Warner caps strong week with a no-no

GILMAN SOFTBALL

Gilman’s Addy Warner blows a pitch by a Flambeau hitter during the fifth inning of her dominant 18-strikeout no-hitter Friday afternoon.

Being the unquestioned ace of Gilman’s softball team is something Addy Warner is still getting used to.

You’d never know it by the way she handled the Flambeau Falcons on Friday.

Pitching her third game in four days, Warner was absolutely dominant, striking out 18 Falcons in the first nohitter of her prep career as Gilman shut out their northern non-conference neighbors 8-0.

Warner walked only one batter, hit another and the balls hit on the outs that didn’t come by strikeout never left the infield.

“I’m kind of surprised I’m still going,” Warner said after throwing her third complete game in four days. “I’ve pitched 21 innings this week already, so I’m surprised my arm hasn’t fallen off. I’ve definitely improved a lot since the last time I’ve thrown. I couldn’t make it through five innings in a game. I put in the work and here I am.”

Warner said her riseball was particularly effective in keeping Flambeau’s hitters guessing.

“Everything seemed to be working,” she said. “I was getting everybody on the riseballs. Nobody likes the rise.” Gilman catcher Ava Warner squeezes a high pitch from her sister Addy during Friday’s win over Flambeau.

Warner’s counterpart from Flambeau, Abby Bratanich wasn’t bad either through five innings. But Gilman finally broke her and the Falcons’ defense down in the bottom of the sixth with a six-run rally.

Still, the 2-0 lead up to that point, seemed much bigger than that with the way Warner was handling Flambeau’s hitters.

“(The no-hitter) never crossed my mind,” Warner said. “I was just doing what I can. I guess if I get to this point, that’s great.”

Gilman got the only run it would need in the first. Tychelle Duellman drew a leadoff walk, then stole second and third. She scored on a groundout to third by Bryn Hendricks.

The Pirates tacked on a run in the fifth when Duellman singled and sprinted to third on Gracie Tallier’s bunt single. Hendricks again came through in small- ball fashion, bringing in Duellman with a sacrifice bunt.

After Warner struck out the side in the top of the sixth, the floodgates opened in the bottom half.

Hannah Vick led off with a single and Tatum Weir ripped a double to left. Vick scored on a passed ball and Weir scored on Jayda Rosemeyer’s sacrifice bunt. Duellman started things up again with an infield hit. Tallier knocked her in and wound up scoring on a wild pitch. Hendricks walked and was along for the ride when Warner busted out of a mini slump by her standards, with a two-run homer to centerfield.

“That was great; first home run of the season,” Warner said. “I’m ready to rack those up on my wall.”

Warner capped the no-hitter with three straight strikeouts in the seventh.

The only hard-hit ball by Flambeau was a first-inning line drive by Shyla Applebee that went right to Hendricks at second base. The young Pirates finished the first week at 2-1 and were one bad inning away from being 3-0. Their senior pitcher said, all in all, it was a pretty good start. “I feel like it’s solid behind me,” she said. “Everybody’s really improving themselves.”

Among those improving players is her freshman sister Ava Warner, who caught Friday’s gem and made five throws to first base to finish off strikeouts on balls in the dirt, including a tough throw in the seventh to retire Applebee. “That is something different,” Warner said. “I’ve thrown to her at home and stuff. That was a couple of years ago and I wasn’t nearly as good as I am now. She’s doing as good as she can back there. I’m super proud of her.”

Gilman begins Eastern Cloverbelt Conference play tonight, Thursday, at Columbus Catholic. Colby-Abbotsford is in town Friday for a 5 p.m. start. The Pirates will play Shell Lake and Northwood at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in Saturday’s Gilman-Thorp Slamfest. Spencer visits Gilman for a 4 p.m. doubleheader Tuesday.

Gilman 16, Prentice 1

The Pirates had no trouble with a struggling Prentice squad Monday, putting an end to their 16-1 home win in just three innings to improve to 3-1.

The quick ending to the game gave Weir, a sophomore, a one-hitter in her Pirate pitching debut. She held the Buccaneers to a third-inning unearned run. She walked two, hit two and struck out one.

Offensively, the Pirates collected nine hits and took advantage of 10 walks issued by Prentice starter Olivia Nehls, who also hit three batters. Thirteen of Gilman’s runs were earned.

The Pirates scored eight runs in the first, two in the second and ended it with six in the third.

The top two hitters in Gilman’s order did plenty of damage. Duellman was three for four with a walk and two RBIs. Tallier was three for three with a run and three driven in. Rosemeyer was two for three at the bottom of the order.

Prentice fell to 0-5 with four of the losses coming by double digits.

Stanley-Boyd 4, Gilman 3

The Pirates led 3-0 for much of Thursday’s non-conference game at Stanley-Boyd, but the Orioles rallied late and won it in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh inning 4-3.

Trailing 3-1 in their last at-bat, the Orioles got a leadoff walk from Tina Benson. Abby Reynolds doubled her in. Sierra Close reached on a bunt single and Emily Bonner walked. Monica Derks drove in the game-winner with a base hit.

The last rally overshadowed another solid start by Addy Warner, who struck out 15 Orioles and walked only three while allowing five hits. Ashly Zastrow had a strong outing for Stanley-Boyd as well, striking out 11 and only walking two while scattering 11 hits.

Gilman left 10 runners on base in the loss.

Duellman singled and scored on a Hendricks double in the top of the first. Duellman singled and Ava Warner reached on errors in the third. Vick drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. The Pirates, however, lost a chance for a big inning in that rally. The bases were still loaded with no outs, but Zastrow got a pop-up to the catcher and two strikeouts to limit the damage.

Duellman was four for four at the top of Gilman’s batting order, while Hendricks and Vick added two hits apiece.

MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS