The Kathy Kleha era of Ramstein softball opened as smoothly as she could have wished Saturday. In the school’s first softball outings under any coach other than Kent Grosshuesch, the Lady Royals blanked Wiesbaden’s Lady Warriors 14-0 and 18-0.

Wiesbaden managed just one hit all afternoon against Ramstein’s route-going pitchers, according to Kleha. First-game starter Kelsey Freeman, an All-Europe junior, no-hit Wiesbaden over the three innings the run-rule game lasted. Freeman struck out nine Wiesbaden batters and was backed by a three-for-four effort at the plate by third sacker Cuba Cabbiness and a six-RBI effort on a home and triple in two trips to the plate by All-Europe sophomore Kathryn Enyeart.

In the nightcap, Savannah Brooks fanned six and allowed just one hit over her route-going three innings of work.

Freeman and Enyeart wielded the big sticks in Game 2, according to Kleha. Enyeart doubled and tripled and drove in three runs in three trips to the plate in the nightcap, to give her nine RBIs on the day. Freeman was three-for-three with a double in the nightcap. Freshman Mackenzie Brester-Knight drove in three runs on a two-hit effort in Game 2, Kleha reported.

“It is both a privilege and an honor to take over Coach G’s dynasty,” Kleha wrote about succeeding Grosshuesch, who won eight Division I titles in his 13 years as Ramstein coach. “The players have responded positively to the change and are on the quest to bring the championship back to Ramstein.”

In another opening-day doubleheader on Saturday:

Schweinfurt 21-18, Baumholder 7-3: Alyssa Garrido struck out six and allowed just four earned runs in the five-inning opener, and Katherine Street allowed no earned runs in the nightcap as Julia Heintz’ homestanding Lady Razorbacks collected victories in the first softball games in school history.Garrido, who went the five-inning distance in the opener, backed her own pitching effort with a three-for-four day at the plate with three RBIs. Leah Rogers and Liyah-Bree Washington each went three-for-three in Game 1. Rogers drove in two runs and stole two bases.In the nightcap, Street got all the batting help she’d need in a three-inning game from Kiersten Cade, two-for-three with a double, and RBIs from Abby Bernardino and Ashley Dowdy.Schweinfurt is taking a 2-0 overall record into their East Region-opening doubleheader Saturday at Vilseck; Baumholder (0-2) is to open its West Region schedule the same day against visiting Kaiserslautern.

Migrated