Marathon edged by Blair-Taylor

Team wins three playoff games all on the road

Marathon’s softball team surprised everyone, except for its players and coaches, while reeling off three straight road game wins in the WIAA Division 3 playoffs.

The Red Raiders began the playoffs after having tied for second-last place in the Marawood South Conference with the Wausau Newman Cardinals. Each team had a 3-7 conference record.

First, No. 6 seed Marathon knocked off Mondovi, 13-5, in a regonal semifinal. Then, Marathon beat Cochrane-Fountain City, 9-2, in the regional championship last Wednesday. Cochrane-Fountain City concluded its season with a 20-5 record.

Senior Andrea Seymour pitched the complete-game win in the regional championship. She struck out 11 batters while giving up six hits, three walks and one earned run.

Seymour was perfect at the plate by hitting three for three with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored. Sofi a Tylinski and Bridget Salber collected two RBIs apiece.

Marathon lost, 5-4, to undefeated Blair-Taylor in a sectional semifnal on Monday. Seymour was the losing pitcher. Senior Lyndsay Pintor hit two for three with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Jada Prihoda batted three for four with two runs scored.

Red Raiders head coach Paul Fredrickson wasn’t shocked by his team’s amount of playoff success.

“We went on a nice playoff run with good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting,” he said. “The dugout was full of energy from start to finish, and the assistant coaches are second to none. What our girls did was something I am and always will be proud of.”