MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield softball team would have liked a sweep of Wausau West on Monday to have the best chance at staying in the Wisconsin Valley Conference title chase, but the Tigers had to settle for a split.
After winning the first game 5-4, the Tigers lost the second 12-2 at the Central Wisconsin Fairgrounds to move to 10-6 overall and 4-2 in the Valley. West is now 9-6 and 4-2 in the Valley.
Stevens Point, which the Tigers play in a doubleheader on Saturday, is at 3-0 on top of the Valley.
Taylor Varsho had the big hit of the day for the Tigers. Marshfield trailed 4-2 in the sixth inning of the opening game when Andie Varsho singled and Morgan Chaffin reached on an error. Taylor Varsho followed with a three-run home run to put the Tigers on top 5-4 and Rhiannon Baierl (one strikeout, seven walks) slammed the door in the seventh to preserve the win.
“Fortunately we came back with Taylor’s homer in the sixth,” Marshfield coach Mike Voss said. “It was a pretty even match the first game and we were fortunate to get that win.”
In Game 2, West started hitting a tiring Baierl and the Tigers had no answer. The Warriors cracked 16 hits, including three each from Amanda Fischer and Mackenzie Fischer, and a double and a home run by Miranda Spangberg.
Andie Varsho was 3-for-3 and accounted for three of Marshfield’s five hits.
“(Baierl) was a little bit under the weather and started getting tired,” Voss said. “(West) started hitting the ball and there was not much we could do to stop it. It was one of those games, they were swinging the bats and making contact, advancing runners and scored some runs because of it.”
The Tigers now have no margin for error over the second half of the Valley schedule. With Stevens Point dominating the competition so far to the tune of a 52-1 scoring margin, Marshfield will have to be at its best the rest of the way to have a chance of sticking in the conference title chase.
“It was unfortunate to lose a game, at the same time we split with them and go into tomorrow (Tuesday) night’s game at D.C. Everest for another big game,” Voss said. “We need to come back and hopefully get back on the winning track going into Saturday.”
Game 1
Tigers 5, Warriors 4
West 010 030 0 – 4 6 4
Marshfield 100 103 x – 5 6 2
WP: Rhiannon Baierl. LP: Sammy Laatsch.
SO: Laatsch 0; Baierl 1. BB: Laatsch 1; Baierl 7.
Top hitters: W, Amanda Fischer 2-for-4. M, Taylor Varsho 2-for-2, 2B, HR, 4 RBIs; Raelyn Wingert 2-for-3.
Game 2
Warriors 12, Tigers 2
Marshfield 000 110 – 2 5 2
West 114 042 – 12 16 1
WP: Laatsch. LP: Baierl.
SO: Baierl 1; Laatsch 1. BB: Baierl 3; Laatsch 0.
Top hitters: W, Mackenzie Fischer 3-for-4; Amanda Fischer 3-for-4; Miranda Spangberg 2-for-3, 2B, HR. M, Andie Varsho 3-for-3.
Records: West 9-6, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley; Marshfield 10-6, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley.
