The Chequamegon High School softball team won its third straight Marawood North Conference championship and third straight WIAA Div. 3 regional championship in 2014. Team members include: front row from left, Brianna Mader, Kristen Pechacek and Jamie Palecek; middle row from left, Ally Derr, Remi Orr, Emily Mader, Rosie Botka, Megan Mader, Shelby Zillmer, Tess Richard and Ashley Mertig; back row from left, Makayla Casey, Emily Ernest, Gabrielle Schmidt, Morgan Hilgart, Danielle Masterson, Trista Cegielski, Abby Lee and Maggie Nesbit; and not pictured, Maria Hecimovich, Hope Grubb and managers Mackenzie Dane and Maggie Miller. The Screaming Eagles were coached by Ken Dischler, Buck Masterson, Dave BeBeau and Dan Herbst.
Eight members of the Chequamegon High School softball team earned Marawood North Conference honors this season. In the front row from left are Morgan Hilgart and Remi Orr, honorable mention; in the middle row are Emily Mader, Jamie Palecek and Megan Mader, second team; and in the back row are Brianna Mader, Danielle Masterson and Kristen Pechacek, first team.
Eight Screaming Eagles earn MNC honors
Eight members of the Marawood North Conference co-champion Chequamegon Screaming Eagles softball team earned MNC honors this past season.
Seniors Brianna Mader and Kristen Pechacek and junior Danielle Masterson were named to the first team; senior Jamie Palecek, junior Megan Mader and sophomore Emily Mader were named to the second team; and junior Morgan Hilgart and freshman Remi Orr earned honorable mention.
Brianna Mader was undefeated (5-0) in conference games and won the final conference game at Athens to secure a share of the title – the third straight and fifth in the last seven seasons for the Screaming Eagles. She had a 2.9-1 strikeout (29) to walk (10) ratio in conference games with a 1.25 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Opposing batters hit just .250 against her.
At the plate, she hit .424 in MNC play. Her 14 hits included five doubles and three home runs. She drove in 14 runs in conference play – one of six Screaming Eagles with double-digit RBI’s in the 10-game season.
“Willie got it done both in the circle and at the plate. She was a second-teamer as a sohomore and junior and really stepped it up her senior season,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “She was also our front-line leader on and off the field as team captain.”
Overall this season, Mader had a 12-2 record for the 19-6 Screaming Eagles with a 2.66 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 26 walks in 84-1/3 innings pitched. She hit .407 with 11 doubles, three home runs and a team-high 30 RBI.
Pechacek led the Screaming Eagles in MNC play with 20 assists at third base and hit .536 in league games with three doubles and three home runs. Over the past three MNC seasons, she hit .557 with six home runs. She was an MNC first-teamer as a sophomore and earned honorable mention in her junior season in which she played in just seven conference games.
“KP has been one of the toughest outs in the conference over the past three seasons and certainly one of the best, or the best, third sacker,” Dischler said. “She took it up a couple notches this season on the leadership side.”
Pechacek hit .418 overall with nine doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI, striking out just three times in 87 plate appearances. She had a team-high 48 defensive assists.
Masterson, a second-teamer as a freshman, earned first-team honors for the second straight season, fielding a perfect 1.000 in conference games and hitting .536 with three doubles and three home runs. She scored a team-high 17 runs in MNC games, despite missing one game with an injury.
“Nellie moved to leadoff this season and was on base nearly 60% (.594) of the time. She hit for average and power with good speed at the top, and is flat out a great shortstop,” Dischler said.
Masterson led the Screaming Eagles this season with a .470 average, .511 on-base percentage and .795 slugging percentage, rapping six doubles and a team-high seven home runs. She led the team with 33 runs scored and drove in 20, and fielded .958.
Palecek earned second-team honors for the second-straight season. She hit .394 in conference games with 12 runs scored and seven driven in from the 2-hole.
“Jamie kinda flies under the radar but plays a great center field and gets a great jump on the ball. She continually improved at the plate from freshman to senior and her leadership was key this season,” Dischler said.
Overall, Palecek hit .304 with 20 runs scored.
Megan Mader was 4-1 in the circle in MNC games with a 1.96 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Opponents hit just .291 against her and she had a 4.4-1 stikeout (22) to walk (5) ratio. Offensively, she hit .400 with six doubles and nine RBI.
“Megan was a first-teamer as a freshman and sophomore and deserving of first team this season as well. She and Willie share the pitcing load, and conversely the wins, which sometimes hurts when it comes to individual honors, but they can hang their hats on three conference and three regional titles,” Dischler said.
Mader was 7-4 overall with a 3.30 ERA, striking out 55 and walking 19 in 63-2/3 innings pitched. She hit .361 with 11 doubles and three home runs and was second on the team with 26 RBI.
Emily Mader had a huge season behind the dish, throwing out 57% of would-be base stealers and allowing just one passed ball. She hit .538 with three doubles and 11 RBI in the 8-hole.
“A lot of what Pudge does behind the plate goes unnoticed to a lot of people. She’s a wall. She really improved in throwing and at the plate this season. She’s a real sparkplug in setting up the top of our batting line-up,” Dischler said.
On the year, Mader had just one passed ball and gunned down 44% (8 of 18) of runners attempting to steal. She had a .986 fielding average and hit .435 with five doubles and 17 RBI.
Morgan Hilgart had zero errors in 27 chances at second base and hit .464. Eight of her 13 hits in MNC play were doubles and she led the team in conference play with 16 RBI and eight stolen bases and was second with 16 runs scored.
“Mo kinda got caught up in the numbers game. She was certainly deserving of higher honors. She has outstanding range at second base and makes plays others can’t even attempt. Defense never carries enough weight in the voting. Mo and Nellie were flawless on a combined 48 fielding opportunities in conference games, defending the middle of the field,” Dischler said.
Hilgart fielded .953 on the season. She hit .443 with 11 doubles, two triples and a home run, driving in 23. She was second in runs scored with 28.
Orr underwent baptism by fire, being thrust into a starting spot at first base. She hit .500 in MNC play with four doubles and a home run, driving in 11 and fielding .907.
“Remi’s bat was big for us all season,” Dischler said. “She can play a lot of spots on defense and adapted well to a new and critical position.”
Orr hit .459 on the year with five doubles, two home runs, and 19 RBI. She fielded .954 with 121 putouts.
Sophomore Emily Ernest was the other regular in the batting order and hit .317 on the season with two doubles and a triple. Sophomore Abby Lee hit .346 off the bench. Freshman Tess Richard scored 25 runs and stole 10 bases, primarily as a courtesty runner. Junior Makayla Casey played left field and had nine putouts.
The Chequamegon JV team finished 5-7 behind pitchers Hope Grubb and Ally Derr. Team members included Rosie Botka, Trista Ciegelski, Gabrielle Schmidt, Maggie Nesbit, Shelby Zillmer and Maria Hecimovich.
Team managers were Kenzi Dane and Maggie Miller.
The Chequamegon coaching staff included Buck Masterson, JV Coach Dave BeBeau and Dan Herbst.
Athens’ junior Kyncaide Diedrich was voted Player of the Year for the third straight season and Athens’ Craig Diedrich was voted Coach of the Year.
Also earning first-team honors were junior Emily Czech and seniors Chelsee Tessmer and Ryanne Peter of Athens, senior Kendra Brown and freshman Morgan Edwards of Phillips, and junior Brooklyn Gunderson of Abbotsford.
Other second-teamers were junior Autumn Schreiner of Abbotsford, senior Lexi Belter and sophomore Briana Lavicka of Athens, junior Katelyn Tinnen and sophomores Makala Williams and Brooke Spacek of Phillips, and junior Brianna Dunbar of Prentice.
Also earning honorable mention were: sophomores Makenzie Brodziski and Hanna Ellenbecker of Athens; sophomore Hanna Parisi and Sheridan Kalander of Prentice; junior Rachel Wilhelm and sophomore Regan Dobbs of Rib Lake; freshmen Jojo Baratka and Michaela Ericksen of Phillips; and juior Alyssa Waler and sophomore Sabrina Branstiter of Abbotsford.
Eight members of the Marawood North Conference co-champion Chequamegon Screaming Eagles softball team earned MNC honors this past season.
Seniors Brianna Mader and Kristen Pechacek and junior Danielle Masterson were named to the first team; senior Jamie Palecek, junior Megan Mader and sophomore Emily Mader were named to the second team; and junior Morgan Hilgart and freshman Remi Orr earned honorable mention.
Brianna Mader was undefeated (5-0) in conference games and won the final conference game at Athens to secure a share of the title – the third straight and fifth in the last seven seasons for the Screaming Eagles. She had a 2.9-1 strikeout (29) to walk (10) ratio in conference games with a 1.25 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. Opposing batters hit just .250 against her.
At the plate, she hit .424 in MNC play. Her 14 hits included five doubles and three home runs. She drove in 14 runs in conference play – one of six Screaming Eagles with double-digit RBI’s in the 10-game season.
“Willie got it done both in the circle and at the plate. She was a second-teamer as a sohomore and junior and really stepped it up her senior season,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “She was also our front-line leader on and off the field as team captain.”
Overall this season, Mader had a 12-2 record for the 19-6 Screaming Eagles with a 2.66 ERA and 83 strikeouts and 26 walks in 84-1/3 innings pitched. She hit .407 with 11 doubles, three home runs and a team-high 30 RBI.
Pechacek led the Screaming Eagles in MNC play with 20 assists at third base and hit .536 in league games with three doubles and three home runs. Over the past three MNC seasons, she hit .557 with six home runs. She was an MNC first-teamer as a sophomore and earned honorable mention in her junior season in which she played in just seven conference games.
“KP has been one of the toughest outs in the conference over the past three seasons and certainly one of the best, or the best, third sacker,” Dischler said. “She took it up a couple notches this season on the leadership side.”
Pechacek hit .418 overall with nine doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI, striking out just three times in 87 plate appearances. She had a team-high 48 defensive assists.
Masterson, a second-teamer as a freshman, earned first-team honors for the second straight season, fielding a perfect 1.000 in conference games and hitting .536 with three doubles and three home runs. She scored a team-high 17 runs in MNC games, despite missing one game with an injury.
“Nellie moved to leadoff this season and was on base nearly 60% (.594) of the time. She hit for average and power with good speed at the top, and is flat out a great shortstop,” Dischler said.
Masterson led the Screaming Eagles this season with a .470 average, .511 on-base percentage and .795 slugging percentage, rapping six doubles and a team-high seven home runs. She led the team with 33 runs scored and drove in 20, and fielded .958.
Palecek earned second-team honors for the second-straight season. She hit .394 in conference games with 12 runs scored and seven driven in from the 2-hole.
“Jamie kinda flies under the radar but plays a great center field and gets a great jump on the ball. She continually improved at the plate from freshman to senior and her leadership was key this season,” Dischler said.
Overall, Palecek hit .304 with 20 runs scored.
Megan Mader was 4-1 in the circle in MNC games with a 1.96 ERA and 1.12 WHIP. Opponents hit just .291 against her and she had a 4.4-1 stikeout (22) to walk (5) ratio. Offensively, she hit .400 with six doubles and nine RBI.
“Megan was a first-teamer as a freshman and sophomore and deserving of first team this season as well. She and Willie share the pitcing load, and conversely the wins, which sometimes hurts when it comes to individual honors, but they can hang their hats on three conference and three regional titles,” Dischler said.
Mader was 7-4 overall with a 3.30 ERA, striking out 55 and walking 19 in 63-2/3 innings pitched. She hit .361 with 11 doubles and three home runs and was second on the team with 26 RBI.
Emily Mader had a huge season behind the dish, throwing out 57% of would-be base stealers and allowing just one passed ball. She hit .538 with three doubles and 11 RBI in the 8-hole.
“A lot of what Pudge does behind the plate goes unnoticed to a lot of people. She’s a wall. She really improved in throwing and at the plate this season. She’s a real sparkplug in setting up the top of our batting line-up,” Dischler said.
On the year, Mader had just one passed ball and gunned down 44% (8 of 18) of runners attempting to steal. She had a .986 fielding average and hit .435 with five doubles and 17 RBI.
Morgan Hilgart had zero errors in 27 chances at second base and hit .464. Eight of her 13 hits in MNC play were doubles and she led the team in conference play with 16 RBI and eight stolen bases and was second with 16 runs scored.
“Mo kinda got caught up in the numbers game. She was certainly deserving of higher honors. She has outstanding range at second base and makes plays others can’t even attempt. Defense never carries enough weight in the voting. Mo and Nellie were flawless on a combined 48 fielding opportunities in conference games, defending the middle of the field,” Dischler said.
Hilgart fielded .953 on the season. She hit .443 with 11 doubles, two triples and a home run, driving in 23. She was second in runs scored with 28.
Orr underwent baptism by fire, being thrust into a starting spot at first base. She hit .500 in MNC play with four doubles and a home run, driving in 11 and fielding .907.
“Remi’s bat was big for us all season,” Dischler said. “She can play a lot of spots on defense and adapted well to a new and critical position.”
Orr hit .459 on the year with five doubles, two home runs, and 19 RBI. She fielded .954 with 121 putouts.
Sophomore Emily Ernest was the other regular in the batting order and hit .317 on the season with two doubles and a triple. Sophomore Abby Lee hit .346 off the bench. Freshman Tess Richard scored 25 runs and stole 10 bases, primarily as a courtesty runner. Junior Makayla Casey played left field and had nine putouts.
The Chequamegon JV team finished 5-7 behind pitchers Hope Grubb and Ally Derr. Team members included Rosie Botka, Trista Ciegelski, Gabrielle Schmidt, Maggie Nesbit, Shelby Zillmer and Maria Hecimovich.
Team managers were Kenzi Dane and Maggie Miller.
The Chequamegon coaching staff included Buck Masterson, JV Coach Dave BeBeau and Dan Herbst.
