RHS Sports recap: Tuesday, April 23

Baseball: Medford 7, Rhinelander 1

The Rhinelander High School baseball team couldn’t get anything going against Medford Tuesday in a 7-1 loss to the Raiders in Medford. 

Medford jumped out to two quick runs in the first, one more in the second and finally broke the game open with a four-run sixth. The Hodags’ lone run came in the third as Dylan Vanderbunt singled and scored on a two-out single by Adrian Patrone. 

James Heck went 4 2/3 innings in the loss for Rhinelander, giving up three runs on three hits with five walks and four strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings. The Hodags had only four hits in the contest, including two from Vanderbunt. 

Rhinelander (1-8, 1-5 Great Northern) is set to host Medford in a rematch on Friday.

Softball: Tomahawk 12, Rhinelander 1

Two big innings were the difference on Tuesday at Tomahawk defeated Rhinelander 12-1 in GNC softball play in Tomahawk. The Hatchets scored eight times in the first inning and four more times in the fourth. 

Rhinelander’s lone run came in the top of the fourth as Libbey Buchmann doubled and scored on a two-out single from Nora Rutkowski. 

Kelsey Winter took the loss for Rhinelander, giving up eight runs, four earned, on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning. Laney Haenel pitched a couple of scoreless innings in relief before allowing four runs in the fourth. 

Rhinelander (1-8, 1-4 Great Northern) hosts Antigo on Thursday.

Girls’ soccer: Rhinelander 17, Antigo 0

The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team made short work of Antigo, defeating the Red Robins 17-0 at Mike Webster Stadium on Friday night. 

The Hodags led 10-0 at halftime and tacked on seven more in the first 20 minutes of the second before the game was halted due to the mercy rule.

Sophie Miljevich scored six goals in the game while Vivian Lamers, Lindsey Hoerchler and Ella Miljevich each had hat tricks. Rhinelander also got goals from Morgan Van Zile and Leah Jamison as they outshot Antigo 48-0. 

The 17 goals were the most scored by a single team in Great Northern Conference history, surpassing the mark of 13 set by Rhinelander in 2014 and 2022 — both against Antigo.

Rhinelander (5-0-1, 2-0-0-1 Great Northern) travels to Northland Pines on Thursday.

Golf: Rhinelander 4th/7, GNC Meet No. 1

The RHS golf team struggled in windy conditions on Tuesday, shooting 350 and taking fourth in the Great Northern Conference opener at Inshalla Country Club in Tomahawk. 

Sam Schoppe handled the conditions the best for Rhinelander, shooting 81 on the day to finish in a three-way tie for eighth. Brody Kowieski shot 84, Blake Petroff shot 90, Hank Kowieski had a 95 and Chase West shot 102.

The Hodags will play in the Medford Invite at Black River Golf Course on Thursday before returning to Medford Friday for the second round of the conference tournament. 

Boys’ tennis: Rhinelander at Wausau West, ccd.

Rhinelander’s non-conference boys’ tennis match at Wausau West on Tuesday was cancelled due to rain. No make-up date has been announced. 

Rhinelander (8-3, 2-0 Great Northern) hops back into conference play at Antigo on Thursday.

Full reports will be published in Friday’s River News.