T-Birds split with Indians
By Greg Seubert
It was going to happen sooner or later.
For the Iola-Scandinavia baseball and softball teams, the first game of the season turned out to be much later than expected.
While most area teams have already played a handful of games, the Thunderbirds had to wait until their Central Wisconsin Conference East Division matchups April 12 with Weyauwega-Fremont.
The baseball team handed the Indians a 3-1 loss, but the I-S softball team fell 17-2.
I-S 3, W-F 1
The Thunderbird baseball team, playing for the first time since a 5-4 loss to Laconia last June in a WIAA Division 3 state semifinal, scored a run in the top of the third inning and added two more in the fourth.
Justin Sivertson and Marcus Jaworski had two hits as the T-Birds outhit the Indians 5-3. Connor Kurki struck out seven batters over four innings to pick up the win on the mound.
W-F 17, I-S 2 (5 inn.)
I-S scored twice in the top of the first, but that turned out to be the only offense the T-Bird softball team could come up with.
The lead didn’t last long, as the Indians scored 12 times in the first before adding five more in the second.
Seven players drove in at least one run as the Indians outhit the T-Birds 15-3.
Mackenzie Kielblock, Olivia Schustek and Erin Charles has hits for the T-Birds. Charles drove in a run and Kielblock and Hannah Melum scored.
Kiley Akey and Cadyn Ehrenberg homered off of Kielblock in the first inning. Ehrenberg finished with four hits and four RBIs, while Akey picked up the win and also drove in three runs.
Taylor Folk had three hits for the Indians, while Kati Kettleson, Julia Rice and Kiley Akey had two as W-F improved to 5-0 on the season.