Athens’ junior Kyncaide Diedrich was voted Player of the Year for the third straight season and Athens’ Craig Diedrich was voted Coach of the Year.
Also earning first-team honors were junior Emily Czech and seniors Chelsee Tessmer and Ryanne Peter of Athens, senior Kendra Brown and freshman Morgan Edwards of Phillips, and junior Brooklyn Gunderson of Abbotsford.
Other second-teamers were junior Autumn Schreiner of Abbotsford, senior Lexi Belter and sophomore Briana Lavicka of Athens, junior Katelyn Tinnen and sophomores Makala Williams and Brooke Spacek of Phillips, and junior Brianna Dunbar of Prentice.
Also earning honorable mention were: sophomores Makenzie Brodziski and Hanna Ellenbecker of Athens; sophomore Hanna Parisi and Sheridan Kalander of Prentice; junior Rachel Wilhelm and sophomore Regan Dobbs of Rib Lake; freshmen Jojo Baratka and Michaela Ericksen of Phillips; and juior Alyssa Waler and sophomore Sabrina Branstiter of Abbotsford.
Screaming Eagles shut out in sectional semifinal
The Chequamegon High School softball team’s 2014 run ended Tuesday, June 3, with a 3-0 loss at Grantsburg to the host Pirates.
The two teams have met in sectional semifinal play each of the past three seasons, with Granstburg winning all three. The Pirates, ranked second in Div. 2 by the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association and third by The Fastpitch Chronicle, went on to beat Neillsville 1-0 and will open play in the WIAA State Tournament on Friday against top-ranked Arcadia.
Chequamegon missed an opportunity to grab the lead in the second inning at Granstburg. Megan Mader and Morgan Hilgart opened the inning with hits, but the Pirates worked out of it.
A single, fielder’s choice and two errors led to two unearned Pirate runs in the bottom of the third.
Chequamegon had another opportunity in the fifth after Hilgart’s double and a single by Emily Mader put runners a the corners with one out, but again the Pirates closed the inning with no damage.
Grantsburg tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on doubles by Macy Hanson and Wendy Roberts.
Danielle Masterson led off the Chequamegon sixth with a double but was left stranded.
“This was a game we lost,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “We made some uncharacteristic mistakes on the bases and on defense and that won’t work at this level. Willie (senior Brianna Mader) pitched a great game and we hit some balls hard off of Macy (Hanson). We had our shots. We’ll reload and, God willing, be back.”
Brianna Mader allowed just four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Megan Mader allowed one hit, facing four batters in the sixth inning. Hilgart had two of the Screaming Eagles’ five hits off of Hanson, who walked one and fanned 10.
The Screaming Eagles finished with a 19-6 record.
The Chequamegon High School softball team’s 2014 run ended Tuesday, June 3, with a 3-0 loss at Grantsburg to the host Pirates.
The two teams have met in sectional semifinal play each of the past three seasons, with Granstburg winning all three. The Pirates, ranked second in Div. 2 by the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association and third by The Fastpitch Chronicle, went on to beat Neillsville 1-0 and will open play in the WIAA State Tournament on Friday against top-ranked Arcadia.
Chequamegon missed an opportunity to grab the lead in the second inning at Granstburg. Megan Mader and Morgan Hilgart opened the inning with hits, but the Pirates worked out of it.
A single, fielder’s choice and two errors led to two unearned Pirate runs in the bottom of the third.
Chequamegon had another opportunity in the fifth after Hilgart’s double and a single by Emily Mader put runners a the corners with one out, but again the Pirates closed the inning with no damage.
Grantsburg tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth on doubles by Macy Hanson and Wendy Roberts.
Danielle Masterson led off the Chequamegon sixth with a double but was left stranded.
“This was a game we lost,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “We made some uncharacteristic mistakes on the bases and on defense and that won’t work at this level. Willie (senior Brianna Mader) pitched a great game and we hit some balls hard off of Macy (Hanson). We had our shots. We’ll reload and, God willing, be back.”
Brianna Mader allowed just four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Megan Mader allowed one hit, facing four batters in the sixth inning. Hilgart had two of the Screaming Eagles’ five hits off of Hanson, who walked one and fanned 10.
The Screaming Eagles finished with a 19-6 record.
Screaming Eagles share MNC title for third straight year
The Chequamegon High School softball team split a doubleheader at Athens on Tuesday, May 20, and the two teams share the Marawood North Conference championship for the third straight season.
Chequamegon had a final tune-up for WIAA tournament play at Gilman on Thursday, May 22, winning a thrilling 6-4 decision in 11 innings.
Then-Park Falls joined the MNC in 2008-09 and the Cardinals won the MNC title outright in 2009. Athens won outright titles in 2010 & 2011, and Chequamegon and Athens have shared the last three championships.
Both teams entered Tuesday with 8-0 MNC records. The Blue Jays, the top-ranked Div. 4 team in the state in The Fastpitch Chronicle poll, tallied three times in the first inning of the opener and twice in the second for a 5-0 lead.
Emily Mader led off the Chequamegon third with a single, Emily Ernest walked and Danielle Masterson singled to load the bases ahead of Jamie Palecek’s two-run double. Masterson scored later in the frame.
Athens answered with a run in the bottom of the third.
“We dug a hole early, and in these five-inning games, it gets really tough to battle back,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “Jamison had a huge hit in the third and we had a chance there, still with two on and no one out, but they got out of it and we didn’t get anything going after that.”
In game two, it was Chequamegon, as the home team, which got the jump. Kristen Pechacek walked and stole second to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Two outs later, Remi Orr knocked her in with a double. Masterson homered to lead off the Chequamegon third, followed by a single by Palecek and then Brianna Mader’s two-run round-tripper.
“A clutch hit by Remi in the second, and then the blasts by Nellie (Masterson) and Willie (Brianna Mader); we looked to be in pretty good shape just needing six more outs,” Dischler said.
Athens thought otherwise. Doubles by Emily Czech and McKenzie Brodzinski and a couple of errors by Chequamegon pulled the Blue Jays within one at 4-3 with one out and a runner on third.
“It was getting dicey, but then Pudge (catcher Emily Mader) made a couple of huge plays,” Dischler said. “The next batter bunted and Pudge deked the runner at third with a fake throw to first and spun around and cut her down. We thought we had a double play for the third out, but the call didn’t go our way. Then they attempted to steal second and Pudge cut that runner down.”
After a single by Emily Ernest and a fielder’s choice and walk, Brianna Mader delivered a two-out double for a much-needed run to make it 5-3.
Athens closed to 5-4 with a single and RBI double before a fly out to center, punchout, and soft liner to short snuffed the threat and secured the 5-4 victory.
Brianna Mader allowed one earned run on five hits, with no walks and three strikeouts, for the win. She went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and RBI double.
“A well-deserved piece of the conference title,” Dischler said. “The girls worked hard for it. They won three of four pressure-packed games the final two days of the conference season. We’re extremely proud of them.”
