T-Birds win four of five
Softball season winding down
By Greg Seubert
The Iola-Scandinavia softball team posted a 4-1 record in its recent game and improved to 10-3 on the season.
The Thunderbirds swept a Central Wisconsin Conference-East doubleheader from Menominee Indian May 2; dropped a CWC-East game to Amherst May 3; returned from Wittenberg May 5 following a 14-1 CWC-East win over Wittenberg-Birnamwood; and wrapped up the week May 6 with a 5-4 nonconference win over St. Mary Central in a game played in Seymour.
Iola-Scandinavia 15, Menominee Indian 0 (4 inn.)
Iola-Scandinavia 19, Menominee Indian 0 (3 inn.)
Iola-Scandinavia scored five runs in the first two innings and went on to hand Menominee Indian a 15-0 loss in the first game.
Myah Heschke and Jadyn Krusa each had two of the T-Birds’ eight hits and drove in two runs.
Maddie Much held the Eagles to one hit and struck out four batters.
The T-Birds opened the second game with a 16-run first inning after 11 hits and six walks. Alexa Christoph had a grand slam and Heschke and Jaelyn Sivertson each had two-run doubles in the inning.
Christoph, Julia Munoz and Sivertson each had two hits for the game. Christoph and Heschke had five and three RBIs, while Chloe Timdal drove in a pair of runs.
Munoz held the Eagles hitless and finished the game with five strikeouts.
Amherst 6, Iola-Scandinavia 0
The T-Birds headed to Amherst, but returned home with a loss to the Falcons in a battle for second place in the CWC-East standings.
Amherst scored three runs in the first two innings and added three more in the final two frames.
The Falcons outhit the T-Birds 11-3 and Iola-Scandinavia only had one runner get to third base. Sivertson, Much and Heschke had the only hits for the T-Birds.
Munoz started the game on the mound and pitched 1 1/3 innings in taking the loss.
Iola-Scandinavia 14, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 1 (5 inn.)
Iola-Scandinavia scored five runs in the first inning and added more runs in each of the next four innings in a win over the Chargers.
The T-Birds outhit the Chargers 15-6. Much started on the mound and helped herself offensively with four hits, including a run-scoring double in the fifth inning. Heschke and Makayla Much each had three hits; Heschke drove in four runs and had two doubles; and Much drove in two runs; Christoph and Sivertson each had two hits, with Sivertson scoring a run on a sacrifice fly; and Marin Hoyord and Timdal each drove in two runs.
Iola-Scandinavia 5, St. Mary Catholic 4
Iola-Scandinavia scored the winning run after Hoyord drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Timdal in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure a 5-4 victory of St. Mary’s Catholic.
The game was played at Seymour High School, as St. Mary Catholic’s field is under construction and Iola-Scandinavia’s was already being used.
The T-Birds took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Sivertson singled, stole second and scored on Christoph’s double. Christoph eventually scored on an error on a ball hit by Koles.
The T-Birds added a run in the second inning, as Hoyord singled and scored from second on Sivertson’s single.
After the Zephyrs tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the third inning, Iola-Scandinavia scored a run in the fifth. Christoph drew a walk and eventually scored on Maddie Much’s single.
The Zephyrs responded right away with a run of their own in the sixth inning to knot the score at 4-4.
After holding the Zephyrs scoreless in the top of the seventh, the T-Birds loaded the bases with one out. Timdal hit a fly ball that should have scored Koles from third base, but coach Tom Anderson mistakenly did not have Koles tag-up. Hoyord, the next batter, then drew the bases-loaded to end the game.
“We talk about this all the time with our players: when you are on third with less than two outs and a fly ball is hit, you need to tag up,” Anderson. “I messed up. I got caught up in the excitement when Chloe hit the ball hard into the gap and thought that there was no way that ball was going to be caught, but sure enough, it was. Thankfully, Clara made it back to third. I was very happy that Marin drew the walk that scored Clara to get us the win. I owe Chloe a game-winning RBI.”
Maddie Much pitched the final inning to pick up the win, but Munoz started the game and pitched the first six innings.
Iola-Scandinavia will head to Weyauwega Thursday, May 12, for a CWC-East doubleheader with Weyauwega-Fremont. The T-Birds will also play a pair of games Saturday, May 14, at Waupaca High School. Iola-Scandinavia will face Waupaca at 10 a.m. before taking on Marathon at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Iola-Scandinavia will also host Almond-Bancroft Monday, May 16, before traveling to Wautoma Tuesday, May 17. Both games will start at 4:30 p.m.