Three close games, but three losses for the Pirates

GILMAN SOFTBALL

The Gilman Pirates had three winnable games in the past week, but the pieces did not fall into place for them in any of them.

The causes were a bit different in each game, but the results were the same as the Pirates take a three-game losing streak into their regular-season finale set for today, Thursday, against Flambeau in a non-conference home game that was added to the schedule.

Tuesday’s game at Cornell-Lake Holcombe also was a late addition to the schedule and the key issue in that one was the lack of a key hit in a 4-2 loss. The Pirates stranded 14 base runners, which unfortunately made Weir the losing pitcher despite allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out two. Gilman head coach Brian Phelps said an adjustment in her delivery made a big difference from her previous outing when she walked six batters.

“Everything was working, it was just adjusting that release point a little bit,” he said. “Boy, she was popping and throwing harder than I’ve seen her throw.”

Gilman had one of its best defensive games with just two errors. Naturally, they didn’t come at opportune times with one leading to Cornell-Lake Holcombe’s two-run second inning and another leading to a run in the third. The hosts got their fourth run in the fifth.

But the lack of offense was the big story in this loss, which dropped Gilman to 7-10 overall. Bryn Hendricks was two for four with a double, an RBI and a run scored, plus she reached on an error.

“She is just hitting the ball hard,” Phelps said.

Weir was three for four with three singles.

Gilman got a first-inning run when Hendricks and Ava Warner reached and Weir singled in Hendricks. But the inning ended with two runners on base. Hendricks drove in a run in the fourth.

“We can’t strand 14 runners,” Phelps said. “We have to put the ball in play. We just have to find a way to come up with that big hit.”

The Pirates drew the sixth seed in their WIAA Division 5 sectional halfbracket and will visit third-seeded Mc-Donell Central (11-9), a familiar playoff nemesis, in a 5 p.m. regional semifinal. The winner will face either second-seeded Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran (16-3) or seventh-seeded Prairie Farm (5-6) in the regional final on May 26. Athens (13-4) is the bracket’s top seed.

Extra-inning loss

On Friday, Gilman was one out away from upsetting co-Eastern Cloverbelt Conference champion Loyal-Greenwood and was one out away from holding the Greenhounds scoreless in the top of the eighth. But the key outs didn’t come and Loyal-Greenwood went home as 9-7 winners and with a final league record of 11-1, good for a first-place tie with Neillsville.

The Pirates gave themselves a shot by rallying from a 5-0 deficit by scoring six times in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead.

Hendricks started the big sixth-inning rally with a single and Warner reached on an error. Weir and Chaplinski singled to put Gilman on the board. Duellman followed with another single, Jayda Rosemeyer drew a walk and Kenlyn Kroeplin knocked in a run with a fielder’s choice. Kayleigh James singled and Hendricks capped the inning with a two-run double.

But, Loyal-Greenwood tied the game at 6-6 with a two-out run in the seventh. Weir walked and was stranded at second base in the bottom half. The Greenhounds won it with their threerun eighth.

“We proved that we can play with some of the best teams in the conference,” Phelps said. “Neillsville is the best team, but we can play with those other teams.”

Weir struck out three but walked six uncharacteristically.

Hendricks was three for five with her double, a home run in the eighth that closed the gap to two and two runs scored. Ava Warner was two for five with a run scored. Weir was one for two with a walk and was hit by two pitches.

Gilman finished 5-7 in conference play, good for a fourth-place tie with Colby- Abbotsford. Columbus Catholic was third at 8-4.

Columbus 6, Gilman 3

On Thursday, visiting Columbus Catholic slowly tacked on runs to build a 6-0 lead by the top of the sixth and then held off a late Gilman rally to win 6-3.

The Pirates got all of their runs in the bottom of the sixth with a couple of walks, singles by Hendricks and Weir, an error on a ball hit by Chaplinski and a fielder’s choice hit by Kenlyn Kroeplin.

“We’re very inconsistent with our bunting and that is the story,” Phelps said. “That inning we were able to put the ball in play and that was a good thing.”

But the damage had been done earlier in the game by some defensive miscues and some missed bunting opportunities that hurt the offense.

Weir struck out two, walked two and allowed just three hits. Only two of the runs were earned in a solid outing.

Hendricks was three for three at the plate, while Weir was two for three.