With both teams having first-round byes in WIAA regionals, Chequamegon and Gilman were able to reschedule their game from April 1 to last Thursday to stay sharp for tournament play. Both got more than they bargained for, playing 11 innings before Chequamegon capped its 17-5 regular season with a 6-4 victory over the 10th-ranked (Div. 4) Pirates.
“It was a great win over a quality program and against a very good pitcher in Emily Johnson. We were battle-tested – as we’ve been for the past 10 days – and the girls were up to the challenge. We went in with some things we wanted to accomplish in advance of tournament play -- mission accomplished,” Dischler said.
Hilgart and pinch runner Gabrielle Schmidt scored in the second inning and Hilgart again in the fourth before Gilman tied the game with a three-spot in the sixth. That was it until the 10th, when Megan Mader was plunked. Pinch runner Tess Richard stole second and eventually scored on a passed ball. Gilman knotted it again, pushing across a run in the bottom of the 10th.
Masterson reached on an error to open the 11th. Two outs later, Kristen Pechacek singled. Megan Mader then delivered the game-winner with a single. Hilgart followed with a double to tack on an insurance run, and then had a hand in all three outs in the bottom of the frame.
“We scratched and clawed. We ended up with 13 hits, but didn’t string many,” Dischler said. “Megan threw a real strong five innings to open the game and capped it with a huge hit. Mo (Hilgart) hit three sizzling liners for hits and was all over the right side on defense. Abby Lee came on in the fourth and had 11 putouts at first. We got some of our freshmen time on the bases -- lots of good things all the way through.”
Megan Mader allowed one hit, walked two and fanned five in five innings. Brianna Mader had three strikeouts and allowed six hits is six trips to the circle.
The Chequamegon High School softball team split a doubleheader at Athens on Tuesday, May 20, and the two teams share the Marawood North Conference championship for the third straight season.
Chequamegon had a final tune-up for WIAA tournament play at Gilman on Thursday, May 22, winning a thrilling 6-4 decision in 11 innings.
Then-Park Falls joined the MNC in 2008-09 and the Cardinals won the MNC title outright in 2009. Athens won outright titles in 2010 & 2011, and Chequamegon and Athens have shared the last three championships.
Both teams entered Tuesday with 8-0 MNC records. The Blue Jays, the top-ranked Div. 4 team in the state in The Fastpitch Chronicle poll, tallied three times in the first inning of the opener and twice in the second for a 5-0 lead.
Emily Mader led off the Chequamegon third with a single, Emily Ernest walked and Danielle Masterson singled to load the bases ahead of Jamie Palecek’s two-run double. Masterson scored later in the frame.
Athens answered with a run in the bottom of the third.
“We dug a hole early, and in these five-inning games, it gets really tough to battle back,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. “Jamison had a huge hit in the third and we had a chance there, still with two on and no one out, but they got out of it and we didn’t get anything going after that.”
In game two, it was Chequamegon, as the home team, which got the jump. Kristen Pechacek walked and stole second to lead off the bottom of the second inning. Two outs later, Remi Orr knocked her in with a double. Masterson homered to lead off the Chequamegon third, followed by a single by Palecek and then Brianna Mader’s two-run round-tripper.
“A clutch hit by Remi in the second, and then the blasts by Nellie (Masterson) and Willie (Brianna Mader); we looked to be in pretty good shape just needing six more outs,” Dischler said.
Athens thought otherwise. Doubles by Emily Czech and McKenzie Brodzinski and a couple of errors by Chequamegon pulled the Blue Jays within one at 4-3 with one out and a runner on third.
“It was getting dicey, but then Pudge (catcher Emily Mader) made a couple of huge plays,” Dischler said. “The next batter bunted and Pudge deked the runner at third with a fake throw to first and spun around and cut her down. We thought we had a double play for the third out, but the call didn’t go our way. Then they attempted to steal second and Pudge cut that runner down.”
After a single by Emily Ernest and a fielder’s choice and walk, Brianna Mader delivered a two-out double for a much-needed run to make it 5-3.
Athens closed to 5-4 with a single and RBI double before a fly out to center, punchout, and soft liner to short snuffed the threat and secured the 5-4 victory.
Brianna Mader allowed one earned run on five hits, with no walks and three strikeouts, for the win. She went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and RBI double.
“A well-deserved piece of the conference title,” Dischler said. “The girls worked hard for it. They won three of four pressure-packed games the final two days of the conference season. We’re extremely proud of them.”
With both teams having first-round byes in WIAA regionals, Chequamegon and Gilman were able to reschedule their game from April 1 to last Thursday to stay sharp for tournament play. Both got more than they bargained for, playing 11 innings before Chequamegon capped its 17-5 regular season with a 6-4 victory over the 10th-ranked (Div. 4) Pirates.
“It was a great win over a quality program and against a very good pitcher in Emily Johnson. We were battle-tested – as we’ve been for the past 10 days – and the girls were up to the challenge. We went in with some things we wanted to accomplish in advance of tournament play -- mission accomplished,” Dischler said.
Hilgart and pinch runner Gabrielle Schmidt scored in the second inning and Hilgart again in the fourth before Gilman tied the game with a three-spot in the sixth. That was it until the 10th, when Megan Mader was plunked. Pinch runner Tess Richard stole second and eventually scored on a passed ball. Gilman knotted it again, pushing across a run in the bottom of the 10th.
Masterson reached on an error to open the 11th. Two outs later, Kristen Pechacek singled. Megan Mader then delivered the game-winner with a single. Hilgart followed with a double to tack on an insurance run, and then had a hand in all three outs in the bottom of the frame.
“We scratched and clawed. We ended up with 13 hits, but didn’t string many,” Dischler said. “Megan threw a real strong five innings to open the game and capped it with a huge hit. Mo (Hilgart) hit three sizzling liners for hits and was all over the right side on defense. Abby Lee came on in the fourth and had 11 putouts at first. We got some of our freshmen time on the bases -- lots of good things all the way through.”
Megan Mader allowed one hit, walked two and fanned five in five innings. Brianna Mader had three strikeouts and allowed six hits is six trips to the circle.
Screaming Eagles earn top seed in regional; move to 8-0 in Marawood North Conference
The Chequamegon High School softball team won 6-2 at Hurley on Tuesday, May 13, in what was essentially head-to-head for the No. 1 seed in their Div. 3 regional.
The Screaming Eagles were rained out on Monday, May 19, at Athens for a doubleheader to determine the Marawood North Conference championship. Both teams are 8-0. Chequamegon moved to 8-0 with 11-7 and 3-2 victories over Phillips on Friday, May 16. A 6-1 week improved Chequamegon’s overall record to 15-4.
At Hurley, Chequamegon jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first and answered Hurley runs with single tallies in the second and fifth.
"Obviously, getting a 4-0 jump was huge, but answering when they scored was also key," Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. "We had a couple of chances to break it wide open, but we did come away with the win. Willie (Brianna Mader) got some big K’s (strikeouts) to work out of situations."
Mader scattered 10 hits, walked none and fanned nine.
A walk to Jamie Palecek was followed by Brianna Mader’s RBI double in the first inning. Kristen Pechacek then singled home courtesy runner Tess Richard and Megan Mader followed with a single. After two were out, Remi Orr singled home two more runs. Emily Mader then doubled, but she and Orr were left stranded.
