The Belmond-Klemme softball team held nine opponents to three runs or less, with help from Top of Iowa West All-Conference Pitcher Kaylen Morris, who started every game and pitched all but two innings for the Broncos. Morris delivered a 3.54 ERA with 192 strikeouts in 25 games. Head Coach Shannon Muhlenbruch on increasing efficiency in the circle.
“Every year, if we can keep cutting those walks down, hit batters, things like that and change our pitch count, that only keeps her more fresh and more solid. Hoping that maybe next year we have a couple pitchers that can maybe come in, when she gets way up in that pitch count to let them maybe finish the game,” says Muhlenbruch. “Sometimes you just got to finish the game in four or five innings. That’s our long term goal is to get more efficient. That part comes with more pitches, controlling her different pitches and different things. That will only make us more solid for next year.”
The Broncos are projected to return 18 players next season. Among returners, are three of the Broncos top batters, including Kennedy Morris with a team best .375 avg, Jordyn Muhlenbruch at a .358 avg and Kendra Huedepohl hit at a .329 avg. Kaylen Morris led the team with 30 RBIs. Muhlenbruch on how players are planning to actively work on their game this offseason.
“That’s what’s helping us right now is the kids that we got playing have a ton of experience. They’re older. They’re getting stronger. They’re in the weight room. They’re just becoming better athletes. Going into next year, it’s all the little things that you do. We’ve got four or five kids playing fall ball, that’s going to help them. Then we go into January workouts with pitchers and catchers and different things. We got some girls going to a couple of hitting coaches. All those things in the offseason make these kids 10 times better. They just have to buy into it and keep working on those little things to keep getting better and better.”
Belmond-Klemme concluded their year at 17-8.
