This story is sponsored by: Chips Hamburgers of Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MADISON – Stratford softball head coach Mandy Pankratz said when her team hit the gym back in March for the opening of practice, she didn’t even think about ending the season at the state tournament.
After winning two of three games at the Hodag Dome in Rhinelander to open the season, Pankratz and her staff knew this team could be special – and they proved it, riding all the way to its first WIAA State Softball Tournament appearance in school history.
However, the Tigers’ magical run came to an end on Thursday night as Waterloo overcame a five-run deficit to defeat Stratford 6-5 in a Division 4 state semifinal at Goodman Diamond on the campus of the University of Wisconsin.
Stratford used a four-run fourth inning to break open a scoreless game and tacked on another in the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead.
The third and fourth time through the batter order for Waterloo proved to be fruitful as it put up three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead, and eventually, the victory.
“I don’t think anyone of us envisioned this when we stepped into the gym in March,” Mandy Pankratz said. “We came off of two seasons where things didn’t necessarily go our way. After we had our first games at the dome in Rhinelander, the coaches turned to each other and said ‘This is a special group.’ They proved that time and time again. The result wasn’t what we wanted, but what they’ve learned from this are life lessons.”
Starting pitchers Grace Marty of Waterloo and Laney Pankratz of Stratford cruised through the first three innings before the Tigers finally put together a rally in the bottom of the fourth.
Stratford’s Bailey Linzmaier led off with a single and Emma Roeper ripped a booming triple to right-center field to plate the game’s first run.
The Tigers tacked on three more when Kressa Wenzel singled home Roeper, and Sonia Peterson singled to left to drive in Tria Tubbs. The ball was misplayed and Wenzel came into score as well, putting Stratford up 4-0.
Linzmaier rolled into second on an error by the Waterloo centerfielder and scored on a single by Tubbs to push the Tigers’ lead to 5-0 in the fifth.
Pankratz had a two-hit shutout going into the sixth when the Pirates made a game of it.
An RBI single by Emma Baumann and a two-run single by Kailee Rahn cut Stratford’s lead to 5-3.
Peterson led off the bottom of the sixth for Stratford with a walk and pinch runner Tessa Miller moved up to second on a bunt by Lexie Christopherson. Pankratz followed with a line drive single to center, but Miller was thrown out trying to score on a perfect relay throw by shortstop Ava Jaehnke. Marty coaxed a ground ball to end the inning.
The Pirates kept rolling in the seventh, smacking three more hits and scoring three times. Katrina Fruend had an RBI single. Stratford’s only error in the game, a missed fly ball in centerfield, allowed another to score, and Marty’s fielder’s choice ground ball pushed in the go-ahead run.
Marty set Stratford down in order in the seventh to clinch the victory and send Waterloo (16-5) into the Division 4 championship game against Iola-Scandinavia (22-9) on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Stratford finishes its season with an 18-10 record.
“(Marty) had a good changeup and didn’t throw that hard, not really overpowering, but sometimes, especially in this setting, you are a little anxious, so it took us a little bit,” Mandy Pankratz said of the Tigers’ offense. “Once we got on time, we had some great at-bats. They just made some great plays, a couple more plays, and that’s what this game comes down to, especially ending it here.”
Linzmaier and Pankratz each had two hits for Stratford, which had nine in all. Pankratz went the distance on the mound for the Tigers, striking out eight with two walks and nine hits allowed.
“This is an amazing group,” Mandy Pankratz said. “We have nine seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and two freshmen, so a pretty unique group. Fun, heart, got along so well together and they made it a joy to coach them.”
Click here to view the WIAA State Softball Tournament scoreboard
Pirates 6, Tigers 5
Waterloo 000 003 3 – 6 9 3
Stratford 000 410 0 – 5 9 1
WP: Grace Marty. LP: Laney Pankratz.
SO: Marty 2; Pankratz 8. BB: Marty 1; Pankratz 2.
Top hitters: W, Ava Jaehnke 2×4, 2B, 2 runs; Katrina Freund 3×4, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Leeah Dorn 2B; Kailee Rahn 1×3, 2 RBI. S, Bailey Linzmaier 2×4, 3 runs; Emma Roeper 3B, RBI, run; Tria Tubbs 1×2, RBI, run; Kressa Wenzel 1×3, RBI, run; Pankratz 2×3.
Records: Waterloo 16-5; Stratford 18-10.