April 27, 2018 at 12:59 p.m.
Power brigade: Hodag softball bashes Lakeland 12-1
Power brigade: Hodag softball bashes Lakeland 12-1
The Hodags had 11 of them on Thursday, and plated nine runs in the first inning, as they defeated Lakeland 12-1 in five innings in a non-conference game at Pioneer Park.
Makayla Kuester hit her second home run of the season and Stephanie Kuester hit a pair of triples - all in the first inning - as the Hodags jumped on T-Bird starter Tatum Morris early and never looked back.
"Morris, she throws strikes and makes you hit the ball. We just centered up on it and we hit it hard," Hodag coach D.J. DeMeyer said. "Makayla, I don't know if (her home run ball) landed yet. She hit it hard. Hope (Wissbroecker) hit a couple liners. Steph, two triples."
The Kuester twins set the tone right away in the bottom of the first, beginning with Stephanie's leadoff triple to straight away center. Mikayla Evenstad brought her home on an infield single to short and Makayla Kuester followed with a powerful two-run blast that cleared the bleachers in left center.
The Hodags ended up sending 12 batters to the plate in the opening inning and Stephanie Kuester capped off the scoring with an RBI triple to right center. She made it all the way home on the play following an errant relay to third.
Hope Wissbroecker added a two-run double in the second and Molly Wagler singled home a run in the third. Both Kuesters, Wagler and Ella Mullikin had two-hit days for the Hodags while Evenstad, Wissbroecker and Tori Roberts all had RBI hits.
Thursday's game continued a torrid start for the Hodag offense. Rhinelander has scored at least 12 runs in all three of its games so far this season as the team is off to a 3-0 start outside the GNC.
"I'm really impressed with the way we're jumping on the ball right away, seeing it, hitting it hard," DeMeyer said. "A lot of the balls are just rockets. I'm impressed. Hopefully that can continue here because we're going to have a short season. If we can stay hot for three, four weeks you never know what can happen."
Wagler picked up the win in the circle for Rhinelander, allowing a run on two hits over three innings. Emma Salquist doubled home Kayleigh Baasch in the third for Lakeland's only run.
Stephanie Kuester struck out three and walked two over the final two innings of hitless ball.
The Hodag defense, maligned at times during the season opener against Peshtigo, committed only two errors on Thursday, neither led to any damage.
"Every outfielder was moving on every play, and that's what I preach," DeMeyer said of his defense. "They deserve all the accolades for offense right now but I look at the little things and, right now, we're doing it."
Thursday's game was originally supposed to be a conference doubleheader at Lakeland, which was postponed to May 7. The teams agreed to play a non-conference game in Rhinelander, however, with Pioneer Park ready to play
The Hodags were scheduled to host Wausau West Friday in a game that concluded after deadline and will continue their current homestand Monday against Wausau East and Tuesday with a doubleheader against Northland Pines.
Next week will bring a busy stretch for the Hodags with seven games scheduled in six-day stretch. DeMeyer said he was cognizant of that fact Thursday and, with a large lead in hand, tried to get as many players into the game as possible.
"We've got a lot of games and I've got to get these nagging injuries taken care of so we can be at full strength," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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