RIB LAKE SOFTBALL - Redmen start season with two wins over Minnesota schools

RIB LAKE SOFTBALL

They had to deal with some cold evening weather, but other than that, the Rib Lake softball team got just about everything it wanted from a weekend trip to St. Paul, Minn., including two nonconference wins. On Friday, Rib Lake had little trouble with Minnehaha Academy, winning 15-0 in four innings behind the shutout pitching of Kiana Dallmann and a 12-hit offensive attack. Saturday evening brought a good matchup with Concordia Academy. In a back-and-forth game, Rib Lake broke away late and then held off a last-inning rally to win 8-5 for a 2-0 start to the season.

The games were played at the University of Northwestern.

The unexpected surprise for Rib Lake head coach Craig Scheithauer was that the team was able to get through both varsity games using just two pitchers. In the battle with Concordia Academy, Tessa Weik went the distance on 90 pitches and picked up her first win of the spring.

“Tessa was probably right about twoto- one, strikes to balls,' Scheithauer said. “She had no walks. For a first night out, that was awesome. We made some plays behind her and had a couple of misplays too.”

Concordia struck first with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Rib Lake came back with two of its own and that’s how the game went until the Redmen put up four in the bottom of the sixth.

“Really I think that was the key to the game,” Scheithauer said. “When we gave up two runs, we got two back. We went up 4-2 and they kind of came back. It was a great softball game. Both teams made plays.”

Madilyn Blomberg’s RBI single highlighted the two-run fourth. In the fifth, Tessa Weik singled in a run and another scored on an error.

After Concordia tied it with two runs in the top of the sixth, Rib Lake broke the game open in the bottom half.

Lily Butler started it with a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball. After Kara Kennedy walked, Addison Gumz singled in Bulter and Tahlia Scheithauer knocked in Kennedy. Niemi’s singled scored Gumz and Weik doubled in Scheithauer for an 8-4 lead.

Concordia’s first two hitters in the top of the seventh reached on a single and an error, but Weik and the Rib Lake defense managed to keep the ball on the infield, getting outs on fielder’s choices and allowing just one of the runners to get all the way around.

Weik struck out four and allowed six hits and two earned runs. Scheithauer was three for four with three runs scored. Niemi and Weik added two hits each.

“We beat a good team,” Craig Scheithauer said. “We may have had it kind of nice in that we played a younger team first, which allowed us just to get some ball under our belts before we played the second team, who was more experienced and more skilled.”

In Friday’s win, Dallmann allowed just one hit and two walks while striking out five. Minnehaha, who Rib Lake also played two years ago, is in a bit of a rebuilding mode and started an eighth grade pitcher, which teams are allowed to do in Minnesota. Rib Lake scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, four in the second, six in the third and Butler’s tworun double in the fourth ended things at 15-0.

Tahlia Scheithauer had two triples while going two for four with three RBIs and three runs scored. Blomberg and Weik each went two for four with a double. Both scored twice. Butler finished with three RBIs and Weik had two. Madelyn Dallmann also had two hits.

“Kiana threw very well for it being her first night out facing live hitters that weren't her teammates,” Craig Scheithauer said. “We played good defense behind her, didn't have much for errors and made all the routine plays.”

Cold weather wiped out Monday’s home opener with Loyal-Greenwood and frost came out in Tuesday’s sunshine, making the home field unplayable for the scheduled game with Edgar. The Redmen will try again Friday at Marathon in a nonconference Marawood crossover. Spencer is set to visit for a non-conference play Monday at 4:45 p.m. before the Redmen start Marawood North play Tuesday at Athens. The Blue Jays will then visit Rib Lake on April 17.