This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – The normally potent offense of the Spencer softball team was negated with a superb pitching performance from Stratford’s Liz Krum.
Krum allowed just four hits, walked only two and struck out nine to lead fourth-seeded Stratford to an 8-1 upset over No. 1 Spencer in a WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal on Thursday at Spencer High School.
The Rockets, winners of the Cloverbelt Conference East Division championship, finish the season with a 17-5 record. Stratford (8-7) moves on to the regional final on Thursday at Marathon (10-3). That game will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and wdlbwosq.com.
Spencer, which averaged 10.7 runs per game heading into the playoffs, scratched out one run in the bottom of the first inning. Marisa Johnson led off with a single and ended up scoring on when Sam Nikolay reached on an error.
Eventually, Nikolay was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice by Brooke Kettleborough, who was subsequently thrown out trying to move to second base on the throw home. The threat of a big inning ended and Krum cruised from there.
Krum sent down eight in a row after the double play in the first and only two runners made it into scoring position. Kettleborough and Paige Johnson singled with one out in the fourth before Krum struck out the next two hitters. She stranded one runner in each of the final three innings to preserve the victory.
The Tigers scored all eight of their runs with two four-run innings in the fourth and seventh.
Casey Kolbeck scored on a wild pitch, Dallas Adams had a two-run double and Tanna Wirkus followed with an RBI double – all with two outs in the fourth – to put Stratford up 4-1.
The Tigers finished the scoring in the top of the seventh when Kolbeck was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Hannah Schmitt delivered a bases-clearing triple to make it 8-1.
Tigers 8, Rockets 1
Stratford 000 400 4 – 8 8 1
Spencer 100 000 0 – 1 4 2
WP: Liz Krum. LP: Tynae Phillips.
SO: Krum 9; Phillips 7, Macie Weber 1. BB: Krum 2; Phillips 10, Weber 0.
Top hitters: ST, Casey Kohlbeck 1×2, 2 runs, RBI; Hannah Schmitt 3B, 3 RBIs; Dallas Adams 2B, 2 RBIs; Tanna Wirkus 2×4, 2B, RBI.
Records: Stratford 8-7; Spencer 17-5.