VOLGA — The Sioux Valley softball team won its third-straight game on Thursday afternoon as the Cossacks beat Baltic 12-2 in five innings.

Sioux Valley had 14 hits and in all three games during this win streak the Cossacks have scored in double digits. Sioux Valley head coach Tatum Sonnenberg said the offense is hot right now because her team is making both adjustments in the batter’s box and on the base paths.

“I think what’s working is our girls are building a lot of confidence in their bats. They’re not afraid to stick with what they know, but they’re also making good adjustments [at the plate] and running the bases too. So, not only getting on with their bats, but trusting that their teammates are going to get them over when they get on base,” Sonnenberg said.

The Cossacks (4-1) scored five runs in the first inning. Kassidy Smith led off the inning with a double and then scored on a single from Amelia Jacobson. Savana Guthmiller then walked and Jacobson scored on a single from Abby Axtell. Guthmiller scored on a steal of home and Axtell scored on a sacrifice fly from Morgan Lemme to make it 4-0. The final run of the inning came on an RBI single from Riley Stirling.

Sioux Valley added another run in the second inning. Guthmiller led off the inning with a single and then came around to score on a double from Lemme to make it 6-0.

Baltic scored its only two runs of the game in the top of the third and both runs came from a double. Sioux Valley would answer with two runs of its own in the bottom of the inning.

Stirling walked and Smith then bunted for a single. Lemme then came to the plate with the bases loaded after Axtell was hit by a pitch and she hit a double to center field and that made it 8-2 heading into the fourth.

Neither team scored in the fourth. Sioux Valley then scored four runs with two outs in the fifth. Guthmiller led off the two-out rally with a double and scored on an Axtell single. Lemme then hit Axtell home with a single and Cameron Uecker followed with a double to send Axtell home. Uecker then scored on a single from Katie Richarz and that ended the game due to the 10-run rule.

In total the Cossacks hit three extra base hits on Thursday. Sioux Valley has had multiple players hit multiple inside the park home runs this season, but has the Cossacks have also done a good job of just getting players on base. Sonnenberg said her lineup wants to do whatever it takes to produce runs.

“[The versatility in our lineup] has been working fabulously. Those ones that are able to power hit and give us more than one base at a time, they’re also able to sacrifice and put up a bunt or just put the ball in play for us to be able to go. So, that leaves a lot of opportunities for us to make adjustments and plays that are going to work depending on the team that we’re playing,” Sonnenberg said.

Lemme was 3-for-4 with five RBIs and Axtell was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Stirling was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Uecker and Jacobson each went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Guthmiller and Smith were each 2-for-4.

Zaylee Lantgen pitched all five innings for the Cossacks. She gave up two earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. It was the second-straight complete game for Lantgen and her third-straight win.

In all four of the Cossacks’ wins this season they’ve held the opposing team to single digit runs. Sonnenberg said she thinks her team has found the right formula both in the circle and with the players behind the pitcher.

“We’ve had to make a lot of adjustments in our defense in finding the confidence in our voice that we need when we’re out in the field. They’ve been able to find who to listen to and how to communicate to each other, because as teammates, we don’t all communicate the same way. So when we have that confidence in each other and communication and things are going well, that creates positivity for not only our pitches to know that they have that defense behind them, but also for each of [our defenders] to know that they have a job and they’re going to do that job,” Sonnenberg said.

Sioux Valley will hit the road next as the Cossacks play a doubleheader in Milbank on Monday at 5 p.m. This is the first season that Sioux Valley has had a softball team, but it is not the first time that these players have played softball. Sonnenberg said the biggest challenge coming into the season was getting everyone to work together, but she has been proud of the way her team has adjusted quickly.

“I’m very proud and aware of their abilities and I think they’re starting to feel that in each other too. There have been some surprising moments when things are happening, but seeing these players from the perspective of coaching a different team playing against them, I’m not necessarily surprised that they’re playing well together. I’m just proud that they’ve found the ability to play with anyone that is next to them,” Sonnenberg said.