Softball teams compete at Slamfest

Gilman and Thorp hosted great games

By Casey Krautkramer

Local high school varsity softball teams Athens, Edgar, Marathon and Stratford competed in games during the Gilman-Thorp Slamfest on Saturday to test their mettle against some stronger teams in the state they don’t normally see during the regular season.

Teams might not have fared as well as they’d liked to on Saturday, but they gained valuable experience for their end-of-this season playoff runs.

Athens won its opening tournament game, 7-2 against Shell Lake, in Gilman on Saturday. Senior pitcher Siarra Hart and sophomore shortstop Jazelle Hartwig led the Bluejays by both hitting three for five with two RBIs and a run scored in the victory. Hart earned the win in the pitcher’s circle.

The Bluejays fell in their second game of the tournament, 7-2, to the Hurley Northstars, in Gilman. Athens also lost to Hurley in a WIAA Division 5 sectional semifinal last season. Hart suffered the pitching defeat against the Northstars. Sophomore third baseman Addison Lavicka paced the Bluejays by batting two for three with a pair of RBIs.

The Bluejays also beat the Chequamegon Screaming Eagles, 11-1, Tuesday on the road to improve their Marawood North Conference record to 5-2 this season. Athens’ only two conference losses are twice to conference leader Phillips. Athens improves its record to 9-4 overall this season and the Bluejays are ranked eighth in this week’s Division 5 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association

(WFSCA) poll.

Wildcats upset Loggers

Before traveling to Thorp on Saturday, Edgar’s varsity softball team pulled off a big home upset against Phillips, 5-1, on Friday. The Loggers are ranked fourth in this week’s WFSCA Division 4 coaches poll.

Senior Makayla Wirkus only surrendered four hits and two walks while striking out nine Phillips batters. Wirkus also hit two for four with an RBI and her sophomore catcher Morgan Streveler was two for four with a pair of runs scored in the win.

Reagan Borchardt batted one for two with a pair of walks and a run scored, Ashley Erickson was one for two with a walk, an RBI and a run scored and Taylor Lemmer was two for three with a walk and a run scored against the Loggers.

Edgar lost all three of its Gilman-Thorp Slamfest games on Saturday. Edgar fell 5-2 in nine innings to Altoona, 11-0 to Fall Creek and 12-0 to Medford.

The Edgar Wildcats rebounded from its losses on Saturday to edge Stratford, 2-1, on Tuesday at home. Wirkus struck out 11 Tiger hitters to earn the pitching win. Morgan Streveler and Jessica Mucha had an RBI each in the victory.

Freshman Laney Pankratz was the losing pitcher for Stratford and freshman Emma Roeper collected the team’s only RBI against the Wildcats.

Edgar improves its Marawood South Conference record to 7-2 and is 8-6 overall this season. Stratford falls to 2-6 in the Marawood South and 7-8 overall this season. The two teams will tangle again at 4:45 p.m. this Thursday, May 12, in Stratford.

Marathon’s softball team went 1-1 at the Gilman-Thorp Slamfest on Saturday. Marathon beat Northwood/Solon Springs, 15-7, and lost to Fall Creek, 21-9. Game statistics were not provided by the head coach.

The Red Raiders have a 2-5 record in the Marawood South Conference and are 3-13 overall this season after Tuesday’s 6-2 loss to Auburndale.