No. 2 Mosinee too much for Hodag fastpitch

The Rhinelander High School softball team couldn’t keep up with last year’s WIAA Division 2 state runner-up Tuesday, falling on the road to Mosinee 15-0 in Great Northern Conference play.

The Indians (10-2, 4-0 Great Northern), ranked No. 2 in the latest Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association D2 poll, cranked out 18 hits on the night — including three home runs and 11 that went for extra bases. They scored in every inning and ended the game via the run-rule on a walk-off single with nobody out in the fourth. 

“They’re just a really well-put-together team, defensively and offensively. They can hit one through nine and it was very apparent tonight,” Hodag coach Ali Bender said.

Maggie Woller homered twice and drove in four runs for Mosinee. She hit a two-run shot as part of Mosinee’s five-run first inning and then hit another two-run homer in the second that put Mosinee up 8-0. 

Taelyn Jirschele also went deep for Mosinee, with a two-run homer in the top of the third that chased Rhinelander starter Aleece Johnson from the hill. Johnson allowed 10 runs on 10 hits with two walks and three strikeouts in two-plus innings. 

Mosinee had eight more hits off reliever Kendall Vanney over an inning-plus. They scored four more times in the third and then ended it on a bases-loaded RBI single by Megan Treu in the fourth. 

Bender said Tuesday was a good learning experience for her two freshman pitchers. 

“They learned tonight that we really have got to be careful on our placement,” she said. “Those batters that we faced, they go with an outside pitch. They keep their hands tucked on an inside pitch. They’re just, like I said, a well put-together team. They had some really nice hits I’m pretty sure they strung multiple hits together.”

Mosinee’s Ava Busse walked two and struck out nine as she pitched three innings of no-hit ball. Woller came on in relief in the fourth inning and the Hodags (2-5, 0-2 Great Northern) got their lone hit as Kadyn Taylor had an infield single to the hole between third and short. However she was doubled on a ground ball by Vanney and then Woller fanned Chase Verbist to end the rally.

“We had a couple opportunities with girls on first base. I gave the bunt symbol and we did not get the bunt down. So that’s something that we also got to execute better, playing small ball,” Bender said.

The game was moved to Mosinee’s turf field in a late call Tuesday after Andrea Musson Field was not ready for play following rains Sunday night through Tuesday morning that also postponed the Hodags’ non-conference game Monday against Wausau East. A make-up date for that game had not been announced as of press time. 

Rhinelander was scheduled to face Lakeland on the road Thursday in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. The Hodags will travel to Crandon Monday for a non-conference contest. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].