By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield softball team found itself down 4-0 in the fourth inning but weren’t about to give up on its quest for a win in its season finale, and a shot at second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
The Tigers fought back to force extra innings, but Wisconsin Rapids scored an unearned run with two outs in the top of the 11th inning and beat Marshfield 6-5 on Thursday at the Central Wisconsin Fairgrounds.
Taylor Varsho’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh scored Andie Varsho to tie the score at 5-5..
Both teams had multiple chances to go ahead or win it in extra innings. Marshfield led the bases loaded in both the ninth and 10th innings, and Rapids stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and left two on base in the ninth.
The Raiders finally took the lead in the 11th when pinch runner Catherine Weinhold scored all the way from first on a single and a throwing error. Rapids pitcher Kelsey Kuhn sent the Tigers down in order in the bottom of the inning to preserve the win.
The game was the second time the Tigers and Raiders went extra innings this season. Wisconsin Rapids beat Marshfield 12-11 in 10 innings on April 22.
“This is one of those teams that we match-up well with they play us really tough,” Marshfield coach Mike Voss said. “It seems like every team has a team like that, and Rapids seems to be the one for us. We had a lot of chances, we just couldn’t come up with one more big hit when we needed it.”
Emily Romanski and Kuhn had RBI singles, and Shelby Steinke knocked in two runs with a single as the Raiders took a 4-0 lead in the fourth.
The Tigers battled back with a run on an RBI groundout by Raelyn Wingert in the fourth and another on a Lindsey Duerr RBI single in the fifth.
Rapids scored an unearned run in the sixth to make it 5-2, but the Tigers weren’t finished.
Kristen Kniech had a two-run single in the sixth and Taylor Varsho knocked in the tying run in the seventh to force extra innings.
Rhiannon Baierl allowed 17 hits and struck out three, going the entire way for Marshfield in a gutty performance.
Marshfield has a bye in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 playoffs and host the winner of Tuesday’s Merrill-Antigo game in a regional final next Thursday, June 3, at the Central Wisconsin Fairgrounds.
“We have a team that can win our first couple of games and get into the sectionals,” Voss said. “I don’t see why, if we play the way we did in nine of the 11 innings tonight, we can’t be in position.”
Raiders 6, Tigers 5 (11 inn.)
Wisconsin Rapids 000 401 000 01 – 6 17 3
Marshfield 000 112 100 00 – 5 11 4
WP: Kelsey Kuhn. LP: Rhiannon Baierl.
SO: Kuhn 5; Baierl 3. BB: Kuhn 6; Baierl 5.
Top hitters: WR, Megan Melville 2-for-5; Maisie Langhoff 3-for-5; Erica Langhoff 3-for-5, 2B; Shelby Steinke 3-for-5, 2 RBIs; Kuhn 2-for-4. M, Andie Varsho 2-for-5; Taylor Varsho 2-for-5; Kristen Kniech 2 RBIs; Morgan Chaffin 2-for-5; Becky Boehning 2-for-5, 2B.
Records: Wisconsin Rapids 9-10, 6-6 Wisconsin Valley; Marshfield 13-9, 7-5 Wisconsin Valley.
