Redmen got solid pitching, hitting in first two wins at the Dome
RIB LAKE AT DANNY MAC
Solid pitching and defense and a few big innings got Rib Lake two wins and a spot in its bracket championship in the last two days of the season-opening, fourday Danny Mac Softball Classic hosted by Rhinelander in the indoor comforts of the Hodag Dome.
Rib Lake lost that title game 11-4 to Marawood South rival Auburndale, but overall, the weekend was a success for the team and head coach Craig Scheithauer, who hadn’t been able get on a field before playing on the turf Saturday and Sunday.
In its opener Saturday afternoon, the Redmen gave up a quick run then shut down the Shiocton Chiefs 6-1. Josie Scheithauer picked up the win with a solid, seven-inning outing. She struck out 11, walked five and only gave up two hits. Shiocton’s run in the top of the first inning was unearned.
The Redmen collected 12 hits, including multi-hit games from Rhonnie Jo Scheithauer, Tahlia Scheithauer and Avery Niemi.
“We’ve been up to about 75 pitches in practice with Josie,” Craig Scheithauer said. “We thought we could probably do a little more than that with little breaks in between. We were going good behind her and she was feeling good so we let her finish. She ended up right around 100 pitches.”
Rhonnie Jo Scheithauer got Rib Lake’s first rally of the season going in the bottom of the second with a base hit and a couple of errors helped turn it into a three-run inning. Kara Kennedy and Niemi had RBIs to help give the Redmen a 3-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Rib Lake doubled its scoring output with three more runs. Kennedy led off the inning with a hit, moved to second on a groundout by Addison Gumz and scored on Tahlia Scheithauer’s single. Niemi singled, Josie Scheithauer walked to load the bases for Rhonnie Jo Scheithauer who doubled in two more runs.
“We only drew one walk and struck out six times, so that was the only bummer stat of the game,” Craig Scheithauer said. “The errors are going to happen. They had some too. It’s the first day out. We put the ball in play, especially with half of our girls who can really get down the line, that makes them a tough out. They proved to be a problem when they put the ball in play on the ground.”
On Saturday night, Rib Lake pounded Mellen 13-1 in five innings in the semifinal round.
Tahlia Scheithauer, a freshman, pitched all five innings, allowing just one unearned run while striking out eight, walking three and giving up just one hit, “She threw really well,” Craig Scheithauer said.
Mellen got on the board in the bottom of the first, but Rib Lake quickly answered with three in the top of the second inning. Cassandra Cano drew a bases-loaded walk and Gumz singled in a pair of runs.
A seven-run third broke the game wide open. Leah Chmielowiec drove in a run in the midst of three Granite Digger errors, Gumz drove in two with a double down the leftfield line and Tahlia Scheithauer and Niemi added RBIs.
Rib Lake tacked on three more runs in the fifth. Tahlia Scheithauer walked, Niemi doubled and Josie Scheithauer singled to score Kennedy, the courtesy runner. Chmielowiec hit an RBI single and an error brought in the final run.
Gumz had three hits to lead the offense, Chmielowiec had two and Madilyn Blomberg drew three walks.
“We had 10 hits again but this time we walked seven times and struck out once, so that was a lot better ratio there,” Craig Scheithauer said. “I was happy with that.”
Against Auburndale Sunday morning, Rib Lake fell behind 9-0 three innings in and couldn’t make a big dent in that deficit the rest of the way. The Eagles got two runs in the top of the first, four more in the second and three in the third, capped by a home run from Mya Krings.
Rib Lake got solid relief pitching after that from Kiana Dallmann and Josie Scheithauer and had two-run rallies in the fourth and sixth innings. In the fourth, the Redmen loaded the bases with singles by Chmielowiec and Lily Butler getting hit by a pitch. An error on a ball hit by Gumz scored two. In the sixth, Tahlia Scheithauer and Niemi had RBIs.
Gumz started and went two innings and allowed six runs, four of which were earned with two walks and five hits. Tahlia Scheithauer pitched the third, allowing a walk, two hits and three runs, two of which were earned. Dallmann struck out one, walked two and allowed two hits and two runs, one of which was earned. Josie Scheithauer struck out three and walked one in two scoreless innings.
“I was happy and I told the girls this,” Craig Scheithauer said. “We were down 6-0 at one point and we didn’t just go away and get run off the field. We came back and answered back. We gave back a couple runs right away, but then we answered with two more and didn’t give up any more. We played decent ball especially for the first weekend out. We learned some things we need to work on. All in all some good things.”
