TIGER ROUNDUP: NHS softball team wins 2; golf team wins home event
Superior Telegram
The Northwestern Tigers opened play in Heart O’ North Conference action with an 8-1 win over the Hayward Hurricanes Tuesday afternoon in Brule.
The win improves the Tigers to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the HON. Hayward falls to 1-3 and 0-1.
The Tigers blew the game open early with three runs in the first inning and two more in the second.
Madeline Spangenberg led off the first inning with a double, stole second and scored on Sarah Miller’s bunt. The next two runs came in on ground outs by Karaline Green and Shelby Schultz.
Abby Schulz singled and scored in the second inning along with Spangenberg, who also singled and scored on a fielder’s choice.
Northwestern’s seventh run came in the fourth when Alex Bodendorfer got her first hit of the season, stole second and scored on Miller’s single.
The Tigers’ lead went to 8-1 in the sixth when Aliex Friend singled with two outs in the sixth inning and scored from first base when Schultz’s fly ball to center field was misplayed.
Schultz was the winning pitcher with relief help from Friend, who struck out two of the three batters she face in the seventh inning. Schultz allowed four hits with five strikeouts and one walk, while Friend struck out two of three batters she faced.
The Hurricanes had five hits, led by Sarah Miley, who was 3-for-3.
The Tigers also defeated the Ashland Oredockers 5-4 in a non-conference softball game Saturday in Brule. A second game against Hurley was canceled.
Schultz was the winning pitcher for the Tigers.
Ashland (1-2) led 2-1 after the first inning, but Northwestern rallied with a three-run third inning and a single run in the fourth. Ashland scored single runs in the third and sixth innings.
Miller went 4-for-4 with two of Northwestern’s five stolen bases.
Also for the Tigers, Madeline Spangenberg singled, scored a run and stole a base; Haley Eller hit a two-run single in the third inning; Green hit a RBI single in the third inning; and Schulz singled.
Spangenberg scored Northwestern’s first run when she singled, stole second and scored on Miller’s bunt single.
With Ashland leading 2-1, Northwestern took a 4-2 lead in the third inning on Eller’s two-run single, which scored Alie Larson, and Aliex Friend, and Green’s RBI single, which scored Eller.
Bodendorfer scored Northwestern’s eventual game-winning run came in the fourth inning. After reaching base on a dropped third strike, she stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch before scoring on another Miller RBI hit.
Ashland threatened to score in the fifth inning when Nicole Huber and Emily Halvorson walked. But defensive gems by outfielders Tigers’ Schulz and Bodendorfer helped Shelby Schultz get out of the inning unscathed.
“Abby ran like heck to chase down a fly ball then Alex came running and while sliding on her knees, made catch in front of her, kind of like a bucket catch,” NHS coach Scott Janigo said. “Both catches were huge and helped shut the door on Ashland.”
Ashland had the top of its order coming up in the seventh, but Schultz pitched a 1-2-3 inning to finish off the win.
Halverson suffered the loss for Ashland.
The Oredockers took a 2-0 lead in the first as Mariah Anderson singled in a run, and Fryer drove in another with an infield out.
The Tigers used their speed to get one run back in the bottom of the first as Spangenberg had a bunt single before stealing second. Miller bunted for a hit, and with smart baserunning, Spangenberg scored all the way from second.
The Tigers were 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts and frequently took the extra base when they could.
Halvorson gave up nine hits and just one earned run with one walk and seven strikeouts.
The Tigers are back in action at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Cumberland.
TIGER TALES: Northwestern won both JV games, including 14-1 over Ashland.
Boys Golf
The Tiger boys defeated Ladysmith and Hayward in Heart O’ North Conference action Thursday in Hayward.
Northwestern finished with a team score of 158, followed by Hayward, 184 and Ladysmith 209.
Tigers’ Gabe Dinkel was the meet medalist with a 36. Also for Northwestern were Justin Alexson, 39; Josiah Vik, 41; Brady Engstrom, 42; and Peter Lindsay, a non-counting 44.
Hayward’s low golfer was Logan Jacobs, 38; while Logan Neisinger led Ladysmith with a 45.
The Tigers were back in action Tuesday at Cumberland. They host Chetek and Spooner at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Baseball
The NHS baseball team lost 7-0 at Hayward Tuesday evening.
The Hurricanes remain undefeated with records of 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the HON Conference.
Hayward greeted Tiger starting pitcher Paul Langford with four runs in the first inning. The Hurricanes added two runs in the second inning and a single run in the third.
Aaron Martin was the complete-game winner for Hayward, allowing two hits with 11 strikeouts and one walk.
Nolan Graff and Jadon Stone singled for the Tigers, who were retired in order in the second, fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
Jarett Yukuis, Martin and Austin Fadness had two hits apiece for Hayward. Martin also had two RBIs, and Nick Stroede added a two-run single.
The Tigers (2-2, 0-1), play a doubleheader at Solon Springs beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday.