Paige Hlutke uncorks a two-run single in the fifth inning of Wawasee’s 5-0 at Concord Monday afternoon. (Photos by Mike Deak)

DUNLAP – There is still one more lap to go, but Wawasee sits alone atop the Northern Lakes Conference softball standings after shutting out Concord, 5-0, Monday afternoon.

Sitting at 7-0 after the first full rotation through the conference, Wawasee fended off Rae Ann Miller and company in what Warrior coach Jared Knipper called his team’s ‘cleanest game to date.’

Meghan Fretz smiles after getting out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth.

“We’re just doing our thing right now, hitting the ball as well as we have all year,” Knipper said. “I trust our one-through-nine batters to hit the ball hard. Rae Ann is easily the best pitcher we have seen all year, but once we got through the order once, we just started finding the ball and putting it in play.”

Wawasee’s big inning came in the fifth. An error to lead off the inning only got worse for Concord after miscommunicating on bunt coverage two batters later. A rocket off the bat of Danielle Gunkel loaded the bases, setting up Paige Hlutke’s two-run single, putting Wawasee up 3-0.

Later, a second error at first allowed Gunkel to score, and the Warriors were well on its way.

Wawasee took advantage of Concord miscues all game long. Ale Brito scored on a wild pitch in the third inning and a ball of the bat of Hlutke in the seventh went under the shortstop’s glove, scoring the game’s fifth run.

Concord pitcher Rae Ann Miller gave up just one earned run against Wawasee.

In all, Concord made five errors. Wawasee, on the other hand, were spotless in the field behind starter Meghan Fretz, who buckled down when it mattered.

Firing her third shutout in as many NLC games, Fretz worked out of two key jams that had trouble written all over them.

A pair of bunt singles in the bottom of the first had Concord with two on and none out. Fretz then got a strikeout and got a lineout at first, which Hannah Haines stepped on first to get the force out to end the threat. After loading the bases on walks in the fourth, Fretz worked out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts, setting up the fireworks in the fifth with just a one-run lead.

“Fretz is a number one as much as anyone else, we just don’t rely on her to be one with (Amber) Lemberg here for us,” Knipper said. Lemberg, who had eight of Wawasee’s first nine wins on the season in the circle, has been out for a week with a knee injury. Her status on a return date is still in the air. “We just need Fretz to believe in her abilities and find that confidence. It’s good for her to work out of some of these jams, especially in the fourth tonight.”

Fretz allowed just four hits and struck out seven, only allowing one batter to reach after the fourth. Miller, who has been as good as anyone in the conference this season, gave up six hits and struck out five. Only one of the five runs were earned.

Wawasee moves to 13-2 overall and have a one-game edge on Northridge in the NLC, which beat Plymouth Monday night to move to 6-1 overall in conference play. Concord falls to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in the NLC. Wawasee hosts Warsaw Wednesday while Concord will host NorthWood, also Wednesday.

Concord took advantage of eight walks and five Wawasee errors to beat the Warriors 10-3 in the JV game. Kaleigh Rhodes and Brooke Pauwels each had two hits and scored a run to lead Wawasee.

Concord right fielder Brittany Eichorst makes a running stab off the line drive of Wawasee’s Danielle Gunkel.