On the verge of state

Edgar can create school history in ‘22

By Casey Krautkramer

Edgar’s varsity softball team is only one win away from making its first trip to the state tournament in school history.

Sophomore Makayla Wirkus didn’t surrender any hits or walks in her complete-game 7-0 pitching victory against Wausau Newman in Tuesday’s WIAA Division 5 sectional semifinals win at home. She also struck out 16 Cardinals batters.

She’s been dominating in the playoffs this season, as she only gave up one hit in Edgar’s 7-0 home regional championship win on Thursday against Three Lakes/ Phelps. It was Edgar’s first regional title victory in 22 years.

While Wirkus was dealing in the pitcher’s circle on Tuesday, the team’s offense consistently scored runs against Wausau Newman. The Wildcats scored one run in the first inning and then added two runs apiece in the second, fourth and sixth innings.

Senior Karlin Lipinski and Wirkus led Edgar with two RBIs each against Newman, while junior Jessica Mucha had the team’s other RBI. Junior Kendalyn Dahlke and sophomore Maycie Yonker both hit doubles for the Wildcats.

Edgar improves its record to 16-6 this season and advances to play Sevastopol, 16-5, in a WIAA Division 5 sectional championship at 4:30 p.m. this Thursday, June 2, at Spud Field in the Woyak Sports Complex in Plover. Should the Wildcats beat the Pioneers, then the softball team would advance to state for the first time in school history.

Regional champions

Edgar only led Three Lakes/Phelps, 2-0, heading into the bottom of the sixth inning in Thursday’s home WIAA Division 5 regional championship. Then the flood gates opened as the Wildcats scored five insurance runs in the sixth inning to go on for a 7-0 win against the Bluejays.

Wirkus’ pitching talent was on full display again in the circle, as she only surrendered one hit while striking out 14 batters. Leadoff hitter Mucha had a big night at the plate by hitting three for three with an RBI and a run scored. Junior Leah Davis was also solid by going two for three with an RBI and two runs scored.

Lipinski and juniors Reagan Borchardt and Ashley Erickson all batted one for three with a run scored. Wirkus drew a walk and smacked a double. Junior Carly Feltz, Yonker, Wirkus, Lipinski and Mucha each stole one base against Three Lakes/ Phelps.

Jim Steinke, Edgar athletic director, handed Wildcats softball co-head varsity coach Kevin Brown the regional championship plaque that he promptly handed to the players who jumped up and down in celebration on the softball diamond in front of the home crowd.

Karlin Lipinski is one of Edgar’s only three seniors on this season including Haylee Schreiber and Skylee Manecke. Lipinski, however, is the Successful

team’s only senior starting player; she plays centerfield for the Wildcats. She was smiling brightly in the outfield after the regional title win.

“It feels really good to be a part of a regional championship team and I think our softball program’s success will continue in the future,” said Karlin, who is the daughter of Cory and Kasi Lipinski. Karlin plans to attend UW-Stout in fall to study family and consumer science pre-law toward hopefully working as a lawyer in the future.

Edgar was aggressive running the bases against Three Lakes/Phelps, who committing costly throwing errors when the Wildcats attempted to steal bases.

“Being aggressive on the bases definitely helps us,” Karlin Lipinski said. “We have quite a bit of speed and we get a lot of signs from our coaches, and as long as we are being aggressive i think that throws off the other team’s defense.”

Makayla Wirkus was thrown out while sliding into third base to end the sixth inning against the Bluejays. It appeared that she was slightly injured on the slide, but she eventually got back up and ending up pitching the final inning. Karlin Lipinski said Wirkus is a very tough player.

“She’s never done; she is always ready,” she said about her team’s ace pitcher Wirkus.

The first year father and daughter coaching duo Kevin and Samantha Brown has guided Edgar’s softball team to its first regional championship win since 1999.

“I knew there were athletically talented kids here but they’ve bought into my system and it’s getting easier for them every game to understand what is expected of them and how I want it done,” Kevin Brown said.

He credits the team’s players for stepping up their game toward the end of this season going into the playoffs.

“It was a very good regional championship win,” Kevin Brown said. “I think we are playing some of our very best softball all year right now at the end of the season. The players are really pushing themselves and they deserve everything they are getting because they are working for it.”

He spoke about how dominating Wirkus has pitched in the playoffs.

“She’s just a battler,” Kevin Brown said. “She hits my spots that I call and when she doesn’t get the call then she’ll look at me and smile, but it never bothers her and she goes back to work. She is really starting to trust her defense behind her by realizing she doesn’t need to strike everybody out, and she’s giving other girls opportunities to make plays behind her and they are doing it.” Edgar’s team captains are Reagan Borchardt, Makayla Wirkus and Karlin Lipinski. Kevin Brown credits Borchardt for switching positions from playing first base to shortstop for the first time near the end of this season. Leah Davis switched from playing right field to first base.

“We shuffled our infield around and it has really solidified our defense,” he said. “We tried different players at shortstop to start the season and we really couldn’t find anybody who was comfortable there, so we went to Reagan and asked her if she’d step up as a captain and give up her spot at first base where she is comfortable playing to go play somewhere she’s never played in her life before, and it’s just solidified our infield defense so much. I think she had some doubt in herself that she could play shortstop but my daughter Sam and I never had any doubts she couldn’t do it because she is a very good athlete who has good lateral movement and she is a leader out there. Leah Davis scoops up balls well while playing first base; if there is a bad throw to first she’ll still scoop the ball up for the out.”