After a Felicia Herlevi home run in the bottom of the first, the Screaming Eagles answered with Pechacek lacing a two-out RBI double to scored Danielle Masterson.
Hurley closed to 5-2 with a run in its half of the third inning. Morgan Hilgart led off the fifth with a triple and scored on an infield grounder by Orr.
Pechacek, Hilgart, Orr and Emily Ernest had two hits each as Chequamegon tallied 13 for the game. Orr drove in three runs.
Chequamegon earned the No. 1 seed and will have a first-round bye when the WIAA tournament begins today, Thursday, May 22, with regional quarterfinals. Cameron (4 seed) hosts Chetek-Weyerhauser (5) today and the Screaming Eagles get the winner on Tuesday, May 27, in Park Falls at 5 p.m.
Hurley (2) will host Washburn/Bayfield (7) today and Phillips (3) will host Ladysmith (6). Today’s winners play Tuesday with the higher-seeded team hosting. The regional championship game will be played next Thursday, May 29.
Chequamegon swept a twin bill at home on Thursday, May 15, against Ironwood, winning 18-2 in three innings and 16-3 in five. The Screaming Eagles pounded 34 hits in their seven offensive innings, including four home runs, five doubles and a triple.
Megan Mader and Hilgart went back-to-back to cap a 12-run first inning in game one. Pechacek had a two-run double and Emily Ernest had a two-run triple earlier in the frame. Palecek, Brianna Mader, Pechacek, Hilgart and Ernest had two hits each.
Megan Mader allowed two hits, walked one and fanned three, facing 13 batters over three innings.
Masterson and Megan Mader both hit two-run homers in a nine-run second inning in game two. Mader finished with three hits and four RBI. Brianna Mader also had three hits and four RBI. Masterson had two hits and three runs batted in. Palecek, Abby Lee, Orr and Emily Mader had two hits each.
Brianna Mader fanned nine in her five innings, allowing five hits and two walks.
"The bats were really poppin’ and both pitchers threw well," Dischler said. "These were nice wins heading into a critical stretch of games."
Big bops sparked the Screaming Eagles to a come-from-behind 11-7 victory over Phillips on Friday, May 16, at the Park Falls Athletic Field in a key MNC doubleheader. Chequamegon swept the twin bill with a 3-2 victory in game two.
Masterson led off game one with a home run and Palecek scored on an RBI ground out by Megan Mader. Phillips, the home team in the opener, answered with four runs in the bottom of the first. Morgan Edwards doubled and advanced when Katelyn Tinnen reached on an error. Kendra Brown followed with a home run and JoJo Baratka walked and later scored on a RBI single by Michaela Ericksen.
The Loggers went ahead 5-2 in the fourth on a single by Ericksen and RBI ground out by Edwards and were in a great position entering the final regulation inning of the scheduled five-inning contest. That is, until Masterson, Brianna Mader and Pechacek all went yard to tie the game. Masterson led off the inning with her blast and after Palecek flew out, Mader and Pechacek went back-to-back.
"Wisconsin fastpitch guru Bob Tomlinson says that if you go to the ballpark day after day, you’ll see something you’ve never seen in a game before. This was certainly a first for me," Dischler said.
Megan Mader and Hilgart continued the rally with back-to-back doubles and Emily Mader singled home the fifth and final run of the inning to put Chequamegon ahead 7-5.
The Loggers came right back with Makala Williams and Brooke Spacek singling. After a fielder’s choice and fly out, the Screaming Eagles were a pitch away when Ericksen hit a high hopper over third base which tickled the foul line and ended up as a two-run game-tying double.
Chequamegon answered with a four-run sixth. Masterson walked and advanced on a passed ball and Palecek singled and stole second. Masterson scored on a sacrifice fly by Brianna Mader and Pechacek and Megan Mader then delivered an RBI singles ahead of a two-run double by Hilgart.
Megan Mader sealed the victory with three ground outs on three pitches in the bottom of the sixth. She allowed 11 hits, walked one and fanned two.
Chequamegon got off to a quick start again in game two with Masterson and Palecek singling to lead off the bottom of the first, Pechacek delivering an RBI single, and Hilgart following with an RBI double with Pechacek being gunned down at the plate.
Edwards and Tinnen led off the Logger third with singles. After an intentional walk to Brown, Williams drew a walk to plate a run. Brianna Mader then fanned three straight with the bases loaded to get out of the jam.
Masterson singled to lead off the bottom of the third and scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Megan Mader.
This time it looked like the Loggers might make the fifth-inning comeback as Williams walked and scored on a double by Spacek. The throw to the plate was late on Williams, but catcher Emily Mader fired a strike to Pechacek at third to cut down Spacek who tried to advance on the throw home. A ground out ended the game.
"It was swing-after-swing throughout both games," Dischler said. "Mo (Hilgart) was huge on defense in both games, including a key double play in game two to snuff out a threat. KP (Pechacek) has six assists and a putout in the first game at third base. Both teams pitched well, hit well and made plays all over."
Brianna Mader got the win in game two, allowing seven hits and four walks, fanning five.
The busy week continued for the Screaming Eagles with a trip to Neillsville for a three-team round-robin, where Chequamegon fell 12-3 to Cochrane-Fountain City, ranked 16th in Div. 4 by The Fastpitch Chronicle, and edged 12th-ranked (Div. 3) Neillsville 3-2.
"Cochrane-Fountain City has a nice club. We made some uncharacteristic errors which helped fuel three-run fourth and five-run sixth innings and allowed them to pull away, but they also hit the ball. We hit some balls pretty well, but too many right at them," Dischler said.
Pechacek and Megan Mader had two hits each and Pechacek drove in a pair of runs with a single and double. The loss went to Megan Mader, who allowed 13 hits, walked five and struck out three.
Lee scored on an infield ground out by Ernest to put Chequamegon ahead in the third inning against Neillsville. The Cardinals tallied two unearned runs in the top of the fifth to pull ahead 2-1.
Makayla Casey and Masterson singled to open the Chequamegon sixth. After a sacrifice by Palecek, Brianna Mader laced a two-run double. Mader slammed the door in the top of the seventh with three ground outs, the final two on comebackers. She allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out six.
"It was a nice win to cap an emotional week and a three-day, six-game stretch," Dischler said. "We were able to shuffle some girls around on defense and accomplished some things we set out to do today."
The Chequamegon JV team swept a pair of games at Lakeland on Saturday, beating the T-Birds 24-4 and 25-15. Hope Grubb was the winning pitcher in the opener and Ally Derr in the nightcap.
The Chequamegon High School softball team won 6-2 at Hurley on Tuesday, May 13, in what was essentially head-to-head for the No. 1 seed in their Div. 3 regional.
The Screaming Eagles were rained out on Monday, May 19, at Athens for a doubleheader to determine the Marawood North Conference championship. Both teams are 8-0. Chequamegon moved to 8-0 with 11-7 and 3-2 victories over Phillips on Friday, May 16. A 6-1 week improved Chequamegon’s overall record to 15-4.
