Dropping Four Rivers Conference (FRC) softball games on the road at Sullivan and New Haven the previous week, John Bunch’s Owensville Dutchgirls went for their first notch in the FRC win column last Tuesday night against St. James.

Racing out to a quick 3-0 lead after one inning, OHS had to survive three-run sixth inning from the visiting Lady Tigers before holding on to a 6-3 victory.

“We needed this game to get a win in (Four Rivers) conference play under our belts,” Bunch said.

Pitching around an error and a walk, Dutchgirl freshman pitcher Addy Wright gave her offense a chance to get her a lead in the bottom of the first inning at the friendly confines of Memorial Field.

Addy’s sister Ella Wright walked to lead off the inning before scoring the first run of the game on a passed ball. Kaylee Abney and Addy both walked with one out to set up senior slugger Julie Wright.

Hitting a 2-2 pitch into the outfield grass, Julie drove in Abney and Addy giving the Dutchgirls a 3-0 lead after one inning.

After a scoreless second inning, the OHS offense added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning.

Anna Finley walked leading off the inning before scoring on a Julie Wright RBI single for a 4-0 Dutchgirl lead.

Abney added a third-inning single to her walk before she scored on a Katie Smart RBI single pushing Owensville’s lead to 5-0 after three innings.

Keeping St. James off the board in the top half of the fourth inning, OHS looked to add even more to their lead in the bottom half of the fourth.

Caelie Horstmann singled to lead off the inning before taking second on a wild pitch. Ella Wright made her stay on the base paths a short one following a RBI double that bumped the Dutchgirl lead to 6-0 through four innings of softball.

Unable to turn three singles into runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Owensville saw St. James cut into their lead in the top of the sixth.

Hunter Pitts was hit by a pitch before Lady Tiger senior Mikaela Donnelly blasted a two-run home run over the center-field fence cutting the Dutchgirl lead to 6-2.

A pair of wild pitches allowed St. James to tack on another tally trimming Owensville’s lead in half to 6-3 going to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Working around a seventh-inning walk, Addy Wright earned her first FRC win striking out five Lady Tigers while allowing three runs on just three hits.

OHS also won the JV contest 7-3.

After a 4-2 loss at St. Clair Thursday, Bunch’s Dutchgirls went 1-1 in their own tournament Saturday falling to New Haven 5-1 and defeating South Callaway 6-4.

Against New Haven, a Julie Wright home run accounted for the offense while Addy Wright allowed no hits while hitting four batters and seeing five errors committed in the field.