March 27, 2023 at 9:10 a.m.
Hodag softball takes 2nd in Danny Mac
Hodag softball takes 2nd in Danny Mac
Rhinelander won its first two games of the season-opening Danny Mac Softball Classic Thursday and Friday at the Hodag Dome before settling for second in its eight-team bracket, falling to Marshfield 10-0 in the championship game.
The Hodags had plenty of offense, and a healthy ace in senior pitcher Addi DeMeyer, to get them to the championship. Rhinelander beat Boyceville 16-1 Thursday evening before sliding past Clintonville 7-4 Friday morning.
"I'm very proud of the girls for yesterday and today and I'm really looking forward to the season," coach D.J. DeMeyer said. "Overall, I'm really proud of the team - the enthusiasm, the cheering, the positivity. Even though this last game we weren't doing well, the positivity, the aggressiveness at the plate. Now, did we swing at some bad pitches, yes, but we're not looking at too many pitches and that's what we need to do. We need to be aggressive at the plate."
Ironically, some plate discipline helped Rhinelander's offense in the first two games. The Hodags benefitted from eight walks and a couple of hit batters as they scored 15 runs in innings 4-6 to break open what was a 1-1 game against Boyceville. Rhinelander scored four times without the aid of a hit in the second inning of Friday morning's game against Clintonville, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.
DeMeyer, working her way back from offseason surgery on an ankle that hindered her in the second half of the 2022 season, pitched only briefly in relief during the championship game against Marshfield. The Hodags used four different pitchers in that loss.
"She pitched really well yesterday. She's a little tired today," said D.J. DeMeyer, her father. "We've got to be a little bit cautious. We don't want to over-throw her. The ankle was swelling up yesterday, but she'll be fine. She looks good."
DeMeyer scattered three hits and struck out 14 against Boyceville on Thursday night. She came back with a 10-strikeout performance against Clintonville on Friday.
"I thought she pitched fantastic yesterday and this morning," coach DeMeyer said.
Rhinelander 16, Boyceville 1
The floodgates opened for the Hodags in the fourth inning, scoring six times to blow the game open, before winning the game via the 10-run rule in the sixth. Rhinelander scored three more times in the fifth inning and hung up another six-spot in the sixth.
Sophomore Dawsyn Barkus sparked the rally in the fourth with a two-run double that scored Laney Haenel and Skylar Cleveland. Lily Treder followed with an RBI double two-batters later and the Hodags got three free passes after that, including Abigale Johnson getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in a run. Lucy Lindner followed with an RBI single and Cleveland reached on a two-out error allowing DeMeyer to score.
Three straight walks loaded the bases for Rhinelander in the fifth. DeMeyer reached on an error, driving home Willow Mutter, Johnson followed with an RBI groundout and Haenel added a sacrifice fly to make it 10-1.
Three walks loaded the bases again with one out in the sixth. DeMeyer then hit an RBI single followed by a two-run double by Johnson. Kadyn Taylor had a pinch-hit RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly by Abby Ferge in a pinch-hit role. Cleveland followed with a base hit to make it 16-1.
"We were patient. The pitcher was struggling and I said, 'Girls, make her throw strikes. We need to get runs in and we need to open this game up,'" coach DeMeyer said. "Once that happened, our bats really started coming alive and I was able to get everyone in the game. It was great."
Treder reached on an error and scored on a groundout by DeMeyer in the first inning. Boyceville answered with its lone run as Delaney Olson reached on an error and scored on a two-out base hit by Jadynn Traxler.
Johnson, filling in at catcher for starter Maddi Roeser (illness), led the way with four RBIs in the contest for the Hodags.
"I've got to give kudos to Abigale Johnson," coach DeMeyer said. "Our starting catcher is out sick and Abigale's been our backup for the last couple of year. We haven't even really practiced her at catcher much because she was busy powerlifting in the offseason. We wanted to get her fly balls and get her ready for the outfield, where she normally plays. She stepped in there tonight and today and just did a fantastic job."
Rhinelander 7, Clintonville 4
The Hodags had some help as they took the lead for good during the second inning Friday morning against the Truckers. Six walks and an error led to a four-run frame for the Hodags.
Trailing 2-1, the Hodags drew three walks to load the bases with one out before Treder drew a run-scoring free pass. Kelsi Beran then reached on an error that allowed freshman Libbey Buchmann to score and kept the bases loaded for DeMeyer and Johnson, who drew back-to-back RBI walks before Clintonville went to its bullpen, replacing starter Liberty Drefahl with reliever Ava Kasson.
"We were patient and they changed pitchers," coach DeMeyer said. "That's why you can't afford to walk anybody. Walks really hurt and that's what hurt them against us. We scored four runs that inning and opened it up."
The Truckers got back within one in the fourth as Ariana Ort singled home a run, and then executed a double-steal of second and home with Kelsey Maus to make it 5-4. Rhinelander got the runs back in the bottom of the inning as Johnson scored Beran with a groundout and Lindner hit a single to bring home DeMeyer.
Clintonville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the game on a two-out, two-run home run by Shaye Miller in the top of the first. That was one of six hits Addi DeMeyer allowed in the contest.
"They hit some pitches they had no business hitting. The pitch was called right where we wanted it and they hit it. That's good for them," coach DeMeyer said.
Rhinelander got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Treder singled and scored on a DeMeyer groundout.
Marshfield 10, Rhinelander 0
The Tigers scored in every inning and Katelyn Sternweis allowed just one hit over five innings as Marshfield took the championship game over the Hodags.
Rhinelander went pitcher-by-committee in the contest. Haenel, pressed into starting duty much of last year due to DeMeyer's ankle injury, started and gave up two runs in the first. Buchmann gave up a run in the second, but three in the third before the Hodags went back to DeMeyer to get out of the inning. Freshman Nevaeh Anderson pitched the fourth and fifth innings, allowing four runs.
"It was all about getting them experience," coach DeMeyer said. "Laney's the only other pitcher with any high school experience. We wanted to get her throwing. Obviously, Addi's probably going to throw 85-90% of our innings, especially when we only have one game in a day, but we have to build for the future too and have to get these girls some innings. This was a great opportunity to get them some quality innings and understand where they have to get to. They have to keep working and try to get there."
Johnson had Rhinelander's lone hit, a single in the fourth inning, but she was doubled off first base after a lineout by Lindner.
Up next
Rhinelander (2-1, 0-0 Great Northern) is scheduled to host Medford today top open Great Northern Conference play, but both coach DeMeyer and RHS activities director Brian Paulson indicated Friday that game will likely be postponed with the Haug Family Softball Complex still under snow and a scheduling conflict inside the Hodag Dome with a girls' soccer scrimmage.
The Hodags will be back in the dome on Thursday to face D.C. Everest in non-conference play.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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