At Hurley, Chequamegon jumped to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first and answered Hurley runs with single tallies in the second and fifth.
"Obviously, getting a 4-0 jump was huge, but answering when they scored was also key," Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. "We had a couple of chances to break it wide open, but we did come away with the win. Willie (Brianna Mader) got some big K’s (strikeouts) to work out of situations."
Mader scattered 10 hits, walked none and fanned nine.
A walk to Jamie Palecek was followed by Brianna Mader’s RBI double in the first inning. Kristen Pechacek then singled home courtesy runner Tess Richard and Megan Mader followed with a single. After two were out, Remi Orr singled home two more runs. Emily Mader then doubled, but she and Orr were left stranded.
After a Felicia Herlevi home run in the bottom of the first, the Screaming Eagles answered with Pechacek lacing a two-out RBI double to scored Danielle Masterson.
Hurley closed to 5-2 with a run in its half of the third inning. Morgan Hilgart led off the fifth with a triple and scored on an infield grounder by Orr.
Pechacek, Hilgart, Orr and Emily Ernest had two hits each as Chequamegon tallied 13 for the game. Orr drove in three runs.
Chequamegon earned the No. 1 seed and will have a first-round bye when the WIAA tournament begins today, Thursday, May 22, with regional quarterfinals. Cameron (4 seed) hosts Chetek-Weyerhauser (5) today and the Screaming Eagles get the winner on Tuesday, May 27, in Park Falls at 5 p.m.
Hurley (2) will host Washburn/Bayfield (7) today and Phillips (3) will host Ladysmith (6). Today’s winners play Tuesday with the higher-seeded team hosting. The regional championship game will be played next Thursday, May 29.
Chequamegon swept a twin bill at home on Thursday, May 15, against Ironwood, winning 18-2 in three innings and 16-3 in five. The Screaming Eagles pounded 34 hits in their seven offensive innings, including four home runs, five doubles and a triple.
Megan Mader and Hilgart went back-to-back to cap a 12-run first inning in game one. Pechacek had a two-run double and Emily Ernest had a two-run triple earlier in the frame. Palecek, Brianna Mader, Pechacek, Hilgart and Ernest had two hits each.
Megan Mader allowed two hits, walked one and fanned three, facing 13 batters over three innings.
Masterson and Megan Mader both hit two-run homers in a nine-run second inning in game two. Mader finished with three hits and four RBI. Brianna Mader also had three hits and four RBI. Masterson had two hits and three runs batted in. Palecek, Abby Lee, Orr and Emily Mader had two hits each.
Brianna Mader fanned nine in her five innings, allowing five hits and two walks.
"The bats were really poppin’ and both pitchers threw well," Dischler said. "These were nice wins heading into a critical stretch of games."
Big bops sparked the Screaming Eagles to a come-from-behind 11-7 victory over Phillips on Friday, May 16, at the Park Falls Athletic Field in a key MNC doubleheader. Chequamegon swept the twin bill with a 3-2 victory in game two.
Masterson led off game one with a home run and Palecek scored on an RBI ground out by Megan Mader. Phillips, the home team in the opener, answered with four runs in the bottom of the first. Morgan Edwards doubled and advanced when Katelyn Tinnen reached on an error. Kendra Brown followed with a home run and JoJo Baratka walked and later scored on a RBI single by Michaela Ericksen.
The Loggers went ahead 5-2 in the fourth on a single by Ericksen and RBI ground out by Edwards and were in a great position entering the final regulation inning of the scheduled five-inning contest. That is, until Masterson, Brianna Mader and Pechacek all went yard to tie the game. Masterson led off the inning with her blast and after Palecek flew out, Mader and Pechacek went back-to-back.
"Wisconsin fastpitch guru Bob Tomlinson says that if you go to the ballpark day after day, you’ll see something you’ve never seen in a game before. This was certainly a first for me," Dischler said.
Megan Mader and Hilgart continued the rally with back-to-back doubles and Emily Mader singled home the fifth and final run of the inning to put Chequamegon ahead 7-5.
The Loggers came right back with Makala Williams and Brooke Spacek singling. After a fielder’s choice and fly out, the Screaming Eagles were a pitch away when Ericksen hit a high hopper over third base which tickled the foul line and ended up as a two-run game-tying double.
Chequamegon answered with a four-run sixth. Masterson walked and advanced on a passed ball and Palecek singled and stole second. Masterson scored on a sacrifice fly by Brianna Mader and Pechacek and Megan Mader then delivered an RBI singles ahead of a two-run double by Hilgart.
Megan Mader sealed the victory with three ground outs on three pitches in the bottom of the sixth. She allowed 11 hits, walked one and fanned two.
Chequamegon got off to a quick start again in game two with Masterson and Palecek singling to lead off the bottom of the first, Pechacek delivering an RBI single, and Hilgart following with an RBI double with Pechacek being gunned down at the plate.
Edwards and Tinnen led off the Logger third with singles. After an intentional walk to Brown, Williams drew a walk to plate a run. Brianna Mader then fanned three straight with the bases loaded to get out of the jam.
Masterson singled to lead off the bottom of the third and scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Megan Mader.
This time it looked like the Loggers might make the fifth-inning comeback as Williams walked and scored on a double by Spacek. The throw to the plate was late on Williams, but catcher Emily Mader fired a strike to Pechacek at third to cut down Spacek who tried to advance on the throw home. A ground out ended the game.
"It was swing-after-swing throughout both games," Dischler said. "Mo (Hilgart) was huge on defense in both games, including a key double play in game two to snuff out a threat. KP (Pechacek) has six assists and a putout in the first game at third base. Both teams pitched well, hit well and made plays all over."
Brianna Mader got the win in game two, allowing seven hits and four walks, fanning five.
The busy week continued for the Screaming Eagles with a trip to Neillsville for a three-team round-robin, where Chequamegon fell 12-3 to Cochrane-Fountain City, ranked 16th in Div. 4 by The Fastpitch Chronicle, and edged 12th-ranked (Div. 3) Neillsville 3-2.
"Cochrane-Fountain City has a nice club. We made some uncharacteristic errors which helped fuel three-run fourth and five-run sixth innings and allowed them to pull away, but they also hit the ball. We hit some balls pretty well, but too many right at them," Dischler said.
Pechacek and Megan Mader had two hits each and Pechacek drove in a pair of runs with a single and double. The loss went to Megan Mader, who allowed 13 hits, walked five and struck out three.
Lee scored on an infield ground out by Ernest to put Chequamegon ahead in the third inning against Neillsville. The Cardinals tallied two unearned runs in the top of the fifth to pull ahead 2-1.
Makayla Casey and Masterson singled to open the Chequamegon sixth. After a sacrifice by Palecek, Brianna Mader laced a two-run double. Mader slammed the door in the top of the seventh with three ground outs, the final two on comebackers. She allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out six.
"It was a nice win to cap an emotional week and a three-day, six-game stretch," Dischler said. "We were able to shuffle some girls around on defense and accomplished some things we set out to do today."
