BUCYRUS (Crawford County Now) — Two young teams with virtually no scrimmage work started the season Saturday.

One bad inning cost Bucyrus a chance for victory, but both coaches came away with some positives moving forward.

Hardin Northern used a seven-run fourth inning to get past the Lady Red, 9-3, in a non-league softball game at Jack Hewitt Field.

“The girls played pretty well,” Bucyrus coach Mike Middleton said. “In the fourth inning, we had (5) walks and at least one error.”

Adversity also struck in that fateful frame when starting pitcher Karlee Shull was hit in the leg by a line drive and had to leave the circle. Shull was replaced by catcher Haylee Stratton, who had limited warm up.

“When Karlee went out, that hurt,” Middleton said. “Haylee came in and she was a little bit cold.”

Stratton walked four as a result and was touched for two hits, including Milee Seabrook’s bases loaded three-run double. Two errors made four of the seven runs in the inning unearned. Shull was able to return to the rubber to start the fifth.

On the other side, the Polar Bears’ Lyla Holtzberger scattered six hits in going the distance in the circle. She struck out six and walked two to prevent Bucyrus (0-1) from having a big inning.

“Lyla’s a really good pitcher,” Hardin Northern coach Boyd Stewart said. “This will be her third year with us. We really count on her. She comes through most of the time for us. She’s real good about hitting her spots.”

The only serious damage inflicted on Holtzberger was by Stratton, who had a monster day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and a towering home run over the batting cage in left field. One of the doubles hit the top of the fence.

“Stratton — home run, two doubles, almost had two home runs,” Middleton said. “She hit the ball well today. She’s definitely a senior leader.”

The Lady Red grabbed the early lead in the first inning. Stratton doubled with two outs, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.

Hardin Northern (1-0) took a 2-1 lead in the third. Kaitlyn Whitaker tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch. Addy Bacon walked, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.

All of that came after Shull had retired the first eight Polar Bear hitters.

“We didn’t get a scrimmage in because of the weather we’ve had,” Stewart said. “So this was first-game jitters. I felt like we put the bat on the ball (early). When we’re doing that, I have confidence that sooner or later, it’s going to get in play.”

Stewart’s confidence was well placed when his team exploded for seven the following inning.

Bucyrus got one back in the bottom of the fourth on Stratton’s dinger and tacked on a third run in the sixth when Maci Messerschmidt singled and Stratton doubled her home.

Seabrook led the Polar Bears with her two doubles and three runs batted in. She also scored a run. Whitaker had two hits, including her triple, while Holtzberger and Katy Barlow each singled. Holtzberger, Barlow, and Whitaker had RBIs.

“We only have three juniors, no seniors,” Stewart said. “So, we are a very young team.”

The Lady Red are likewise youthful, starting two freshmen — Messerschmidt and Ni’Cia Floyd — who are hitting in two of the top four positions in the lineup.

“We played well on the defensive side,” Middleton said. “We put the ball in play. We’ve got a couple of young girls starting for us now, a couple of freshmen. I thought they played well today.”

Floyd, Messerschmidt, and Tori Stang each singled to go with Stratton’s trifecta.

“We’ve got a lot to work on.” Middleton said. “Monday, we’ll get back at it, fix some things — everything is fixable.”

Bucyrus returns to action at Plymouth on Tuesday. Hardin Northern hosts Riverdale, also on Tuesday.

Box score

Hardin Northern    002 700 0        9        6        0

Bucyrus                     100 101 0        3        6        2

WP: Lyla Holtzberger (6 SO, 2 W)

LP: Karlee Shull (5 SO, 2 W)

HR: (B) Haylee Stratton (solo 4th inning).

Triples: (HN) Kaitlyn Whitaker.

Doubles: (HN) Milee Seabrook 2; (B) Haylee Stratton 2.

Multiple hits: (HN) Milee Seabrook, Kaitlyn Whitaker; (B) Haylee Stratton 3.

Records: Hardin Northern 1-0; Bucyrus 0-1.

Next: Riverdale at Hardin Northern, Tuesday; Bucyrus at Plymouth, Tuesday.