May 9, 2022 at 9:15 a.m.
Hodag softball drops back-to-back games
Hodag softball drops back-to-back games
Two days after exploding for 21 runs, but not getting any defensive help in a 23-21 loss at Northland Pines, the Hodags fell victim to a perfect game by Lakeland's Saylor Timmerman in a 5-0 loss on Saturday.
The Hodags (4-14, 2-8 Great Northern) started the week with some momentum, beating Lakeland 5-1 on Tuesday and coach D.J. DeMeyer said his team continues to fight, though the losses and injuries continue to mount.
"The girls are still fighting," he said. "We've got four wins and I don't know how many losses, but they're still fighting, we're still battling and I'm proud of the girls. We could just fold up and walk away. They haven't done that yet."
Northland Pines 23, Rhinelander 21
The result reads more like a football score, but it was actually the highest-scoring game in Great Northern Conference softball history.
The Hodags relinquished a seven-run lead, and then nearly rallied from an eight-run deficit, to lose to Northland Pines 23-21 Thursday in Eagle River. The game featured 39 hits and 17 errors between the two teams.
"Never in my life have I seen a game like this - even going back down to 10U, 12U," coach DeMeyer said.
Costly mistakes led to Northland Pines scoring seven unearned runs in the third and five unearned runs in the fifth.
A single up the middle followed by two defensive misplays on bunt attempts gave the Eagles bases loaded and nobody out, down 10-5 in the third. Madison Stebbeds hit a two-run double, followed by an RBI single by Halle Kerner. From there a wild pitch and two more errors led to four more runs scoring.
The Hodags had a chance to get out of the fifth allowing only one run, but a lazy fly to left dropped after the outfielder appeared to lose the ball in the sun, allowing two runs to score. Pines sent six more batters to the plate after that, scored three more runs and left the clinching run at second base.
"As proud as I was on Tuesday on how well we played and knew what we were doing with the ball before the ball was hit, we didn't do that today," DeMeyer said. "We didn't do that at all today. We had, I don't even know how many errors ... That stuff can't happen at this level."
Rhinelander fought back, with three runs in the sixth on an RBI grounder by Chloe Felde and back-to-back singles by Kayla Tessman and Laney Haenel.
The Hodags got three straight hits in the top of the seventh before Felde grounded into a bases-loaded fielder's choice. After that, RBI singles by Tessman, Natalee Sundby and Abigale Johnson cut the lead to 23-21. However, Lily Treder hit a hard line out to the pitcher with the bases loaded and the tying run on second to end the game.
Annika Johnson ended the game with four hits. Tessman, Natalee Sundby and Abigale Johnson had three each. Felde drove in five runs, including a three-run double in the first inning as the Hodags jumped out to a 7-0 lead in their first at-bat.
"I'm glad to see the bats coming alive, finally. Maybe we can surprise somebody," DeMeyer said.
The 44 runs were the most combined in a GNC softball game, surpassing the 40 scored when Tomahawk beat Northland Pines 39-1 in 2016. Rhinelander had a 38-0 win at Northland Pines in 2014 which, prior to Thursday, was the second most runs in a conference game.
Lakeland 5, Rhinelander 0
The Hodags could not get anything going against Timmerman on Saturday as she struck out 18 batters and turned in a perfect game against the Hodags.
It was the second time Rhinelander was no-hit this year, and the first of the perfect variety.
"Saylor pitched really well. She pitched well in the first game on Tuesday, but she had like four or five walks," coach DeMeyer said. "We were able to manufacture runs once we got runners on base. When she throws a perfect game (there's not much you can do). We tried bunting. We did hit the ball a couple of times and we happened to hit it right at them. That's the way it goes."
The Hodags put only three balls in play in the contest. Natalee Sundby flew out to right in the third, Annika Johnson grounded out in the fourth followed a Tessman pop out.
Lakeland got on the board in the second as Ava Garcia reached on a two-out error, allowing Talia Young to score. A passed ball scored Sarah Barton in the third inning. Brooke Bauer had a single and scored when Hannah Lewis reached on an error in the fifth. Two batters later, following another Rhinelander error, Timmerman hit a two-run single up the middle.
Haenel took the loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits over 3 2/3 innings. Austyn Iwen went the rest of the way, allowing only one hit.
"It should have been about a 2-0 games. We had a couple of errors," coach DeMeyer said. "Laney pitched fine. She's not going to blow it by people but she kept them off balance. They had a couple of hits. I brought in Austyn in the fourth and she did fine too and kept them off balance. It's juts the same, we've got to be strong, defensively. When we make an error, we can't make another error. It's routine plays that we need to make and we just didn't make them all today."
Trainer's room
Coach DeMeyer confirmed last week that his daughter, Addi, will not pitch the remainder of the season due to an injury to the ankle of her plant leg that is aggravated during the pitching motion.
Furthermore, the Hodags received two more setbacks on the injury front. Coach DeMeyer said catcher Maddi Roeser will be shut down for the remainder of the season as she continues to deal with a medical issue and that Felde may be lost for the remainder of the season as well after injuring a knee in Thursday's loss at Northland Pines.
With Felde's injury, the Hodags have only two healthy pitchers remaining on their roster - Haenel and Iwen.
Up next
Due to all the injuries, the Hodags have backed out of a scheduled tournament in Baraboo this coming weekend and will close the regular season with back-to-back games against Medford today and Wednesday. Rhinelander will host today's contest and will head to Medford Wednesday to try to get in a game that has already been twice rescheduled due to rain.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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