Witt-Birn softball team eliminates Menominee Indian

Chargers cruise to win in 3 innings
By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School softball team topped Menominee Indian 18-3 in three innings during a rainy Division 3 regional quarterfinal playoff matchup on May 19 in Wittenberg.

It was Menominee Indian that scored the game’s first run, but Witt-Birn rattled off 17 runs over its first two half-innings to take control. The 10th-seeded Eagles scored twice in the top of the third to extend the game, but the seventh-seeded Chargers added a run in the bottom half to reach the 15-run rule.

“I think we did good watching the ball, and then we got our walks. But when we got our swings, we got the ball into play and that was really big when we got down,” said Witt-Birn’s Jadalynn Davids.

The Chargers drew six walks in the opening inning, with all the runners coming around to score. Halle Beversdorf and Kaylee Schram drew the first two walks and both scored on an error after a bunt from Makayla Meronk.

Sophia Lemieux drew a bases-loaded walk to force in Meronk before Evelyn Fletcher scored on a wild pitch. Emily Niles, Lemieux and Kylee Beversdorf scored on another Menominee Indian error, and then Halle Beversdorf scored her second run in the inning on a wild pitch to make it 8-1 after an inning.

In the second frame, the Chargers did their damage with the bats, drawing just two walks.

It didn’t look like it would be a big inning after Schram scored on a Gwenneth Groshek groundout for the second out, but the next nine batters reached after that.

Lemieux drove in Fletcher and Niles with a single before Kylee Beversdorf plated Lemieux with a single. Davids later clubbed a two-run double, scoring Kalene Rasmussen and Halle Beversdorf. Groshek then plated Davids, Schram and Meronk with a double.

Halle Beversdorf had the walk-off hit for Witt-Birn in the third, driving in Madisyn Sippl.

“We were on the bats really well,” said Schram of the 18-run outburst. “We only had, like, one or two strikeouts the whole game, and then we were watching our pitches. And when they were there, we were swinging. A lot of people had really good hits.”

Jami Wendler pitched the first inning for Witt-Birn, while Meronk got the last six outs.

The win moves Witt-Birn into the regional semifinals, where No. 2 Oconto awaits. The Chargers will travel to Oconto for that game on May 24.

Ashlee Corn was one of three Eagles to walk in the top of the first inning, and she came around to score on a wild pitch. A big inning was thwarted by a lineout that turned into an inning-ending double play.

Sam Wilber singled to open the third inning before moving to third on a Corn double. Aniya Peters plated Wilber on a groundout, and Shauna Madosh brought home Corn with an infield hit.

Peters pitched the entire game for the Eagles.

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