The Iola-Scandinavia softball team won two games and lost one game on the road this past week.
The Thunderbirds lost at Stevens Point Pacelli 11-4 Monday, May 7; beat Bonduel 2-1 Tuesday, May 8; and beat Manawa 3-2 Thursday, May 10.
The team has a 7-5 Central Wisconsin 8 Conference record and is 12-7 overall.
Meanwhile, the junior varsity team all five games it played this past week. The T-Birds beat Pacelli 21-9 on May 7 and beat Wittenberg-Birnamwood 11-1 on May 10. On Saturday, May 12, the T-Birds won the Shiocton Tournament by winning all three games: 8-1 over Shiocton, 14-1 over Wittenberg-Birnamwood 14-1 and 10-9 over Plainfield Tri-County. The team is now 15-2 on the season.
Pacelli 11, I-S 4
STEVENS POINT – Pacelli scored seven runs in the fifth inning to break open a 3-3 game.
Jane Oligney had two hits, Brooke Phillips had a double and Elle Maus drove in two runs.
Pitcher Payton Erickson allowed 14 hits and two walks while striking out one batter.
I-S 2, Bonduel 1
BONDUEL – It took a day to confirm the win, but the T-Birds beat Bonduel in a game that was stopped in the sixth inning due to a thunderstorm.
After Bonduel made the score 3-2 with two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the sixth inning, lightning stopped play on the field and rain followed to make the field unplayable for the remainder of the day.
After some discussion, the umpires wanted to confirm with the WIAA the procedures to end a game due to weather. The WIAA confirmed the victory the following day. Since the T-Birds were ahead 2-1 after the fifth inning and the completion of the fifth inning by rule constitutes a complete game in these types of situations, I-S was declared the winner. Since the sixth inning was not completed, all action that happened in the inning was ignored.
Erickson went the distance to earn the five-inning win. She allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out four batters.
All five of the game’s runs came in the first inning. Kylie Johnson reached on an error, advanced to second of a passed ball and scored on a single by Brooke Phillips. Phillips eventually scored from third on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead. Bonduel scored its run in the bottom of the first.
Maus had two hits and Oligney and Erickson each had a double.
I-S 3, Manawa 2 (13 inn.)
MANAWA – It took 13 innings, but I-S won an exciting game against Manawa.
Erickson scored on a double by Johnson in the top of the 13th to give the Thunderbirds a 3-2 lead. The T-Birds held the Wolves in the bottom of the inning for the win.
Erickson and Manawa’s Ansley Block were locked in a pitchers’ duel, as they each pitched the complete game. Erickson allowed nine hits and no walks while striking out seven batters in the win. Block allowed 11 hits and two walks while striking out 16 batters.
Manawa scored a run in the second and third innings. I-S tied the score at 2-2 with a run in the third and fourth. The T-Birds left 14 runners on base, while the Wolves stranded nine.
Manawa had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth inning with a runner on third with only one out. Kali Draeger had a leadoff single and eventually advanced to third on Block’s groundout. Kim Retzke hit a groundball to Karina Welch at first, who threw home to Oligney to get Draeger out on a close play at the plate.
Kiara Boutwell and Phillips each had three hits. Johnson drove in two runs on two hits, including the game-winning double in the final inning. Maus drove in a run on a sacrifice fly in the third inning.
Junior varsity
I-S 21, Pacelli 9
IOLA – I-S scored 10 runs and nine runs in the second and third innings, respectively. The game ended after the fifth inning due to the 10-run rule.
Pitcher Brianne Huettner went the distance to earn the win. She allowed eight hits and four walks while striking out nine batters.
Huettner drove in three runs on three hits, including two doubles. Lindsey Bloom had two hits, including a double, while driving in two runs. Emily Bonikowske had two hits, including a double. Kjersti Aasen also had a double.
I-S 11, W-B 1
IOLA – I-S scored in all but the second inning of the six-inning game.
Huettner allowed six hits and one walk while striking out nine batters.
Bloom and Huettner had three hits, while Bloom had two doubles. Mariah Oppor had two hits and Jessica Faldet chipped in with a double.
Shiocton Tournament
I-S 8, Shiocton 1
SHIOCTON – Huettner allowed five hits and two walks while striking out 14 batters and also had three hits, including a double. Oppor, Denisha Erno and Faldet each had two hits. Oppor, Erno and Holly Boyle each had a double.
I-S 14, W-B 1
SHIOCTON – Huettner pitched the first three innings and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out six batters. Oppor pitched the final four innings and allowed one hit and two walks while striking out one batter. Bloom and Huettner each had three hits. Sophie Erdmann, Oppor and Emily Bonikowske each had two hits.
I-S 10, Tri-County 9
SHIOCTON – I-S scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to come from behind to beat Tri-County.
Oppor allowed 10 hits and two walks while striking out six batters. Erdmann and Huettner each had three hits. Erdmann had a double and Bloom and Emily Bonikowske each had two hits. Bonikowske, Erno and Oppor had a double.
The varsity team will wrap up its regular season schedule today (Thursday, May 17) by hosting Shiocton at 4:30 p.m. The T-Birds will begin regional tournament play at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 24.
The JV team will play its final game of the season at 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 21, at Amherst.