The Wautoma Varsity softball team opened their season on the road for an eight team tournament on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25 in the Hodag Dome – Rhinelander.
Wautoma’s first game was a 12-2 loss against the Stratford Tigers Friday evening. The Hornets scored first in the bottom of two with a Bryn Gunderson walk, Liv Cieslik sac bunt and Gunderson reaching home on a Braelynn Pica two-out error by the right fielder. Stratford responded with a run in the third to make it 1-1. Wautoma answered back with their only other run in the bottom third thanks to an Ava Stahl walk and steal, Brianna Buechner sac bunt and Sydney Dunn sacrifice RBI. Stratford gained the lead in the fourth inning 3-2 and put the damaging six runs in the fifth inning off of three hits, a walk and some sloppy Hornet defense.
Wautoma only managed four total hits with Buechner (1-1, sac walk), Dunn (1x2, RBI, sac), Ava Butt (1x3) and Gunderson (1x2, BB). Liv Cieslik took the loss going 4 2/3 innings with 6 K’s, 2 BB’s, 8 hits and five earned runs. Larissa Piechowski came in relief going 1 1/3 inning, K, 2 BB, 3 hits and three earned runs.
Wautoma had to play again right away against a solid Thorp Cardinal team since they both lost. The Hornets were able to clip the Cardinals 9-6. Thorp built a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, however, Wautoma answered with a run to cut the deficit to 2-1. The Cardinals added another run in the second inning making it 3-1. Wautoma would get their “Big 3” consecutively in the 4th and 5th inning to create a 7-3 game as Thorp managed a run in the bottom of fourth.
Senior Natalie Perkins did the damage in the fourth inning blasting a 2-run Homerun to left-center scoring Cieslik. The fifth inning came off of Liv Weiss lead-off bleeder, Stahl and Buechner back-to-back walks loading the bases, Dunn got hit-by-pitch RBI and Ava Butt delivering a 2-RBI single. Larissa Piechowski started leaving with a no-decision as Liv Cieslik came in relief to record her first Varsity win in 5 2/3 innings of 7 K’s, 2 BB’s, 4 hits and three earned runs.
The Hornets torched 13 hits with (Butt 3x3, 2 RBI’s, 2 runs and sac), Gunderson (2x4), Cieslik (3x3, 2 RBI’s, run), Stahl (1x2, 3 BB’s, run), Buechner (1x3, 2B, RBI, run, BB), Dunn (1x3, RBI, run, HBP), Perkins (1x3, HR, 2 RBI’s, run) and Weiss (1x2, run) all cashing in.
Wautoma’s final game would be the morning of March 25 with a 13-6 loss to the hands of the Wausau West Warriors. The Warriors opened the flood gates right away scoring six runs with four earned off of five hits and a couple Hornet blunders to make it 6-0. However, sophomore Liv Cieslik found her groove and the Hornets buzzed into it making it 6-3 by the bottom of the fourth inning. Yet, Wausau West attacked again putting a four spot in the bottom fourth frame to extend the lead 10-6.
The Wautoma spoiler all took place with two-outs as the Warriors connected on four hits and a walk sprinkled in. Ava Stahl made her season debut appearance in the fifth and sixth inning as a couple Hornet mistakes allowed three Warrior runs to cross home. The Hornets fought right back with the “Big 3” in the top of five to complete their game scoring thanks in part to a Gunderson 2-out RBI single scoring Stahl and Buechner, who each had singles making it 10-6.
Wautoma ended up collecting 11 hits with (Buechner 2x4, 2 runs), Gunderson (2x2, 2 BB’s, 2 RBI’s), Cieslik (2x3, BB, run, sac), Stahl (1x1, 3 BB’s, SB, 2 runs), (Dunn 1x3, BB), Butt (1x4) and Weiss (1x2) providing the offensive attack. Cieslik took the loss pitching 4 innings, 2 K’s, BB, 11 hits and 6 earned runs while Stahl finished 2 innings, 2 BB’s, 2 hits and an earned run. The Lady Hornets ended up 1-2 overall in the tournament taking 6th place.
“The beauty of this past weekend is we were afforded the opportunity to get three games against stiff competition at the Hodag Dome instead of waiting for lovely Wisconsin white powder on the ground to clear,” Coach Butt mentioned. Furthermore, he added how this was a great early season team bonding experience while learning where the team’s strengths and area of improvement are. Coach Butt extended with saying the team showed plenty of positives in terms of offense but they need to see growth defensively. He has outmost confidence this wonderful young ladies will respond well to the bump in the road – adversity. “We showed PRIDE even with some deficits and fought to the end instead of folding the tent up, Coach Butt said.
Up next for the Lady Hornets are a couple non-conference games with Auburndale coming to Wautoma on March 28, and the team traveling to Princeton-Green Lake in Green Lake on Friday, March 31.
