From freshman to seniors, Lady Eagles play with heart in unforgettable week

By: Alin Hett

Maries County Advocate Sports Writer

It’s been a wild week for Vienna softball. Over the last seven days, the Lady Eagles played six games, and what a ride it was.

They battled, celebrated, cried and cheered their way through all six games and pushed their season record to 12-8. There were home runs, a grand slam and a whole lot of heart. Being a VHS softball fan this week was one for the books.

The action began Tuesday, Sept. 30, when the girls hosted the Cuba Wildcats and wasted no time showing why they’re among the top teams in the conference. Vienna exploded for 10 runs in the first inning on their way to a dominant 16-1 win. Junior Ella Hollis fueled the early surge, launching a three-run homer over the left field wall to quiet the Cuba fans and fire up the home crowd. She was joined by Aubrey Schwartze, Liberty Rowden, Scarlett Weeks and Alexis Curtis, who each drove in one run, while Kenna Roberds brought in two.

The momentum rolled into the second inning as Delaney Schwartze drew a walk to start things off, followed by an Aubrey Schwartze single. Walks from Curtis and Roberds each brought home another run, widening the gap.

On the mound, Liberty Rowden once again showed why she’s a cornerstone piece for Vienna. The sophomore, who already notched a no-hitter earlier in the season, pitched three innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run. She struck out three and walked three, leaving Cuba with no answers to her mix of speed and control. Defensively, Vienna was flawless, finishing the game without an error. Curtis led the fielding effort with three plays on her own.

The Lady Eagles kept their bats hot as they traveled to Richland two days later for a Thursday night matchup that had all the makings of a classic. Vienna came out in full “pink out” mode for breast cancer awareness, and by the end, fans got a performance worth remembering. The Lady Eagles took the game 16-6, improving to 2-0 on the week in a contest that turned emotional and electric.

Senior Aubrey Schwartze led the offensive explosion, going three-for-three at the plate and finishing just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, one of the rarest feats in sports. She singled and doubled in the third inning, then crushed a home run to left field in the fifth.

The first three innings were a roller coaster ride with Vienna jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Richland stormed back with five runs in the second. Down 5-3, the Lady Eagles refused to fold. They erupted for nine runs in the third and four more insurance runs in the fifth to seal the win, showing the kind of resilience that defines this team.

Co-captain Aubrey Rehmert had four hits, leading the lineup, while Hollis went three-for-four with four RBIs. Rehmert also swiped four bases, flashing her speed and earning a few laughs from fans who joked that Nike should sponsor her running shoes.

After two statement wins, the Lady Eagles hit the road again for the South Callaway Tournament on Oct. 4, playing three games in the fall heat. The day ended 1-2, but it wasn’t without a story. Vienna dropped their opener 7-9 to New Bloomfield, then fell 5-9 to Salisbury before defeating host South Callaway in their final game.

That win carried a bit of superstition-breaking joy. The girls hadn’t won a single game all season in weather above 85 degrees, almost as if the team was cursed. But under the blistering sun at 12 p.m., the Lady Eagles finally shook it off, playing some of their best ball of the year. Singles came in waves from both Delaney and Aubrey Schwartze, while Rowden drove in two runs with a single in the bottom of the third. Curtis, Roberds and Larissa Rollins each added hits to the team’s total.

Rowden earned the pitching win, her second in a week, going two and one-third innings with six hits and five runs allowed. She struck out three and walked three. Both Rowden and Rehmert picked up two stolen bases apiece  and the defense turned a picture-perfect double play that drew cheers from parents in attendance.

To cap off one of the most packed weeks of the season, Vienna returned home for their last regular season home game this year on Oct. 6, facing Eugene in what turned into a drama-filled, storybook ending.

Eugene came prepared with a game plan, but whatever that plan was, it did not have Alexis Curtis’ name on it, as it should. The freshman phenom, fearless all season, chose the perfect night for her breakout performance. She drove in five RBIs, starting with a first-inning single that put Vienna on the board early. Then, with the bases loaded in the fifth and the Lady Eagles trailing, the future Lady Eagle Softball captain delivered the swing of her season, a towering shot over the left-field fence, flying right over her family’s heads, as the home crowd erupted in celebration as she trotted the bases for the team’s first grand slam on the season.

“As soon as she hit the ball it went flying,” Gage Curtis, her brother, said energetically. “It went right over our family’s head in the outfield.”

Rehmert, Vienna’s senior co-captain, added to the special night with a solo home run in the third inning, giving the home fans one more highlight to remember. Rowden picked up yet another win in the circle, allowing five hits and six runs over seven innings while striking out seven and walking eight.

The win gave Vienna their fourth victory of the week, capping a stretch filled with emotion, endurance and team pride. With their record now at 12-8, the Lady Eagles will travel to Iberia on Thursday for their final regular-season game before heading into the Show-Me Central Conference tournament, a fitting next chapter for a team that seems to find its best moments under pressure.

Link to Article: https://mariescountyadvocate.com/stories/from-freshman-to-seniors-lady-eagles-play-with-heart-in-unforgettable-week,238132?