RHS fastpitch rallies for non-conference win at Crandon

The Rhinelander High School softball team got back into the win column on Monday, rallying from down 4-0 after four innings to defeat Crandon 6-4 on the road in non-conference play.

The game kicked off a crazy end to the regular season in which the Hodags are slated to play eight games in nine days. Rhinelander snapped a five-game losing streak with Monday’s win but was unable to keep the momentum going Tuesday as they were swept in a Great Northern Conference doubleheader at Antigo 7-0 and 16-2.

Trailing by four after four innings on Monday, the Hodags (3-11, 0-8 Great Northern) rallied from behind on Monday to earn their third win of the season, breaking a 4-all tie with what proved to be the two winning runs in the top of the seventh. 

Hodag coach Ali Bender said it was matter of belief that led the Hodags from behind in the game against the Cardinals.

“We came out really flat-footed. I brought all the girls in and I said, ‘Girls we’re going make a change now or we’re not. We came here to play. Let’s give them a ball game. This is a game that we can win. Let’s win inning by inning,’” she said. “After that it just seemed like every single inning, we just got more confidence. We got a better attitude and we gained more confidence.”

Lucy Lindner singled to lead off what proved to be the winning rally for the Hodags in the top of the seventh inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Kadyn Taylor, Kendall Vanney singled to right to give the Hodags runners at the corners with one out. 

    Rhinelander’s Kalyn Miller reaches second base during the fifth inning of a non-conference softball game at Crandon Monday, May 5. Miller had the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning of the Hodags’ 6-4 win at Crandon. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Freshman Kalyn Miller drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to center and Saige Mutter added an RBI single to give the Hodags a 6-4 lead. 

“Kadyn Taylor lay down a perfect bunt with Lucy lead off and advanced her a second base with only one out,” Bender said. “And again, then we had a chance to win the ball game, which led into a rally was two outs.”

Rhinelander gave up a run in the first, two in the third and one more in the fourth, but made it all back thanks to a four-run rally with two out in the top of the fifth. Taylor hit a two-run single to start the rally, scoring Ava Rathbun and Lucy Lindner, who had both walked earlier in the inning. An error in left on a ball hit by Vanney allowed Taylor to score all the way from first. Vanney got to second on the play and scored on a game-tying RBI single by Miller. 

“Our middle of our lineup did a really nice job stringing some hits together, between Kadyn, Saige Kalyn Miller, Vanney. They were on base, hitting solid shots, deep shots,” Bender said. 

In particular, Bender said Miller, a freshman who took a year off from softball last season, has grown in to a key contributor for the Hodags at the plate and in the field.

“She’s just really improved and she’s one of those all-around players. You can put her anywhere and she can play the position,” Bender said.

    Rhinelander’s Aleece Johnson pitches during a non-conference softball game at Crandon Monday, May 5. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Aleece Johnson got the win for Rhinelander, giving up four runs on five hits with a pair of walks and 12 strikeouts over seven innings. 

After the game Rhinelander and Crandon stuck around to play a varsity reserve contest as both teams do not have a large enough roster to field a full JV team. Rhinelander won that game 11-1 in which Bender said some members of the team finally got some much-deserved playing time. 

“It’s not fair to these girls that travel, practice with us, work hard, constantly cheering their teammates on to get you know an inning or two here and there,” she said.  “Just to be able to play a full game and be able to get those girls in, you could just see how happy everyone was.”

Antigo doubleheader

The Red Robins jumped on Rhinelander early in both ends of Tuesday’s doubleheader, scoring five times in the first inning of Game 1 and six times in the opening stanza of Game 2. 

“We have been talking this entire season about how we’ve gotten off to a slow start, defensively and offensively,” Bender said. “Tonight they had Aleece’s number. They were hitting the ball hard.”

Johnson lasted only one-third of an inning against Antigo in Game 1, allowing four runs on four hits. Vanney gave up another run in the first, and two in the second, but kept Antigo scoreless the rest of the way in the opening contest. 

“Kudos to Vanney. She came and she placed the ball well,” Bender said. “She was hitting her spots. The umpire didn’t give us everything we wanted, but that’s OK, and our defense backed her. It was just awesome to see.”

Antigo’s Bethany Lewis faced just one batter over the minimum and struck out 15 in the win. Lucy Lindner hit a one-out single off of her in the fourth to break up the no-hit and perfect game bids. 

Things didn’t start much better in Game 2. This time the Robins got to Vanney at the start, tagging her for seven runs on six hits in the opening inning-plus. Six of those runs were unearned. Johnson pitched two innings and Nevaeh Anderson closed out the game in the circle. 

Rhinelander was one-hit again in the contest. This time Miller had the lone hit, a single up the middle in the third that advanced Vanney to third. Vanney would score moments later on a wild pitch. The Hodags also plated a run in the second inning as Kadyn Taylor walked and her courtesy runner, Ava Rathbun, scored on a ground out by Chase Verbist. 

Up next

The Hodags’ busy schedule continued with a home-and-home series against winless Northland Pines Wednesday in Eagle River and Thursday in Rhinelander that concluded after press time for today’s edition. Rhinelander travels to Shawano for an invite on Saturday before hosting Tomahawk Monday in a makeup game at Andrea Musson Field.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].