WWIB/WOGO Podcasts
WWIB/WOGO Podcasts
In a battle of two state-ranked squads, the Lady Macks (20-2, 12-2 Western Cloverbelt Conference) faced a deep and talented lineup in the Vikings (20-4, 14-0 Dunn-St. Croix Conference).
McDonell pitcher Katie Ruf was simply spectacular, striking out a dozen batters before a ball was even put in play - a pop-up which she promptly caught. For the game, the senior allowed just one base runner (via a walk) and struck out 15 Colfax batters in a dominant no-hitter.
At the plate, a number of Lady Macks brought their "A" game, including freshman center fielder Rylie Christenson-Richardson, who went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, and junior left fielder Kendall Hepfler, who finished 3-4 with a pair of doubles as the Lady Macks emphatically earned a Division 4 Regional Championship.
Chippewa Falls (23-5) freshman pitcher, Violet McIlquham, struck out nine en route to shutting out Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln (15-9) in the Division 1 Regional Final at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls.
Senior 2B Mykle Buhrow, provided all the offense the Cards would need with her solo home run in the bottom of the 4th. Senior RF Emma McIlquham hit a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the 5th, as Freshman 3B Georgia Romanowski also scored on a passed ball after reaching on a single. The Cards blew the game wide open in the bottom of the 6th with six runs on their way to the win.
Next up is the Division 1 Sectional Semi-Final Tuesday, May 28th, at top-seeded Stevens Point (23-2), who earned their way there with a 5-0 win over Menomonie in the Regional Final.
In their playoff opener, the Lady Macks (19-2, 12-2 Western Cloverbelt Conference) faced a young but talented team in the Beavers (8-13, 5-8 Large Dairyland Conference), who were riding high after their program's first playoff victory in five years.
McDonell senior pitcher Katie Ruf quickly slammed the door on Augusta's hope of an upset, striking out 7 of the first 9 batters she faced.
The Lady Macks led 9-0 when the game was suspended in the bottom of the fourth because of lightning. After a gap in the stormy weather appeared - and thanks to a lot of hard work from coaches on both sides - the surface at Casper was made playable again and McDonell made the most of it, plating 6 runs in the fourth to end the game by run rule.
Ruf finished with 9 Ks in a four-inning no-hitter, while the McDonell offense was led by freshman shortstop Kelsey Bremness, who went 3 for 3 at the plate with a pair of doubles and 3 RBIs, while her fellow freshman, center fielder Rylie Christenson-Richardson, was 2-2 with a pair of walks and three runs scored, matching the tally of junior left fielder Kendall Hepfler.
