I-S softball team returning to state
By Greg Seubert
Sectional wins over a pair of top-seeded softball teams are sending the Iola-Scandinavia Thunderbirds back to state for the second year in a row.
The T-Birds used a pair of seventh-inning home runs from Jaelyn Sivertson and Maddie Much to beat Algoma 3-2 June 1 in a Division 4 sectional final in Crivitz.
Iola-Scandinavia also opened sectional play May 30 with a 9-6 win over Bonduel on the Bears’ home field.
The T-Birds are seeded fourth at state and will take on another No. 1 seed – Grantsburg – at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at Goodman Diamond in Madison in one of two semifinal games. The winner will play No. 2 Stratford or No. 3 Waterloo at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 10, for a state championship.
Iola-Scandinavia 3, Algoma 2
The T-Birds trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning before Sivertson tied the game with a solo home run with two outs and Much added an inside-the-park home run that gave Iola-Scandinavia its first lead.
Brooklyn Berrens added to the lead after she singled, stole second base and scored on an error.
Macie Zimmerman had given the Wolves a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the sixth inning. Algoma came up with a run in the bottom of the seventh and had runners at first and second, but Macie Zimmerman hit into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
Much picked up the win on the mound and also had three of the T-Birds’ nine hits, while Berrens added two.
Iola-Scandinavia 9, Bonduel 6
The T-Birds fell to the Bears twice during the regular season, but eliminated them from the state tournament for the second year in a row.
Sivertson singled, stole second, reached third on an error and scored on Berrens’ single in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Bonduel tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the inning.
After Bonduel took a 3-1 lead in the third inning, the T-Birds scored a run in the fourth. Jadyn Krusa singled to right field to score Marin Hoyord from second base.
Iola-Scandinavia took the lead for good with three runs in the fifth inning and four more in the sixth. Sivertson led off the fifth with a home run to left field. Much, Berrens and Julia Munoz had RBI singles in the sixth and Hoyord drove in a run with a double.
Berrens and Sivertson led the T-Birds at the plate with three hits, while Much added two and also picked up the win on the mound.