“The last couple of games we’ve struggled with our hitting,” DeKalb coach Jody Betley said. “The pitchers are doing the best they can. We’re not getting the big hit.”

Cox had a 2-for-3 day for the Barons.

Lapp also sparked the Saints offensively with an RBI triple in the third and a run-scoring single in the sixth. Ellie Noll had two hits and an RBI and Abby Gillespie also had two hits.

Bishop Dwenger benefited from some shallow pop flies that fell in for hits.

“A couple of hard-hit balls by them. They had a good approach at the plate,” Betley said. “We get two outs and then a fly ball that should be an out and we misplay it. You can’t give teams extra outs. It’s something we’ve got to keep working on.

“We’re early in the season, that’s the good news. We’re not in panic mode. We’ve got to get better at the routine plays.”