Rained out against Newburg last Tuesday, Randis Sanders’ Belle Lady Tigers returned to action on the softball diamond last Thursday against Linn’s Lady Wildcats.

With Highway 89 softball bragging rights on the line, Belle scored a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth inning breaking a 1-1 third-inning tie going on to a 4-2 victory.

Trailing 1-0 moving to the bottom of the third, Sanders’ Lady Tigers looked to get that run back.

Batting from the leadoff spot, Natalie Gehlert singled and took second on an error.

Gehlert would then score on a Susie Moman RBI double tying the game at 1-1.

Deadlocked at 1-1, Belle starting pitcher Gracie Rehmert held Linn scoreless giving the Lady Tiger offense a chance to give her a lead in the bottom of the fourth.

Freshman third baseman Emma White led off with a single before taking second on a wild pitch. A ground out off the bat of Nevaeh Kinsey moved White to third before she scored on a Madi Long RBI ground out giving Belle a 2-1 lead after four innings.

Moving to the fifth inning, the Lady Tigers kept Linn off the scoreboard before looking to add to their lead in the bottom half of the fifth.

Moman led off with a single before Cheyenne Struemph followed with another single moving Moman up to second base.

Rehmert helped her own cause with a ground out that moved both runners up a base.

Ryleigh Long then recorded a RBI ground out to the right side of the infield allowing Moman to score giving Belle a 3-1 lead.

Adding to her run scored in the previous inning, White drove in Struemph with a RBI single bumping Belle’s lead to 4-1 through five innings of Highway 89 softball from Belle City Park.

Rehmert pitched a scoreless sixth inning before needing some help from her friends in the top of the seventh inning.

Allowing a lead off walk, Rehmert benefited from a 1-3-2 double play.

In spite of two hits leading to a run, Belle held on to defeat the Lady Wildcats in their first game of six in a five-day span.

Earning the complete-game victory, Rehmert allowed two earned runs on seven hits and two walks with two strikeouts.

Going for their second win in as many nights, Belle faced Iberia’s Lady Rangers at Belle City Park.

Leading 8-5 after three innings, Belle saw Iberia’s bats come to life scoring the next 14 runs before falling 19-8 to the Lady Rangers.

Trailing 3-0 after the top of the first inning, Belle looked to cut into Iberia’s lead in the bottom half of the first.

Gehlert led off with a walk followed by a four-pitch walk from Moman.

A Struemph single would load the bases for Rehmert.

Helping her own cause, Rehmert hit an RBI single through the left side of the infield scoring Gehlert.

Ryleigh Long then drove in Moman on a RBI ground out cutting Iberia’s lead to 3-2 after one inning.

Iberia added single runs in the second and third inning giving them a 5-2 lead moving to the bottom of the third inning.

Sending 10 batters to the plate in the inning, Belle scored six runs highlighted by a Struemph bases-clearing double that broke a 5-5 tie giving the Lady Tigers an 8-5 lead through three innings.

Unfortunately for Belle, that lead was short-lived. Iberia answered with six runs in the top of the fourth inning giving them a lead they would not relinquish.

Moman, Struemph and Ryleigh Long each had two hits for Belle against Iberia.

Belle’s next softball stop was the California Tournament throughout the day Saturday.

Facing the host Lady Pintos first, Belle snagged an early 1-0 lead before California scored the next 14 runs dealing the Lady Tigers a 14-1 loss.

Belle scored the run when Moman reached on an error before scoring on a Ryleigh Long RBI single in the top of the first inning.

Game two against St. Elizabeth saw Belle nearly come from behind in the early innings.

Trailing 4-0 going to the bottom of the third inning, the Lady Tigers plated three runs to pull within a run at 4-3.

St. Elizabeth got two runs back in the top of the fourth while holding Belle scoreless the rest of the game in which the Lady Tigers fell 6-3.

Belle’s big inning was started with a lead off walk from Madi Long before she scored on a Moman RBI single.

Moman and Struemph then scored on a Ryleigh Long two-RBI single after Struemph doubled.

Struemph had a game-high three hits for the Lady Tigers.

Belle’s final tournament game matched them up against Versailles.

Tied at 2-2 after three innings, Belle saw Versailles score three runs in the fifth and seventh innings before falling 8-6 in a battle of Lady Tiger softball teams.

Moman and Struemph each finished with three hits against Versailles while Ryleigh Long drove in a team-high three RBIs. Rehmert also helped her own cause with two hits and two RBIs.

Facing Owensville on the road Monday, Belle gave the Dutchgirls all they could handle in a 7-6 loss.

More on that contest will be in next week’s Advocate along with games against Vienna and Crocker.