MEDFORD SOFTBALL - Hraby caps big week with pair of homers, seven RBIs in rout

MEDFORD SOFTBALL

An incredible three-game week continued for Medford’s Rylee Hraby Thursday when she went three for four, belted two three-run homers and drove in seven runs to lead the Raiders to a 22-3, three-inning rout of host Rhinelander inside the Hodag Dome.

Hraby also pitched the first two innings, allowing one hit while striking out six.

In GNC games against Lakeland, Northland Pines and Rhinelander, Hraby threw a five-inning no-hitter, a seven-inning one-hitter and struck out 23 batters while allowing two hits and one earned run in 14 innings. At the plate, she was 11 for 14 in those three games with two homers, three triples, two doubles and 12 runs batted in.

Chelsea Gebauer went three for three and added five RBIs as Medford pummeled Rhinelander pitchers Laney Haenel and Libbey Buchmann for 15 hits and 16 earned runs in the shortened game. Medford hitters also drew eight walks.

A 10-run top of the first put Medford in early command. Three walks led to runscoring hits for Zayleah Leonhardt and Gebauer. A run scored on an error on a ball hit by Ava Hartl, Jada Surek singled in a run and Laney Hraby drove one in with a ground ball. After Addison Brahmer reached on an infield hit, Hraby cracked her first home run to make it 8-0. Finley Arndt followed that with a ground-rule double, Tori Konieczny walked and they scored on a wild pitch and Gebauer’s second single of the inning.

Medford more than doubled its lead in the second inning, going up 21-0. Hraby came up with the bases loaded and singled in the first run. Arndt was hit by a pitch, Konieczny and Leonhardt singled in runs, while Gebauer drove in two with a ground-rule double. Jolie Steliga drove in a run with a groundout. Grace Schmidtfranz doubled in a run ahead of Hraby’s second three-run bomb.

Paige Wilkins drove in a run with an infield single in the third.

Eleven Raiders had at least one hit. Kailyn Haenel pitched the third inning and got two strikeouts while allowing three hits and three unearned runs.

Medford’s showdown with GNC-leading and undefeated Mosinee Tuesday was postponed at the last minute. The Raiders will head to Lakeland today, Thursday, for their third matchup of the season with the T-Birds. This one is a conference contest. Rhinelander is in Medford Friday for a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.

Next week, Medford goes to Hayward Monday to make up an early-season postponement and then hosts Tomahawk May 2 in GNC play.