The Chequamegon JV team swept a pair of games at Lakeland on Saturday, beating the T-Birds 24-4 and 25-15. Hope Grubb was the winning pitcher in the opener and Ally Derr in the nightcap.
Screaming Eagles blank Prentice in back-to-back games
The Prentice-Butternut Buccaneers managed just five hits in two games against the Chequamegon Screaming Eagles softball team in Marawood North Conference action this past week.
Brianna Mader checked the Bucs on three hits in a six-inning 11-0 Chequamegon victory in Park Falls on Friday, May 2, and Megan Mader fired a five-inning two-hitter in a 22-0 Chequamegon victory in Prentice on Monday, May 5.
Brianna Mader fanned seven and walked one in her victory, and also went 3-for-4 at the plate to spark a 12-hit attack.
Chequamegon tallied five in the bottom of the first last Friday, rapping five hits in the frame, including a two-run homer by Kristen Pechacek. The Screaming Eagles tallied three times in the third inning and tacked on two in the sixth, with Megan Mader ending the game via the 10-run rule with an RBI single.
Remi Orr went 2-for-2 and Pechacek had two hits. Morgan Hilgart had a double for Chequamegon.
“We jumped on them early and Willie (Brianna Mader) pretty much had her way; she threw a really nice game,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said.
On Monday in Prentice, it was a scoreless game until Chequamegon erupted for 11 runs in the third inning, rapping nine hits in the frame. Brianna Mader and Pechacek had back-to-back doubles to get things started. Orr rapped a two-run single, followed by RBI singles by Emily Mader and Emily Ernest. After an RBI single by Jamie Palecek and a walk to Brianna Mader, Pechacek laced a liner over the left-center field fence for a three-run homer. Megan Mader and Hilgart then hit back-to-back doubles.
“We were a little anxious the first couple innings, but had better plate discipline in the third and started to hit some balls hard,” Dischler said.
Abby Lee had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth, and Emily Mader hit a two-run single in the fifth. Chequamegon capitalized on numerous walks over the final two frames.
Megan Mader struck out six with no walks in the five-inning win.
“Megan mixed speeds well and was in control the whole way, allowing just one runner to pass first base,” Dischler said.
The Prentice-Butternut Buccaneers managed just five hits in two games against the Chequamegon Screaming Eagles softball team in Marawood North Conference action this past week.
Brianna Mader checked the Bucs on three hits in a six-inning 11-0 Chequamegon victory in Park Falls on Friday, May 2, and Megan Mader fired a five-inning two-hitter in a 22-0 Chequamegon victory in Prentice on Monday, May 5.
Brianna Mader fanned seven and walked one in her victory, and also went 3-for-4 at the plate to spark a 12-hit attack.
Chequamegon tallied five in the bottom of the first last Friday, rapping five hits in the frame, including a two-run homer by Kristen Pechacek. The Screaming Eagles tallied three times in the third inning and tacked on two in the sixth, with Megan Mader ending the game via the 10-run rule with an RBI single.
Remi Orr went 2-for-2 and Pechacek had two hits. Morgan Hilgart had a double for Chequamegon.
“We jumped on them early and Willie (Brianna Mader) pretty much had her way; she threw a really nice game,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said.
On Monday in Prentice, it was a scoreless game until Chequamegon erupted for 11 runs in the third inning, rapping nine hits in the frame. Brianna Mader and Pechacek had back-to-back doubles to get things started. Orr rapped a two-run single, followed by RBI singles by Emily Mader and Emily Ernest. After an RBI single by Jamie Palecek and a walk to Brianna Mader, Pechacek laced a liner over the left-center field fence for a three-run homer. Megan Mader and Hilgart then hit back-to-back doubles.
“We were a little anxious the first couple innings, but had better plate discipline in the third and started to hit some balls hard,” Dischler said.
Abby Lee had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth, and Emily Mader hit a two-run single in the fifth. Chequamegon capitalized on numerous walks over the final two frames.
Megan Mader struck out six with no walks in the five-inning win.
“Megan mixed speeds well and was in control the whole way, allowing just one runner to pass first base,” Dischler said.
Screaming Eagles open MNC play with two wins; sweep twin bill vs. Three Lakes
The Chequamegon High School softball team opened Marawood North Conference play last week with a pair of victories, winning 9-3 at Abbotsford on Tuesday, April 22, and defeating visiting Rib Lake 20-3 on Friday, April 25. The Screaming Eagles then swept a twin bill at home against Three Lakes on Monday, April 28, 5-2 and 14-7.
At Abby, the Screaming Eagles broke open a close game with four runs in the fourth inning for a 5-2 advantage. After the Falcons tallied twice in the sixth, Chequamegon tacked on three in the seventh inning to secure the victory.
Brianna Mader checked the Falcons on three hits, walking two and fanning nine. She allowed one earned run.
“Willie was pretty much in control the whole game. She took a no-hitter into the sixth. We had a couple of errors in the sixth which cracked the door open, but were able to minimize the damage,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. Emily Mader had an RBI single to open the scoring for Chequamegon in the second inning and Morgan Hilgart drove in a run with a two-out single in the third. Emily Mader opened the four-run fourth with a double and scored on a base hit by Danielle Masterson. Jamie Palecek followed with the second of her four hits on the day, and both scored on Brianna Mader’s single. Courtesy runner Tess Richard tallied the final run. After the Falcons closed the gap to 6-3, Hilgart and Remi Orr singled to open the seventh and both scored on Emily Mader’s second double of the game. Courtesy runner Gabrielle Schmidt then scored on Palecek’s fourth single of the game.Palecek was 4-for-5, Emily Mader went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, and Hilgart went 2-for-4 to fuel the 13-hit attack for the Screaming Eagles. The Screaming Eagles rapped 17 hits to back the three-hit pitching of Megan Mader in Friday's win. The game was to be played in Rib Lake, but the Redmen's field was unplayable so the venue was switched to Park Falls. Mader walked five and fanned four in the five-inning victory, allowing two earned runs.
A hit, an error, a walk and aggressive baserunning led to three runs in the Screaming Eagles half of the first inning. Orr doubled and scored on a fielder's choice off Masterson's bat in the second and Palecek doubled Masterson home for a 5-0 Chequamegon lead,
The Screaming Eagles scored five times in the third inning. Megan Mader led off with a double and scored on a base hit by Hilgart. After Orr was hit by a pitch, Emily Mader and Emily Ernest hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Masterson singled home the final run.
Rib Lake trimmed the deficit to 10-2 with a pair of runs in its half of the fourth before Chequamegon put up a 10-spot in the bottom of the frame. Brianna Mader and Megan Mader singled ahead of Hilgart's two-run double. After a walk to Abby Lee, Makayla Casey singled home a run.
"The bats were poppin'," Dischler said. "The girls hit eight doubles and we had 11 different players record hits."
Megan Mader went 3-for-3 with two doubles, Hilgart was 3-for-4 with two doubles and five runs batted in and Masterson and Emily Mader had two hits each.
