Pirates get on four-game win streak; Phelps notches 400th

GILMAN SOFTBALL

The Gilman Pirates will finish at least two games out of first place in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference when they wrap up league play today, Thursday, but they do have a chance to spoil Columbus Catholic’s shot at a title tie and hope to continue building some momentum with WIAA tournament play starting next week.

Gilman won four straight games this past week, culminating with a 10-4 league victory over Colby-Abbotsford in Gilman on Monday. The Pirates nearly ended the game in five innings, and had plenty of cushion to withstand the Hornets’ threerun rally in the sixth.

Gilman improved to 8-3 in the conference with the win and 12-5 overall, heading into today’s 5 p.m. finale at Columbus Catholic. At 10-1 in the conference, the Lady Dons are hoping to tie 11-1 Neillsville for the championship with a win.

Spoiler or not, Gilman’s goal is to use today’s game to prepare for Tuesday’s WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal at fourth-seeded Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran (13-5).

“We’re still working on getting better and cleaning things up,” Gilman head coach Brian Phelps said. “This game will give us a chance to see some fast pitching to help us gear up for the playoffs.”

The Pirates hit the pitching they saw this past week hard, getting into double digits in runs in each game.

On Monday, the Pirates jumped ahead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Danielle Mann singled and Kayleigh James tripled her in. Tatum Weir walked and Abby Chaplinski singled to drive in another key run in the inning.

From there, the Pirates put runners on base and took what Colby-Abbotsford gave them, scoring twice in the second, three times in the third and twice more in the fifth to go up 10-1. An unearned run in the fourth prevented Gilman from getting to the 10-run rule. The visitors’ sixth-inning runs also were unearned.

James wound up three for four with three runs batted in. Kenlyn Kroeplin was two for three and scored three times. Mann was two for three as well.

Weir struck out nine, walked four and allowed two hits in seven innings in the circle.

“We hit the ball well,” Phelps said. Colby-Abbotsford finished fifth in the seven-team conference at 4-8.

Gilman is the fifth seed in its half of the WIAA Division 5 sectional. The winner of Tuesday’s regional semifinal will likely earn a trip to top-seeded McDonell Central (13-6) for the May 25 regional final. The Macks will play either ninthseeded Owen-Withee or eighth-seeded Thorp in their regional semifinal Tuesday.

Two Slamfest wins

The Pirates had a successful Saturday in their annual Slamfest event, beating Glenwood City 9-3 and Cornell-Lake Holcombe 10-0. The first win over Glenwood City marked the 400th win in Phelps’ coaching career, adding to his Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Hall of Fame induction from earlier this year.

He was presented with a sign from the players, game balls and team photos afterwards.

“That was really cool,” Phelps said. “I really try to make things about the kids and I never really told anybody about it.”

Word did sneak to a couple of players who made sure the moment got recognized.

“When I look back at it, it’s a lot of wins,” Phelps said. “Not only a lot of wins, but a lot of games.”

The 400th marked a solid overall effort by the Pirates, who never trailed and broke away from an early 1-1 tie. Chaplinski’s sacrifice fly gave Gilman a quick lead in the first, but the Hilltoppers tied it in the second when Jenna McCarthy singled and eventually scored on a dropped third strike. The Pirates regained the lead in the bottom half when Allison Olynick crushed a triple to deep leftfield and scored on Eva Kopacz’s double.

James singled to start the third, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Weir then walked and stole second. Two lineouts gave Glenwood City a shot to get out of the inning, but runs scored on a wild pitch and another errant throw to make it 4-1.

The Hilltoppers got a clutch, two-out, two-run double from Aubree Logghe in the fourth to close within 4-3. But the Pirates got one run in the bottom half and then broke it open with a four-run fifth. Chaplinski walked, Ava Warner reached on an infield single and Jayda Rosemeyer walked to load the bases. Chaplinski scored on a wild pitch, then Olynick walked to re-load the bases. With two down, Mann came through with a base hit to left to drive in two and make it 8-3. Bryn Hendricks added an RBI groundout in the sixth. Weir allowed five hits and three earned runs, while striking out five and walking three. Kopacz was two for three while five more Pirates had a hit apiece.

In game two against Cornell-Lake Holcombe, the Pirates scored twice in the first and third innings, once in the fourth and then put it away with five in the fifth, capped by a two-run double by Weir, who went three for three with four RBIs. Mann, Warner, Hendricks and Kopacz all went two for three. Kopacz drove in two. Mann scored three times and Warner scored twice.

One day after placing sixth in the girls high school division of the national archery shoot in Louisville, Ky., Weir got her second pitching win of the day, going four hitless innings and striking out four. Kopacz pitched the fifth, walking one, striking out one and allowing two hits.

11-run sixth finishes it

On Thursday, the Pirates completed a season sweep of Loyal-Greenwood, using a five-run third and an 11-run sixth to close out a 21-9 victory over the home team, who finished fourth in league play at 6-6.

Weir struck out five, walked three and allowed eight hits and four earned runs.

This was a bit of a slugfest early. Mann doubled and wound up scoring in the top of the first. Mya Rueth tripled and scored on a Tyson Lindner single in the bottom.

Each team scored twice in the second with Gilman getting an RBI double from Olynick. The five-run third put Gilman up 8-3. Weir singled then Chaplinski and Warner walked. Rosemeyer singled in two runs and Kroeplin and James added RBI hits. Loyal-Greenwood came back with four to make it 8-7 going into the fourth.

Gilman led 10-8 going into the sixth when they broke it wide open. Mann hit a three-run double, Chaplinski cleared the bases and scored herself on a triple and an error and the Pirates kept tacking on.

“We just kept hitting the ball and hitting it hard,” Phelps said.

Kroeplin was three for four with two runs and Kopacz was three for five with two runs scored. Mann was two for three with two doubles, three runs scored and four driven in. She walked three times. Weir, James and Olynick all went two for four.

The Gilman Pirates softball team celebrates the 400th career win for head coach Brian Phelps, a milestone that was reached with a 9-3 win over Glenwood City during the Gilman-Thorp Slamfest Saturday.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS