Edgar splits series with Stratford
Wildcats gain a one-run victory in second game
By Casey Krautkramer
The Edgar varsity softball team avenged its 2-1 road loss in extra innings to Stratford on May 9 with a 2-1 victory of its own two days later at home.
On Thursday, Edgar junior pitcher Makayla Wirkus out-dueled Stratford freshman pitcher Tria Tubbs even though both of them had solid outings in the pitcher’s cirseven circle. Wirkus struck out nine batters while giving up seven hits, one earned run and a walk. Tubbs, meanwhile, struck out five batters while surrendering four hits, two unearned runs and four walks.
Edgar junior catcher Morgan Streveler doubled twice and she led the team with a pair of RBIs. Senior Reagan Borchardt also doubled.
Wildcats head coach Kevin Brown changed his team’s starting lineup on Thursday. He inserted sophomores Emery Borchardt at second base and Alyson Kolano at third base. Emery Borchardt now gets to play next to her older sister, senior Reagan Borchardt, in the team’s starting infield.
“It is pretty cool that I get to play with my sister, especially because it’s her last year,” Emery Borchardt said. “I think she gives me a lot of tips and I feel that we equally help each other out.”
Edgar’s team has experienced a roller coaster of ups and downs this season, despite the squad returning all its starting players from last season’s state tournament squad except for centerfielder Karlin Lipinski. The Wildcats lost five straight games between the middle of April and the beginning of May, but it appears the team has righted the ship now.
“I think we started off kind of slow this season and we are just picking things up where we should have left off,” Emery Borchardt said. “We are just getting our bats in and playing better ball now than when we started this season.”
Edgar edged Chequamegon, 9-8, at home on Friday as Morgan Streveler earned the complete-game pitching win. Wirkus doubled and tripled and she led Edgar with two RBIs. Riley Mueller, Kendalyn Dahlke, Ashley Erickson, Jessica Mucha and Leah Davis collected one RBI each.
The Wildcats defeated the Fall Creek Crickets, 15-7, in their first game of Saturday’s Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Wirkus earned the complete-game pitching win and she smacked three doubles at the plate. Wirkus also led Edgar with three RBIs. Riley Mueller, Emery Borchardt and Jessica Mucha contributed two RBIs apiece. Maycie Yonker, Morgan Streveler, Reagan Borchardt and Taylor Lemmer had one RBI each.
Edgar beat Cameron, 6-3, in its final game in Saturday’s Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Streveler stuck out 10 batters to earn the complete-game pitching win. Emery Borchardt doubled twice and Reagan Borchardt had one double. Streveler, Leah Davis and Reagan Borchardt each had an RBI.
The Wildcats won four straight games before losing to a tough Division 2 Mosinee Indians team on Tuesday. Edgar fell, 12-2, on the road against Mosinee which is ranked number eight in this week’s Division 2 softball coaches poll. Edgar is unranked in Division 4. Edgar currently has an 11-8 overall record this season.
Tigers splitting series
Lately, Stratford’s varsity softball team has become accustomed to splitting regular-season series with its opponents.
Stratford now has a 14-9 overall record this season after splitting Tuesday’s doubleheader against Wausau Newman. The Tigers beat the Cardinals 6-5 but also lost 5-4. Sophomore Laney Pankratz earned the completegame pitching win in the 6-5 contest. Senior Tessa Berg, while playing left field, belted a home run and freshman shortstop Gracie Schmidt batted two for four with one run scored.
Berg, while playing catcher, smacked a double and triple in the team’s 5-4 loss. Freshman Tria Tubbs also doubled and she was the losing pitcher.
Stratford lost to Wausau East, 7-4, on the road Monday. Tubbs was the losing pitcher. Junior Kressa Wenzel and sophomore Emma Roeper each doubled for the Tigers. Seniors Bailey Linzmaier and Trista Larocque, along with Roeper and Schmidt, collected one RBI each.
The Tigers went toe-to-toe on Saturday against the number one ranked Division 4 Grantsburg Pirates, 20-3, in their first game of the Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Stratford lost, 3-2, against Grantsburg even though the Tigers outhit the Pirates, 8-6, in the contest. Stratford did commit two errors while Grantsburg played a clean game.
Pankratz struck out eight Pirate batters in the complete-game pitching loss. Seniors Lexie Christopherson and Linzmaier each hit two for three with an RBI.
Stratford beat Cameron, 9-2, in the final game of Saturday’s Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Tubbs struck out eight Comets to earn the complete-game pitching win. Berg batted a perfect three for three with three runs scored. Wenzel batted two for four with three RBIs and two runs scored.
The Tigers easily beat the Rib Lake Lady Redmen, 10-0, in five innings at home on Friday. Pankratz earned the pithing win. Senior Trista Larocque batted one for two with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. Senior centerfi elder Tess Miller hit one for two with an RBI and a run scored. Senior first baseman Kenadi Palmer battled one for three with a run scored. Senior Ava Weix scored twice.
Red Raiders are struggling
Marathon’s varsity softball team currently has a 5-16 overall record after dropping Tuesday’s 8-5 home game to Tomahawk. Marathon also lost both of its home games on Saturday, 12-0 against Iola-Scandinavia and 12-7 against Waupaca. Marathon also fell, 8-6, in Thursday’s road game against Auburndale. Game statistics were not provided to the newspaper.
STREVELER DOUBLES AGAIN- Edgar junior catcher Morgan Streveler smacks her second double on Thursday during her team’s 2-1 home win against Stratford.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
