May 13, 2021 at 11:35 a.m.
Big innings lead Medford past Hodag softball 11-1
Big innings lead Medford past Hodag softball 11-1
The Raiders broke things open with four runs each in the third and fourth innings and eventually defeated Rhinelander 11-1 in the sixth inning via the 10-run rule.
Annika Johnson singled home Hannah Worachek - who broke up Martha Miller's perfect game attempt in the fourth as she reached on a two-out error - but Medford responded with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, mainly with some aggression on the base paths as they stole a couple of bases and took five other bags due to passed balls.
"We had some errors. They went as hits, but in my book they're errors. We had a pop up we didn't get to. We had some passed balls and all of that just adds up," coach D.J. DeMeyer said. "You know how it just kind of goes bad that way. We worked on some things at practice and the girls did not execute it during the game, so we have to work on it again."
Miller struck out 12 in the win for the Raiders - including nine of the first 11 Hodag batters she faced. Worachek finally got aboard for Rhinelander as she reached on a two-out error to short. Worachek then stole second and scored on Johnson's single to right. Kylee White followed with another single, but the Hodags were unable to do any more damage that inning.
Katie Brehm led off with a bloop single for Medford in the fourth, was moved along by an Allie Wesel sacrifice and got to third on a passed ball. Miller walked and then got herself in a rundown between first and second that allowed Brehm to score. Miller eventually scored on an infield hit by Hope Faude. Allie Paulson also came around on the play after a throw from first went wide. Faude wound up at third on the play and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
After a scoreless fifth, Medford clinched it in the sixth off reliever Abigail Bixby. Faude walked and was doubled home by Laurissa Klapatauskas before Morgan Huegli singled home the clinching run.
Medford took a 1-0 lead in the first as Miller walked, stole second and scored as Faude reached on an error. The Raiders made it 5-0 in the third as Paulson doubled home Wesel. Huegli then had a two-run single before Delani Clausnitzer drove her home with a single.
For the Hodags, who have dropped four straight games, Tuesday's contest felt like more of the same.
"We don't seem to be making the adjustment to what we're doing in practice (and applying it) to the game yet," D.J. DeMeyer said. "We're going to work on that again tomorrow and try to set the different tone and get the girls to think while they're on the field. It's frustrating as a coach because we've covered a lot of this stuff, but it doesn't seem to be (showing) come game time."
Addi DeMeyer, pitching for the first time since last Thursday when she left after she was hit in the protective facemask by a line drive against Northland Pines, allowed nine runs (four earned) on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts over four innings. Bixby allowed two runs on three hits over an inning plus of work.
Miller allowed only three hits for Medford in six innings. Chloe Felde had a single in the fifth for Rhinelander to go along with the back-to-back base knocks for Annika Johnson and White in the fourth.
"Give credit to Medford. They're a very good team," coach DeMeyer said. "They will probably win conference, I do believe. They have the best pitcher. She ended up with 11 or 12 strikeouts. She's a good pitcher but we only had three hits, and we've got to do better than that."
Rhinelander (2-5, 2-2 Great Northern) traveled to Merrill yesterday for a non-conference contest that concluded after deadline for today's edition. The team returns home for a non-conference doubleheader against Negaunee, Mich. tomorrow.
"I think we've played them in the past (in summer tournaments) and they're usually a pretty solid team. Those will be two tough games there too," coach DeMeyer said.
First pitch of the twinbill is set for 11:30 a.m. at Pioneer Park.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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