May 23, 2022 at 8:28 a.m.
Hodag softball runs out of gas against Colby/Abby
Hodag softball runs out of gas against Colby/Abby
Colby/Abbotsford broke a 9-9 tie with a five-run sixth inning and went on to defeat Rhinelander 14-9 in the first round of the WIAA playoffs inside the Hodag Dome.
Rhinelander won only one of its final 14 games in a season where a litany of issues knocked out three of the Hodags' projected top four pitchers along with their starting catcher.
"I'm proud of this team," Hodag coach D.J. DeMeyer said afterward. "We had a lot of adversity this year and it's not very often that you go through that many spots with adversity and most people just pack it in. I never felt like we packed it in. I felt the girls kept on working. They had some fun. We've got some things to work on during the offseason but, hopefully, next year we can have a healthy season. I'd like to see what this team can do when healthy."
Colby/Abby got the first three runners aboard in the decisive sixth inning as Kylie Orth singled, Josie Higley doubled and Harrison Schmitt walked on a ball four wild pitch that allowed Orth to score. Austyn Iwen relieved Laney Haenel in the pitching circle at that point and gave up a two-run double to Kya Viegut and a sacrifice fly to Tatum Bargender. A passed ball allowed another run to score and give Colby/Abby a five-run lead.
"It was a 9-9 game up until the sixth inning," DeMeyer said. "We had our opportunities. They had a little more key hits than we did. We struggled get ahead of the batters when we were pitching, which also hurt us. I don't know how many walks we had."
Rhinelander had 10 walks between its two pitchers, and three hit batters. Haenel allowed 12 runs on eight hits with eight walks over 5 1/3 innings in defeat.
There were plenty of fireworks early. Colby/Abby scored two runs in the top of the first before Rhinelander answered with four in the bottom half of the inning. Addi DeMeyer singled home Lily Treder and errors brought DeMeyer, Annika Johnson and Kelsi Beran home.
Colby/Abby scored four in the top of the second before Rhinelander answered with three in the bottom half of the inning. Treder and Lucy Lindner singled to start the frame before Annika Johnson hit an RBI groundout and Beran hit a run scoring single. Beran later scored on a wild pitch following a two-out error.
A wild pitch and an RBI single by Halie Vanluven put Colby/Abby back ahead 8-7 in the third. Rhinelander answered in the bottom of the inning as Natalee Sundby reached on an error and scored on a single by Lindner.
After a scoreless fourth, both teams had a run in the fifth. Vanluven was hit by a pitch and scored when Bargender's double to deep left center was misplayed in the outfield. Natalee Sundby singled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.
Both teams managed 10 hits in the game, though seven of Colby/Abby's hits went for extra basses, including two doubles each by Bargender, Alea Graff and Higley. Treder had three hits for Rhinelander while Lindner finished the day 2-for-5.
"Kudos to them. They're a good team, well-coached," DeMeyer said. "It's the first time they've been up here and I'd like to play them again. I think they're a quality team."
Thursday's game was played in the Hodag Dome due to threatening weather. Heavy downpours could be heard on the dome roof during the late innings of the contest. All 17 of Rhinelander's home games ended up being played inside this spring as a combination of a late winter thaw, soft field conditions and threatening weather prevented the team from christening the new Haug Family Softball Complex adjacent to the dome.
"We thought we were going to get on our new fields this year and it just never worked out," DeMeyer said. "We practiced on it all last week and this week. I kind of wanted to break them in, but it might be even sweeter next year to be a healthy team and break them in."
Rhinelander dealt with a myriad of circumstances and players in different positions during the second half of the season. Addi DeMeyer, coach DeMeyer's daughter was unable to pitch much of the year due to an ankle injury aggravated by the pitching motion. The Hodags also lost pitcher and infielder Chloe Felde to a knee injury and catcher Maddi Roeser to a medical issue. Rhinelander finished with a 4-17 overall record.
"We had a lot of adversity and awkward positions for them, stuff we didn't plan on and I thought we responded," coach DeMeyer said. "We lost two juniors in their main spots, three actually with one quitting. You think back to last year, we lost four, five starting spots. Our younger girls responded and we're only going to get better because of this season. They know what they've got to work on and I think we'll be all right."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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