The Bulldogs (2-0) began their season with a leadoff double by the first batter in the first inning of game one, and that set the tone for the rest of the night. Ottumwa rapped out 11 hits in the opening game and 13 more in the nightcap to collect wins of 7-0 and 6-0.

“It wasn’t the same team on the offensive side that we had on Tuesday against Newton,” MHS head coach Jim Palmer said. “The energy wasn’t as high as I expected it to be.

“It’s frustrating. We hit a couple hard shots, but Ottumwa made a couple good plays. We need to put the ball in play more.”

The Bulldogs didn’t make an error in 14 innings of softball, while their pitchers walked a combined three batters. Sophomores Kacy Nickerson and Ashton Brown compiled a total of 25 strikeouts in their pair of shutouts.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE • Marshalltown’s Gabby Himes tries bunting for a hit during the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against Ottumwa. Hines did collect one of the Bobcats’ five hits in the twinbill.

Ottumwa, with only four upperclassmen, looked better prepared for Thursday’s pair of games.

Nickerson led off the game with a double to left field and scored one out later on another double by Morgan Greiner. That was all the offense the Bulldogs needed to back Nickerson, who retired 16 Bobcats in a row between the first and sixth innings.

Madi Finch had two of Marshalltown’s three singles, while Alyvia Chadderdon added the other. Erica Johnson also reached base via hit by pitch, but none of the Bobcats’ four baserunners scored.

Nickerson ended with 12 strikeouts and three of her team’s 11 hits. Kaylee Bix bashed a two-run homer in the top of the seventh to boost the Bulldogs’ final advantage in the opener.

McKaylee Dawson surrendered 11 hits in the loss, allowing three earned runs with three strikeouts and one walk.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

In the second game, MHS starting pitcher Abby Brennecke managed to work her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the first but couldn’t escape the second, allowing three hits and a hit by pitch before being replaced by Kailee Pollard.

Pollard pitched the final 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing 10 hits but only four runs (three earned). The duo hit four batters in all while recording one strikeout.

“We’ve got to hit our locations, and if we’re not going to hit our locations we’re going to struggle,” Palmer said, “and we’re going to have those hits that just kill us.

“These girls have been through it. We’ve got to keep our heads up, we’ve been here before, and we still have a long season to go yet.”

Regan Mazour and Gabby Himes both had singles off Brown, but that was all the Bobcat offense could manage. The Bulldog sophomore struck out 13 and walked two, but home plate eluded MHS a second time.

Marshalltown takes the weekend off before hosting Fort Dodge for a CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader on Tuesday night.

At Marshalltown

Game One

Ottumwa 7, Marshalltown 0

OTT 100 400 2 — 7 11 0

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 3 2

Kacy Nickerson and Delaynie Stevens; McKaylee Dawson and Erica Johnson. W–Nickerson (1-0). L–Dawson (0-2). 2B–OTT: Nickerson 2, Morgan Greiner. HR–OTT: Kaylee Bix (1). LOB–OTT 6, MHS 4.

Game Two

Ottumwa 6, Marshalltown 0

OTT 020 101 2 — 6 13 0

MHS 000 000 0 — 0 2 3

Ashton Brown and Zoey Jones; Abby Brennecke, Kailee Pollard (2) and Johnson. W–Brown (1-0). L–Brennecke (0-1). 2B–Nickerson, Greiner, Bix. LOB–OTT 12, MHS 3.