This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield softball team’s bats were hot early and it proved to be more than enough for junior pitching standout Megan Donahue.
Marshfield scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and Donahue tossed a two-hit shutout as the Tigers won 8-0 in a WIAA Division 1 softball regional semifinal Tuesday at the Marshfield Fairgrounds.
Marshfield (17-5) moves on to a regional final Friday against the winner of Wednesday’s game between Superior (14-3) and Wausau East (1-17). Unless East pulls off a major upset, the game will be at Superior.
The first four Marshfield batters reached in the first inning against New Richmond (11-11) pitcher Erin Peterson. Donahue’s RBI single made it 1-0, Melissa Roberts had an RBI fielder’s choice, Kate Konrardy had a deep sacrifice fly, Donahue scored on a wild pitch, and Jordan Pretsch delivered an RBI single to put the Tigers up 5-0.
“We were enthusiastic before the game and I knew we were going to come out and do well,” Marshfield coach Dan Costa said. “The girls were fired up to play this game. After the first inning, we got a little too anxious at the plate. That’s the danger of coming out with so much aggression at first.”
Donahue pounded the strike zone, rarely falling behind. She struck out 11 and didn’t walk a batter. The Marshfield defense was solid behind her with no errors, and singles by Dani Reali in the third and Bailey Williams in the fifth were New Richmond’s only two baserunners of the game.
“She’s not walking people, hammering the strike zone, just a different player this year than she was last year,” Costa said about Donahue. “Not that she wasn’t fantastic last year, but she’s more consistent, she’s enjoying herself and having fun. I think she’s left all of this about where’s she going to college, where she’s not going to college, and just going out and having fun.
Emily Draeger and Roberts had RBI singles in the fourth, and Morgan Nordbeck knocked in another run in the fifth to provide Marshfield with some added insurance.
Jenna Jakobi and Nordbeck each finished 3-for-4, and Draeger, Donahue, and Roberts each had two hits for Marshfield, which had 13 in all.
Marshfield 8, New Richmond 0
New Richmond 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Marshfield 500 210 x – 8 13 0
WP: Megan Donahue. LP: Erin Peterson.
SO: Peterson 4; Donahue 11. BB: Peterson 2; Donahue 0.
Top hitters: M, Jenna Jakobi 3×4, 2 runs; Morgan Nordbeck 3×4, 2 RBIs, run; Emily Draeger 2×4, RBI, run; Donahue 2×4, run, RBI; Melissa Roberts 2×4, run, 2 RBIs.
Records: New Richmond 11-11; Marshfield 17-5.