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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STEVENS POINT – Stevens Point Area Senior High’s Kelly Franks is regarded as one of the best high school softball pitchers in state and she showed why on Tuesday against Marshfield.
Franks tossed a five-inning perfect game, striking out 11, to lead the Panthers to an 11-0 win over the Tigers.
SPASH improves to 10-1 and a perfect 6-0 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference, and extends Marshfield’s WVC losing streak to five (1-5 overall, 0-5 WVC).
Nicky Hauser was 3-for-3 with two doubles, a three-run home run and four RBIs for the Panthers.
“We’re not used to facing anyone with that kind of speed and control and she makes it tough,” Marshfield coach Mike Voss said of Franks. “We had a few nice at-bats but couldn’t get anything to go through. They play good defense, too, and it makes it tough to get anything going.”
Marshfield committed two errors, one with two outs in the third inning prior to Hauser’s home run. However, Voss was happy with the second straight solid defensive performance by the Tigers.
“The one error really hurt in the third inning and kind of got them going,” Voss said. “But we palyed much better defensively and we keep improving. Rhiannon Baierl probably pitched her best game of the year, with only one walk. She got ahead in the count and made them hit it, and we came up with some nice plays behind her. Those were the positives we can take out of the game.”
Marshfield plays at Merrill on Thursday.
Panthers 11, Tigers 0
Marshfield 000 00 – 0 0 2
Stevens Point 205 4x – 11 12 0
WP: Kelly Franks. LP: Rhiannon Baierl.
SO: Baierl 1; Franks 11. BB: Baierl 1; Franks 0.
Records: Stevens Point 10-1, 6-0 Wisconsin Valley; Marshfield 1-5, 0-5 WVC.