Hot hitting and solid pitching helped the Iola-Scandinavia softball team pick up four recent wins.
After getting soundly beat by Stevens Point Pacelli six days earlier, the Thunderbirds handed the Cardinals an 8-5 defeat April 23 in a rematch of Central Wisconsin 8 Conference teams.
The T-Birds also picked up a 20-3 win April 24 over Wild Rose and defeated Auburndale 17-0 and Tigerton 19-7 April 25.
I-S improved to 8-3 overall and 3-2 in CWC-8 play with the wins.
I-S 8, Pacelli 5
IOLA – Down 3-1 going into the bottom of the third inning, the T-Birds scored three runs in the third and four runs in the fifth for a come-from-behind victory. The win gave the T-Birds a season split with the Cardinals and allows the I-S to stay in contention for the conference crown.
“This was a very nice win for us, especially after not playing well against them last Friday,” coach Tom Anderson said.
“I especially liked how all our starters got a hit,” he said. “It is so important for the success of this team that everyone contributes in a positive way offensively and defensively. Our three bottom hitters – Brooklyn Podgorny, Kaylin Ellioff and Jessica Faldet – combined for four hits and drove in two runs. Plus, by being on base, it makes leadoff hitter Kylie Johnson’s three-run home run in the fifth inning possible and gives us an 8-4 lead. I can’t say enough good things about our pitcher Kendall Johnson and our catcher Jane Oligney on the game they played against a very good-hitting Pacelli team.”
Kendall Johnson went the distance to earn the win, allowing 10 hits and one walk while striking out seven batters.
Brooke Phillips had three hits, including a solo home run in the third inning. Brianne Huettner, Oligney and Podgorny each had two hits and Huettner had a double in the second inning. Kylie Johnson’s home run over the center field fence came after Ellioff and Faldet had singled.
I-S 20, Wild Rose 3 (5 inn.)
IOLA – Iola-Scandinavia scored 10 runs each in the second and third innings en route to a 20-3 nonconference win over the Wildcats.
Huettner scattered three hits, gave up four walks and struck out four batters to get the win on the mound.
Phillips, Oligney, Kendall Johnson and Faldet each had three of the T-Birds’ 18 hits. Phillips and Oligney each had two doubles and drove in one and two runs, respectively; Faldet drove in two runs on a single in the second inning; Jayden Podgorny added two hits; Kylie Johnson drove in three runs; and Huettner and Brooklyn Podgorny drove in two runs each.
I-S 17, Auburndale 0 (3 inn.)
AUBURNDALE – I-S scored six, eight and three runs in the first three innings for a 17-0 victory over Auburndale in a game stopped after three innings due to the 15-run rule.
Kendall Johnson faced only 11 batters in three innings of work to earn the win. She allowed two hits and no walks and finished with six strikeouts.
Faldet had three hits and drove in four runs; Phillips, Oligney, Brooklyn Podgorny and Ellioff each had two hits; Phillips hit a three-run home run in the second inning; and Huettner, Oligney, Podgorny and Ellioff each had a double.
I-S 19, Tigerton 7 (5 inn.)
AUBURNDALE – The T-Birds wrapped up play at the Auburndale Invitational with a five-inning win over the Tigers.
All nine starting batters had at least one hit for the fourth game in a row.
Phillips pitched the first 2 1/3 innings and allowed six hits and four walks. Huettner pitched the final 2 2/3 innings and allowed one hit and struck out five batters.
Oligney, Baleigh Fuhs and Karly Honken each had three hits for the T-Birds. Fuhs had two doubles and drove in five runs, while Honken had a double and a two-run home run in the third inning to finish with four RBIs on the day.
Oligney had three RBIs; Huettner had two hits and drove in two runs, including a leadoff line drive home run in the fourth inning; Kendall Johnson had a double; Megan Thulien had a run-scoring single to right field in her first at-bat and also drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in her first varsity game.
Honken made the T-Birds’ defensive play of the game in right field with a diving catch on a fly ball hit to her to lead off the fourth inning.
The junior varsity team posted a 1-2 record this past week. The T-Birds beat Manawa 18-16 April 21, fell to Pacelli 19-7 April 23 and came up short April 24 to P.J. Jacobs, 13-9.
The JV team will play at Wittenberg-Birnamwood today (Thursday, April 30) before coming home to host Weyauwega-Fremont Thursday, May 7. Both of these games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, the varsity team will host Wittenberg-Birnamwood today before traveling to Manawa Monday, May 4, and Weyauwega-Fremont Thursday, May 7. All three games are scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m.