This story is sponsored by Norm E Lane Farm
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – D.C. Everest pitcher Brooke Gajewski proved unhittable for four innings and a pair of Marshfield errors proved costly as the Evergreens cruised to a 10-0 win in Wisconsin Valley Conference softball action Thursday at the Marshfield Fairgounds.
Gajewski struck out the first eight batters she faced and allowed just one hit – a one-out single to Katie Treankler in the fifth innings – to earn the win. She finished with 11 strikeouts and walked one for the Evergreens (12-7, 6-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference).
Marshfield (4-14, 2-8 WVC) didn’t get a batter on base until Kelsey Kuehnhold reached on an error with one out in the fifth. Treankler followed with the Tigers’ only hit and Jessi Lyon loaded the bases on Gajewski’s lone walk, but Gajewski got her 11th strikeout and a fly out to center field to end the game, which was Marshfield’s home finale.
“We made a few nice plays to get out of some innings and I was proud of the way, down 10-0, that finally broke up the perfect game and Katie getting a hit to break up the no-hitter,” Marshfield coach Mike Voss said. “We didn’t give up and kept swinging. She (Gajewski) pitched a heck of a game for the first four innings.”
Everest scored twice in the first and three more times in the second inning thanks in part to two costly Marshfield errors.
Rachel Bauman led off the game with an infield single and moved all the way to third on a throwing error. Alayna Krejci followed with a sacrifice fly and Tori Wilke knocked in a run with a single to give the Evergreens a 2-0 lead.
Hollie Locher had an RBI infield single in the second and an error with two outs in the second allowed two more runs to score, putting Everest up 5-0.
Marshfield played errorless ball the rest of the game, but the Everest bats plated five more runs – one in the third on an RBI single by Lauren Anklam and four more in the fourth when it had six hits.
“They are a type of team, that slaps at the ball while hitting, and that’s something we’re not used to seeing,” Voss said. “But a ground ball is still a ground ball and we have to make the play and get the outs. We got off to a bad start and I think we got frustrated at the plate, then it carried over back to the field.”
Wilke finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Bauman, Locher and Dani Obermeier each had two hits for the Evergreens.
The Tigers wrap up the regular season with games at Stevens Point on Tuesday and at Wausau West on May 24.
Evergreens 10, Tigers 0
D.C. Everest 231 40 – 10 13 1
Marshfield 000 00 – 0 1 2
WP: Brooke Gajewski. LP: Caitlin Kozik.
SO: Gajewski 11; Kozik 1, Kelsey Kuehnhold 2. BB: Gajewski 1; Kozik 2, Kuehnhold 1.
Top hitters: DC, Rachel Bauman 2×4, 2 runs; Hollie Locher 2×3, 3 runs; Tori Wilke 3×4, 2 RBIs; Shelby Schirmer 1×1, 2 BBs, 2 runs; Dani Obermeier 2×3. M, Katie Treankler 1×2.
Records: D.C. Everest 12-7, 6-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Marshfield 4-14, 2-8 WVC.