April 29, 2021 at 12:31 p.m.
Dominant dome debut
RHS softball crushes Lakeland 15-0 in Hodag Dome
Dominant dome debut
"I wouldn't have believed you and I would have though you'd have had too much of something," DeMeyer said.
Yet, that's exactly what happened on Tuesday.
High school softball is back following a nearly two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prospect of inclement weather moved Rhinelander's opener to the Hodag Dome. where the Hodags made short work of Lakeland, 15-0, in a three-inning affair.
DeMeyer's daughter, Addi, struck out eight and allowed only one hit over three innings while the bottom five in the Hodag order combined for seven hits and eight RBIs.
"I thought we played really well," coach DeMeyer said. "We played way better than we did on Saturday (in a scrimmage against Merrill). The girls were up for it. They were involved. Everyone was hustling. I was very impressed with them today.
"We got a lot of girls in. Really in a three-inning game, it's hard to get girls in, but we were able to do it and we got some at-bats."
Hannah Worachek drove in three runs, without the aid of a hit. Abigail Bixby, Kylee White and Annika Johnson each collected two hits as the Hodags got production from virtually every member of their lineup.
Worachek grounded home Bixby to get the scoring started in the bottom of the first, and the bats got hot from there. White, Annika Johnson, Maddi Roeser, Emily Gregesich and Alexis Hekrdle strung together five straight hits that plated five runs as Rhinelander took a 6-0 lead after the first.
The hits kept on coming in the second and the Hodags put nine more runs on the board. Annika Johnson had a two-run single as part of the frame, Bixby added an infield RBI single and Worachek grounded into two run-scoring fielder's choices.
"I think the front of our lineup, they were kind of swinging too early," coach DeMeyer said. "The pitcher was a little bit slower, so we didn't make the adjustment, but the bottom of the lineup made the adjustment right away. That's what we need. It doesn't matter where you are in the lineup, you've got to hit the ball."
Addi DeMeyer, a sophomore in her first varsity start, struck out eight of the 15 batters she faced. A cue shot to right by Camille Quade to lead off the second was the only hit DeMeyer allowed.
After striking out the side in order in the first, DeMeyer found herself in a bases loaded jam with two outs thanks to Quade's single, a walk and a hit batter. But DeMeyer got Lexi Morgan to ground out to first to end the threat.
Lakeland loaded the bases again in the third thanks to an error, a hit batter and a walk, but DeMeyer worked her way out of the situation again as she struck out Ava Garcia-Santiesteban looking.
"She was a little amped up today," coach DeMeyer said. "She was throwing the ball a little high, but she pitched well. She'll have to pitch better on Thursday, but this is good for her to get her first varsity start."
The threat of rain, which never materialized to the extent forecasted, prompted Rhinelander and Lakeland to move their game inside to the Hodag Dome, and they weren't alone. Antigo, Merrill, Medford and Northland Pines also took the assurance of a roof over their heads and moved their games inside the dome in what turned out to be a varsity tripleheader on Tuesday.
"We had six varsity teams here and four JV teams, because of weather and we were able to use it," DeMeyer said. "This is what it's meant for. This is what it's built for, spring sports."
Merrill defeated Antigo 10-0 in non-conference play to start the day before Medford knocked off Northland Pines 15-0 in a Great Northern contest.
It just so happened the event allowed Rhinelander some advanced scouting. Five of Rhinelander's next six contests were against teams in the Hodag Dome on Tuesday - including Thursday's GNC matchup at Antigo, which concluded after deadline.
"I saw some things," coach DeMeyer said. "(Antigo's) a good team. They lost to Merrill, but they're a good team. They're better than how they played. Medford's going to be tough. They've got two really good pitchers. It's kind of what we talked about early on - Medford, Antigo, Mosinee and go from there."
Rhinelander (1-0, 1-0 Great Northern) will meet Lakeland again this coming Tuesday in Minocqua.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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