Hot in Hodag country

Tigers go 2-1 to begin the 2023 season

By Casey Krautkramer

The Stratford varsity softball team is off to a quick 2-1 start this season. Stratford beat Wautoma, 12-2, and Drummond, 14-18, while losing to Medford, 8-4, in its season-opening games last weekend at the Hodag Dome in Rhinelander.

Mandy Pankratz has been a varsity head softball coach for 21 years consisting of four in Abbotsford and 17 in Stratford. Her assistant softball coaches this season are Kellen Kafka, Troy Bargender and her former player Brittany Bredemann. Pankratz commented on what her squad did right in last weekend’s opening tournament and what it needs to work on to improve this season.

“We are very proud of our group coming out of the dome tourney,” Pankratz said. “We did some great things offensively that we hope to continue to build on. Defensively, our pitching did a good job keeping batters off balance and we made some good defensive plays to get out of innings. We also recognized things that we need to work on and were reminded of the importance of all the little parts of the game.”

Stratford’s softball players returning this season are senior outfielders Tessa Berg, Ava Weix, Tessa Miller and Lexie Christopherson; senior infi elder Kenidi Palmer; senior infielder and outfielders Bailey Linzmaier and Lauren Kraus; senior infielder and pitcher Sonia Peterson; junior infielder Kressa Wenzel; sophomore catcher and infielder Emma Roeper and sophomore pitcher and infielder Laney Pankratz.

The Tigers’ newcomers to the varsity team this season are senior outfi elder Trista Larocque, junior infi elder and outfielder Ashley Hollatz, freshman pitcher and infielder Tria Tubbs and freshman infielder Gracie Schmidt.

Tubbs gained the complete-game pitching win against Drummond last weekend. She struck out 11 batters while only surrendering three earned runs in the team’s 14-18 win. Schmidt led the Tigers in hitting by going two for four with five RBIs and two runs scored. Laney Pankratz batted two for four with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored.

Laney Pankratz earned the complete- game pitching victory against Wautoma last weekend. She struck out four batters while only giving up one earned run in the team’s 12-2 victory. Roeper batted two for three with a walk and two runs scored. Laney Pankratz hit two for four with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Stratford moves down from Division 3 to Division 4 in the WIAA softball grouping this spring. Stratford’s Division 4 playoff grouping includes Marawood Conference foes Auburndale, Edgar and Marathon.