Co-op softball rally comes up short in home opener

By Nathaniel Underwood

The Colby/Abbotsford softball team began play this past week, going 0-3 in their first three games of the season. After two tough losses at Rhinelander’s Hodag Dome, the co-op could not come back against Regis in a close game at home.

Regis, 7-4

A late game rally by the Colby/Abby offense was not enough to overcome a big second inning for the Regis Ramblers as the two teams squared off in Colby on Monday afternoon. While the co-op outscored Regis 4-2 over the final four frames, the visitors’ early advantage was enough to hold on to deal Colby/Abby a 7-4 defeat.

The co-op had very nearly worked themselves out of danger in the second, having only surrendered one run on a sacrifice fly for the second out of the inning. A clutch double from Regis’s Olivia Morning kept the inning alive and pushed across two more runs. Another run would come in to score on an error and suddenly the co-op found themselves with a four run deficit.

The Ramblers added another run on a fielder’s choice in the top of the third, giving them a 5-0 advantage.

After a pair of one-two-three innings to start the contest, Audrey Fleischmann took a pitch in the bottom of the frame to give Colby/Abby their first base runner of the game, but she was left stranded at third.

Harrison Schmitt smacked a double to the outfield to start the fourth, collecting the co-op’s first hit of the game. Tatum Bargender followed suit with a line drive single and, after a steal by Bargender, Colby/ Abby had runners at second and third with no outs.

For a moment, it looked like the co-op would miss out on a prime opportunity to get on the board as the Regis defense came together and notched two outs while holding the Colby/Abby runners at their stations. However, Elizabeth Perez came through with an important infield single to plate Schmitt, giving the home team their first run of the game.

Regis answered with a run of their own in the top of the fifth, but a two-out rally by the co-op in the bottom half of the frame would suddenly turn the complexion of the contest. Neveah Treankler’s triple turned into a run as the junior went home on a wild pitch. Schmitt then drew a walk and Bargender was hit by a pitch to put two on for senior center fielder Kylie Orth. A double from Orth scored two runs and Colby/Abby had pulled within two runs.

Despite the momentum shift, that would be all the offense the home team could muster. Regis held the co-op without a base runner over the final two innings of play and, after adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh, came out with a 7-4 win over the Colby/Abby squad.

Bargender pitched the entire game for the co-op, giving up seven runs on seven hits and six walks while striking out six.

Three Lakes/Phelps, 14-3

The co-op traveled to Rhinelander to play a pair of non-conference games in the Hodag Dome this past Saturday. Their first opponent, the combined Three Lakes/ Phelps squad, proved to be a difficult matchup. The Bluejays scored in every inning of the contest, handing Colby/Abby a 14-3 loss in five innings.

Defensive errors hurt the Colby/Abby squad’s chances to keep things close. Of the 14 runs surrendered, only seven were earned, with five errors allowing Three Lakes/Phelps to double their total runs. Meanwhile the Bluejays played relatively clean behind their pitchers, only committing one error.

Three Lakes/Phelps jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Colby/Abby got on the board in the second inning. A double to left field from Josie Higley started the inning and Lucia Perez was able to knock in her teammate with a single down the third baseline.

Higley knocked in McKinley Klabon in the bottom of the third with another double and Neveah Treankler came up with an RBI single in the fourth inning, but the offensive production was not enough to keep up with a solid Bluejays lineup.

After scoring two runs in each of the first three innings, Three Lakes/Phelps notched four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to end the game early.

Higley went a perfect 3-for-3 in the contest and had Colby/Abby’s only extra base hits. Perez had hits in both her at-bats, Treankler was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Audrey Fleischmann had a hit.

Tatum Bargender was on the mound for Colby/Abby, surrendering 12 hits and four walks while striking out six batters.

Thorp, 16-2

While Colby/Abby cleaned up their defensive errors in their second contest of the day against Thorp, the Cardinals’ lineup was a force to be reckoned with. The co-op could do little to stop their opponents as Thorp accumulated 17 hits and six walks in their 16-2 victory.

The top of the Cardinals’ order was particularly effective on Saturday, going a combined 10-for-12 and scoring 11 runs.

The Colby/Abby squad had troubles on the other side of the ball as well, having troubles getting much going on offense for most of the game. A walk from Torrance Bloome and a single courtesy of Lucia Perez to open the third inning would eventually turn into two runs. Neveah Treankler drove in Bloome on a single and Harrison Schmitt brought Perez to the plate on a fielder’s choice on the next at-bat. The coop squad kept the pressure on, loading the bases again but were unable to make any further dent in the Cardinals lead.

A five-run fourth inning for Thorp sealed their control over the game and, after holding Colby/Abby scoreless in the next two innings, the Cardinals were able to end the game early.

Tatum Bargender pitched the first twoand- two-thirds innings for the co-op, giving up six runs on nine hits. She also struck out four while walking one. Treankler was on the mound for the other two-and-a-third innings, surrendering 10 runs on eight hits.

The co-op will be back in action on Friday, April 12, when they host the Gilman Pirates for their first conference game of the season. Both squads will be looking for their first victory of 2024, with Gilman going 0-2 in their first two games of the season. First pitch is at 5:00 p.m.

CLUTCH AT-BAT - Kylie Orth comes through with an important double during Colby/Abby’s come back attempt on Monday against Regis. While her hit would knock in two runs and cut the Ramblers lead down to two, the co-op still fell in their first home game of the season, 7-4.

STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD

STARTING THE BATS - Harrison Schmitt looks to her teammates and celebrates after getting the co-op’s first hit. She would later come around to score.

STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD