By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield softball team has learned throughout the course of the season that the better it plays on the defensive end, the better chance it has of winning.
The Tigers played near-perfect defense during Wednesday’s WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal, and it resulted in a 4-3 victory over Wausau West at the Marshfield Fairgrounds.
Marshfield (15-9) plays Chippewa Falls (22-3) for the sectional championship at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Fairgounds. The winner will play in the WIAA State Softball Tournament on June 17 in Madison.
The Tigers turned three double plays and did not commit an error in the victory, their second of the season in three meetings against West.
“We played tough defense during the course of the game and came up with some big hits when we needed them,” Marshfield coach Mike Voss said. “(Pitcher) Rhiannon (Baierl) hurt herself with a few walks, but when she needed to get a strikeout, she seemed to get it, and I can’t say enough about the defense we played.”
Baierl allowed a single and a walk, and hit a batter in the first inning as she got off to a shaky start for the Tigers.
Emily Brandt, who led off the game with a single for West, scored on a wild pitch to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Marshfield responded with what proved to be its most clutch rally of the season thus far as it took advantage of some poor defense by West.
Andie Varsho led off with a single. Lindsey Duerr sacrifice bunted and the throw to first base by third baseman Niki Zimick was errant, allowing Varsho to go to third. Duerr promptly stole second and Taylor Varsho put Marshfield ahead on one swing of the bat, ripping a single to plate two runs.
After another sacrifice by Raelynn Wingert, Baierl singled to score Taylor Varsho to make it 3-1.
“We got out to that strong start in the first inning and without that, it’s a whole different ballgame,” Voss said. “We came out with some big hits to start it.”
Baierl settled in after that, using a 6-2-5 double play to get out of a bases loaded jam in the second, but Amanda Fischer did her best to rattle the Tigers pitcher.
Fischer led off the third inning with a double to left-center field and scored on a one-out single by West pitcher Sammy Laatsch, making it 3-2.
The Tigers got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Kristen Kniech drove in pinch-runner Sara Sturomski with single, putting the Tigers up 4-2.
Fischer wasn’t done, leading off the fifth with a towering home run deep over the center field fence to again bring the Warriors to within a run at 4-3.
Baierl retired the next four hitters before Zimick singled with one out in the sixth. The Tigers’ defense stepped up again when Taylor Varsho snared a line drive at shortstop and threw to first baseman Morgan Chaffin to double up Zimick to end the inning – the second such play made by Varsho and Chaffin made in the game. Varsho also made a leaping catch on a liner in the fourth inning and doubled off Taylor Utecht.
“At shortstop you really have to know the infield and you really have to cover lots of ground,” Taylor Varsho said. “Those double plays really pumped us up.”
Baierl retired the side in order in the seventh, including getting Fischer to groundout for the final out, preserving the victory and sending the Tigers into the sectional championship game against Big Rivers Conference champion Chippewa Falls, which is searching for its sixth trip to the state tournament in the last nine years, including last year.
“I know they (Chippewa Falls) are a good, tough team and with teams like that, almost like a Stevens Point, you have to come ready to play and can’t afford to make mistakes against them,” Voss said. “Hopefully we can come and play strong defense against them and get some bats going and make something happen.
“We’re on a roll now and hopefully that will help us out.”
Tigers 4, Warriors 3
Wausau West 101 010 0 – 3 7 3
Marshfield 301 000 x – 4 8 0
WP: Rhiannon Baierl. LP: Sammy Laatsch.
SO: Laatsch 0; Baierl 4. BB: Laatsch 0; Baierl 3.
Top hitters: W, Amanda Fischer 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 2 runs; RBI; Emily Brandt 2-for-4, run. M, Andie Varsho 2-for-4, 2B, run; Taylor Varsho 2-for-3, 2 RBIs, run.
Records: Wausau West 15-10; Marshfield 15-9.
