MEDFORD 6, RIB LAKE 2 - Schmidtfranz homer breaks it open in Raiders’ win over Redmen
MEDFORD 6, RIB LAKE 2
Grace Schmidtfranz was the unlikely star for the Medford Raiders, smacking a three-run homer to break open what had been a tight game and assure a 6-2 nonconference softball win over the visiting Rib Lake Redmen Monday afternoon.
Schmidtfranz, who entered the game in centerfield in the third inning, finished two for two at the plate and made a nice catch on her one fielding chance in what may have been Medford’s final home game for 2024. The win put Medford at 13-9 overall at the time, while the Redmen fell to 10-10.
Leading 2-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Medford got a leadoff single to left by Chelsea Gebauer off Rib Lake reliever Kiana Dallmann and Ava Hartl walked.
Schmidtfranz then jumped all over a belt-high 2-1 pitch, driving it over the fence in straightaway centerfield to give Medford a 5-0 lead. The Raiders weren’t done in that inning, getting a one-out single from Kyanna Mallien, who scored on Tori Konieczny’s two-out bloop single that fell into no-man’s land behind second base.
Dallmann settled in and kept Medford off the board in her last two innings, while Rib Lake’s offense made some late progress against Medford ace Rylee Hraby.
In the sixth, Tahlia Scheithauer led off with a base hit and Avery Niemi, who had drawn walks in her first two plate appearances, reached on an error. Tessa Weik powered a drive to deep center that Medford’s Kayla Baumgartner caught right in front of the fence and Josie Scheithauer struck out, but Leah Chmielowiec and Dallmann didn’t let the scoring chance get away as each hit singles to drive in the runners.
Medford’s first two runs came in the bottom of the first inning. Hraby singled and her courtesy runner Jolie Steliga scooted to third on Arndt’s base hit. Arndt stole second ahead of Konieczny’s RBI groudout. Zayleah Leonhardt’s groundout to short drove in Arndt.
Hraby continued to pitch well, notching 14 more strikeouts. That came two days after she struck out 29 hitters in two games at the Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Rib Lake had four hits against her, two from Chmielowiec, and drew four walks.
Josie Scheithauer got the start for Rib Lake and covered the first three innings. She allowed three hits and two earned runs. Dallmann struck out one, walked three and allowed six hits in her three innings.
Gebauer was two for three as Medford totaled nine hits.
