May 10, 2021 at 8:32 a.m.
Hodag softball suffers blowout losses to Northland Pines, Wausau East
Hodag softball suffers blowout losses to Northland Pines, Wausau East
Rhinelander pitcher Addi DeMeyer took a line drive to the face in the fourth inning of a Great Northern Conference contest against Northland Pines. While ultimately OK, she did not throw a pitch the rest of the week and the Hodags ended up on the wrong end of three blowout losses, falling 17-4 to Pines at Pioneer Park before getting swept Saturday in a doubleheader at Wausau East, 13-0 and 15-0.
With Pines leading 3-2 in the top of the fourth on Thursday, Savanna Satterburg turned around Addi DeMeyer's 1-2 offering straight back to the pitcher's circle. The sophomore hurler had only a spilt second to react as the ball came screaming back at her. She was unable to get her glove up in time and the ball smashed into the chin guard of DeMeyer's protective facemask. She left the field under her own power but did not return to the game. DeMeyer was able to go Saturday at Wausau East, but played shortstop and did not pitch as a precaution.
"That's why we wear our masks," said Hodag softball coach D.J. DeMeyer, Addi's father. "That hit her right in the chin. A lot of girls don't want to wear them. They just saw why you wear them. She doesn't have that mask on, we're in the emergency room with major surgery. We kept her out, precautions. (Trainer) Eric Prom said let's hold her out, so that's what we did."
The Hodags appeared rattled after the incident. Pines scored 14 times -Â and Rhinelander committed nine errors - after DeMeyer left as the Eagles eventually ended the game in the sixth via the 10-run rule.
"You could just feel the deflation or whatever you want to call it," D.J. DeMeyer said. "The girls were concerned. That's their teammate out there but they've got to get over that. We've got a ballgame to play."
Abigail Bixby replaced DeMeyer in the circle, but things went south for the Hodag defense. While the Eagles got hits from Halle Kerner, Lucy Lurvey and Carly Huelskamp, Rhinelander committed six errors in the inning, as the Eagles plated eight runs - only two of which were earned.
Lurvey hit a pair of two-run homers in the fifth and sixth innings. The shot in the sixth came after the Hodags committed back-to-back two-out errors.
"We've just got to make the routine plays," coach DeMeyer said. "It's crucial to catch a ball in the outfield. It is crucial to, on a routine grounder, get it and know where you're going with the ball. I just told them that. We've got to start thinking. Things are going to change real quick."
Madison Stebbeds walked, stole two bases and scored on a single by Huelskamp to give Pines a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Hodags answered with a bases-loaded two-out single by Abigale Johnson in the bottom of the inning, that gave Rhinelander a 2-1 lead.
Pines took advantage of Rhinelander's shaky defense in the third inning with some small ball. Kerner scored as she wiggled out of a rundown after Aubrey Beyer was unable to get a squeeze bunt down. Lurvey moved to third on the play and scored on the next pitch after Beyer successfully laid down a bunt on a squeeze play to make it 3-2.
Kerner, Lurvey and Huelskamp combined to go 8-for-13 in the game with nine RBIs.
Chloe Felde had two hits off the bench for Rhinelander and scored off a Bixby fielder's choice in the fourth. Abigale Johnson singled home Annika Johnson in the bottom of the fifth to make it 13-4 and extend the game one more inning.
"Chloe Felde she had two hits, came in and played second. She might have just found herself a starting spot," coach DeMeyer noted.
Wausau East doubleheader
A surprisingly good Wausau East team feasted on Rhinelander's Nos. 2 and 3 pitchers Saturday, collecting 28 runs on 28 hits in only seven innings at the plate as it swept a twin bill from the Hodags.
How good is East this year? The wins improved East - historically a backmarker in the Wisconsin Valley - to 4-4 on the season, which also includes a victory over perennial GNC power Mosinee.
"They hit the ball really good. I knew they could hit," coach DeMeyer said. "They're a good team and they've got some quality pitching and they're going surprise some people, and they already have. They beat Mosinee. They're going to surprise some people in the Valley."
East scored in every inning in the first contest, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the first. They tacked on two in the second, two in the third and five in the fourth. The fourth inning was keyed by a three-run home run by Kit Kronberger. Only three of the first eight runs were earned as the Hodags committed three errors.
East continued hitting in the second game, breaking it open with an 11-run second inning that included a grand slam by Jess Nardi.
Abigail Bixby (1-1) pitched the first game for Rhinelander while freshman Laney Haenel (0-1) got her first career start in the circle in Game 2.
"Bixby, she struggled a little bit getting her changeup across today but, overall, she didn't pitch that bad," coach DeMeyer said. "Laney Haenel, I got to tell you, she pitched good. She threw strikes. That's what we wanted her to do. I don't know how many walks she had. She only had a couple, but for a freshman to step in there against a team can rake, she threw strikes, that's all we can ask. Give credit to East. They hit the ball where we weren't today."
Rhinelander's best chance to score came in the first inning of Game 1 as singles by Bixby and Hannah Worachek gave the Hodags two aboard with one out, but a pair of grounders by Annika Johnson and Kylee White ended the threat. Rhinelander had only two other baserunners in the contest as Bixby reached on an error in the third and Haley Ives had a pinch-hit single in the fourth.
Addi DeMeyer singled in the third to break up a no-hitter in Game 2.
Coach DeMeyer said while the team struggled late in the Northland Pines game, he felt the performance was better Saturday, despite the result.
"I was proud of the girls. They kept on cheering. They stayed up, stayed positive and kept trying," he said. "As long as we get better every game, we'll build toward the end of the season and maybe we can surprise a couple teams at the end of the season."
The Hodags (2-4, 2-2 Great Northern) wrap up a four-game road trip this week, traveling to Medford for a GNC contest today before taking on Merrill in a non-conference tilt on Thursday. Rhinelander is home Saturday to face Negaunee, Mich. in a non-conference doubleheader.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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