T-Birds sweep Warhawks
Iola-Scandinavia softball team also falls to Waupaca
By Greg Seubert
The Iola-Scandinavia softball team won all three of its Central Wisconsin Conference-East games before splitting a pair of nonconference contests.
The Thunderbirds bounced back from an earlier loss to Amherst to beat the Falcons 12-2 May 9. The T-Birds also swept a CWC-East doubleheader over Weyauwega-Fremont, 5-0 and 3-2, May 12.
Iola-Scandinavia then fell to Waupaca 8-7 and handed Marathon a 8-4 defeat May 14 in Waupaca.
Iola-Scandy 12, Amherst 2 (5 inn.)
ITrailing 2-0, Iola-Scandinavia scored five runs in the first inning and added five more in the second and third innings to coast to a 12-2 victory over Amherst.
The T-Birds outhit the Falcons 10-4 and also took advantage of several defensive miscues.
Clara Koles had three hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. Alexa Christoph had a two-run home run in the second inning and Myah Heschke added a two-run single in the first inning.
Maddie Much pitched five innings to earn the win, allowing four hits and striking out one batter.
Iola-Scandy 5, Wega-Fremont 0
After two scoreless innings, Iola-Scandinavia scored two runs in the third inning and went on to a 5-0 shutout victory over the Warhawks.
Much opened the scoring in the third with a run-scoring single and a wild pitch. The T-Birds added two more runs in the fifth, as Jaelyn Sivertson and Makayla Much scored on bunts by Alexa Christoph and Koles, respectively. The final run came in the sixth inning, as Marin Hoyord scored from second on Sivertson’s single.
Hoyord, Maddie Much, Makayla Much and Sivertson each had two hits to account for all of the T-Birds’ hits. Maddie Much went the distance to earn the win.
Iola-Scandy 3, Wega-Fremont 2
Iola-Scandinavia broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning and held on to beat Weyauwega-Fremont to complete the sweep.
Four of the game’s five runs came on passed balls or a wild pitch.
The T-Birds took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Maddie Much doubled and eventually scored on a passed ball. The Warhawks took a 2-1 lead in the fourth after Kelsie Bleck reached base on a hit-by-pitch and Olivia Witkowski singled. Both runners scored on a wild pitch and passed ball, respectively.
The T-Birds tied the game in the bottom of the fourth inning as Christoph walked and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Iola-Scandinavia scored the winning run in the sixth after Sivertson singled, stole second, advanced to third on Makayla Much’s bunt single and scored on Maddie Much’s sacrifice fly.
Julia Munoz started the game and pitched the first six innings to earn the win and Maddie Much pitched the final inning to pick up the save.
Waupaca 8 , Iola-Scandy 7 (8 inn.)
Waupaca scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat Iola- Scandinavia in the first game of a triangular with Marathon.
Emmy Nickel scored the winning run from third on Ava Degen’s fielder’s choice ground ball hit to third.
The Thunderbirds took a 4-0 lead after their first three at bats, but the Comets responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 4-3. Waupaca added four more runs in the inning to take its first lead 7-4 before Iola-Scandinavia tied the game with one run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth.
Koles had four hits, including a double and a RBI, for the T-Birds, while Heschke and Maddie Much each had two hits. Much had a two-run triple in the third inning and Chloe Timdal also had a double.
Iola-Scandy 8, Marathon 4
Iola-Scandinavia scored seven runs in the fourth inning, added another run in the fifth and held on to beat Marathon.
Christoph and Koles each had three hits and an RBI; Julia Munoz had two hits and an RBI; and Sivertson had a two-run single in the seven-run fourth inning.
Maddie Much pitched all seven innings to earn the win, allowing 10 hits and striking out three batters.
Iola-Scandinavia will travel to Shiocton Thursday, May 19, to play its final regular-season game. The T-Birds, a No. 3 seed in Division 4 for the upcoming WIAA state tournament, will then host the sixth-seeded Chiefs at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, in a regional semifinal.
If the T-Birds win, they will play the winner of the game between No. 2 Coleman and No. 7 Algoma for a regional championship on Thursday, May 26.
The higher seed will host the game.