Iola-Scandy team tops Bonduel, Rosholt
By Greg Seubert
The Iola-Scandinavia softball team opened its season with a pair of wins over Bonduel and Rosholt.
Nearly 700 days had passed since the Thunderbirds last played a game. The team opened the season April 27 with an 8-2 Central Wisconsin Conference East Division win over Bonduel and followed that up three days later with a 16-2 win over Rosholt.
I-S 8, Bonduel 2
Iola-Scandinavia broke a 3-2 game open with two runs in the fourth inning and three more in the sixth.
The Thunderbirds outhit the Bears 10-8. Bonduel stranded 12 runners on base and left the bases loaded in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Jaelyn Sivertson led the T-Birds with four hits, including two doubles, and drove in four runs.
Marin Hoyord had two hits and drove in two runs, while Katie Cherek and Alexa Christoph each had singles to drive in a run each.
Iola-Scandinavia took the lead for good in the second inning as Sivertson doubled to score
Taylor Kielblock and Makayla Much, who had reached on a single and walk, respectively, to give the T-Birds a 3-2 lead.
The T-Birds added two more runs in the fourth. Payton Kielblock reached on an error and scored on another Sivertson double. Sivertson later scored on a single by Hoyord.
Iola-Scandinavia scored three more runs in the sixth. After Payton Kielblock was hit by a pitch and Much walked, three straight singles by Sivertson, Cherek and Hoyord drove in the final three runs.
Lizzie Jones pitched 4 1/3 innings to earn the win and freshman Julia Munoz made her high school debut by getting the T-Birds out of a bases-loaded jam with two strikeouts in the fifth. Jones allowed eight hits and four walks while striking out six batters. Munoz earned the save and allowed one hit and struck out two batters in the final 2 2/3 innings.
I-S 16, Rosholt 2 (6 inn.)
Iola-Scandinavia’s pitching staff combined to throw a one-hitter against the Hornets in a game that was stopped after six innings due to the 10 run-rule.
Rosholt’s lone hit was a single to center field by Natalie Rink in the Hornets’ first at-bat of the game.
Jones earned the win while pitching the first two innings. She allowing one walk while striking out two batters. Maddie Much pitched two innings allowing no hits and no walks while striking out four batters; and Sivertson and Munoz each pitched an inning. Sivertson allowed no hits, two walks and had no strikeouts and Munoz allowed no hits, no walks and had no strikeouts.
Jaelyn Sivertson, Cherek and Hoyord each had three hits for the T-Birds. Sivertson had a double and a triple while driving in three runs. The T-Birds also took advantage of 10 walks and six Rosholt errors.
The T-Birds hosted Manawa May 4 and will return to CWC East Division play with a home game Thursday, May 6, against Wittenberg-Birnamwood and a rematch with Bonduel the following day on the Bears’ home field. Both games start at 4:30 p.m.
The Thunderbirds will also head to Tri-County High School in Plainfield Saturday, May 8, for a three-team tournament. The T-Birds will face Wild rose at 9 a.m. before taking on Hilbert/Stockbridge at noon.
Depending on the results of the first two games, the T-Birds will play at 1:30 p.m. or 3 p.m.
The T-Birds will continue their road trip with two East Division games Monday, May 10, at Amherst and Tuesday, May 11, at Menominee Indian. Both games will start at 4:30 p.m.