Masterson's two-run homer snapped a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning in game one against Three Lakes.
Masterson singled and later scored on a fielder's choice off Kristen Pechacek's bat in the first and Emily Mader scored on Masterson's RBI single in the second for a 2-0 Chequamegon lead. An error led to a two-run Three Lakes' fourth inning to knot the score before Ernest singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and Masterson followed with her blast. Pinch hitter Abby Lee was then hit by a pitch and pinch runner Tess Richard scored later in the frame.
On Monday, Brianna Mader checked the visiting Three Lakes Bluejays on four hits, fanning seven and walking none in the five-inning victory. Masterson went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in.
"Nellie (Masterson) had a great game at the plate and Willie (Mader) was rock solid except for a shaky fourth. KP (Pechacek) had a great game at third base (3 assists, 4 putouts). We faced a pretty good pitcher in Maddie Lorbetske and put the ball in play a lot. It was a good all-around game," Dischler said.
After Three Lakes went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning in game two, the Screaming Eagles capitalized on a couple of errors to tally four times in the bottom of the frame. Orr drove in a run with a ground out ahead of an RBI single by Emily Mader, an RBI double by Ernest and an RBI single by Masterson.
The Bluejays came back with two in the third after two were out on two hits, a hit batter and a two-run double to make it 4-3.
In the bottom of the third, Pechacek reached on an error ahead of back-to-back singles by Casey and Hilgart, the latter driving in a run. Orr then cracked a three-run homer to center field. Ernest, Richard and Pechacek singled as Chequamegon tacked on three more to cap a seven-run inning to lead 11-3.
Three consecutive singles set the table for a grand slam home run by Lauren Sowinski. Brianna Mader then came on and fanned two hitters to get out of the inning with Chequamegon still in front, 11-7.
Singles by Hilgart and Orr opened a three-run fourth for the Screaming Eagles and a 1-2-3 top of the fifth slammed the door as Chequamegon won its fourth straight game to improve to 5-3 on the season.
"It was good to get these games in ahead of a couple of key MNC tilts coming up," Dischler said.
The Screaming Eagles' JV team opened its season by going 1-2 at the Medford JV Tournament on Saturday, April 26.
"It was a fun day for the girls, with several playing for the first time at a higher level of competition," Dischler said. "Hope Grubb threw very well in her high school debut, Trista Cegielski had a big day at the plate and all of the girls we had available for the day had some good things happen for them. It was a good building block."
The Chequamegon High School softball team opened Marawood North Conference play last week with a pair of victories, winning 9-3 at Abbotsford on Tuesday, April 22, and defeating visiting Rib Lake 20-3 on Friday, April 25. The Screaming Eagles then swept a twin bill at home against Three Lakes on Monday, April 28, 5-2 and 14-7.
At Abby, the Screaming Eagles broke open a close game with four runs in the fourth inning for a 5-2 advantage. After the Falcons tallied twice in the sixth, Chequamegon tacked on three in the seventh inning to secure the victory.
Brianna Mader checked the Falcons on three hits, walking two and fanning nine. She allowed one earned run.
“Willie was pretty much in control the whole game. She took a no-hitter into the sixth. We had a couple of errors in the sixth which cracked the door open, but were able to minimize the damage,” Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said. Emily Mader had an RBI single to open the scoring for Chequamegon in the second inning and Morgan Hilgart drove in a run with a two-out single in the third. Emily Mader opened the four-run fourth with a double and scored on a base hit by Danielle Masterson. Jamie Palecek followed with the second of her four hits on the day, and both scored on Brianna Mader’s single. Courtesy runner Tess Richard tallied the final run. After the Falcons closed the gap to 6-3, Hilgart and Remi Orr singled to open the seventh and both scored on Emily Mader’s second double of the game. Courtesy runner Gabrielle Schmidt then scored on Palecek’s fourth single of the game.Palecek was 4-for-5, Emily Mader went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs, and Hilgart went 2-for-4 to fuel the 13-hit attack for the Screaming Eagles. The Screaming Eagles rapped 17 hits to back the three-hit pitching of Megan Mader in Friday's win. The game was to be played in Rib Lake, but the Redmen's field was unplayable so the venue was switched to Park Falls. Mader walked five and fanned four in the five-inning victory, allowing two earned runs.
A hit, an error, a walk and aggressive baserunning led to three runs in the Screaming Eagles half of the first inning. Orr doubled and scored on a fielder's choice off Masterson's bat in the second and Palecek doubled Masterson home for a 5-0 Chequamegon lead,
The Screaming Eagles scored five times in the third inning. Megan Mader led off with a double and scored on a base hit by Hilgart. After Orr was hit by a pitch, Emily Mader and Emily Ernest hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Masterson singled home the final run.
Rib Lake trimmed the deficit to 10-2 with a pair of runs in its half of the fourth before Chequamegon put up a 10-spot in the bottom of the frame. Brianna Mader and Megan Mader singled ahead of Hilgart's two-run double. After a walk to Abby Lee, Makayla Casey singled home a run.
"The bats were poppin'," Dischler said. "The girls hit eight doubles and we had 11 different players record hits."
Megan Mader went 3-for-3 with two doubles, Hilgart was 3-for-4 with two doubles and five runs batted in and Masterson and Emily Mader had two hits each.
Masterson's two-run homer snapped a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fourth inning in game one against Three Lakes.
Masterson singled and later scored on a fielder's choice off Kristen Pechacek's bat in the first and Emily Mader scored on Masterson's RBI single in the second for a 2-0 Chequamegon lead. An error led to a two-run Three Lakes' fourth inning to knot the score before Ernest singled to lead off the bottom of the frame and Masterson followed with her blast. Pinch hitter Abby Lee was then hit by a pitch and pinch runner Tess Richard scored later in the frame.
On Monday, Brianna Mader checked the visiting Three Lakes Bluejays on four hits, fanning seven and walking none in the five-inning victory. Masterson went 3-for-3 with three runs batted in.
"Nellie (Masterson) had a great game at the plate and Willie (Mader) was rock solid except for a shaky fourth. KP (Pechacek) had a great game at third base (3 assists, 4 putouts). We faced a pretty good pitcher in Maddie Lorbetske and put the ball in play a lot. It was a good all-around game," Dischler said.
After Three Lakes went up 1-0 in the top of the second inning in game two, the Screaming Eagles capitalized on a couple of errors to tally four times in the bottom of the frame. Orr drove in a run with a ground out ahead of an RBI single by Emily Mader, an RBI double by Ernest and an RBI single by Masterson.
The Bluejays came back with two in the third after two were out on two hits, a hit batter and a two-run double to make it 4-3.
In the bottom of the third, Pechacek reached on an error ahead of back-to-back singles by Casey and Hilgart, the latter driving in a run. Orr then cracked a three-run homer to center field. Ernest, Richard and Pechacek singled as Chequamegon tacked on three more to cap a seven-run inning to lead 11-3.
Three consecutive singles set the table for a grand slam home run by Lauren Sowinski. Brianna Mader then came on and fanned two hitters to get out of the inning with Chequamegon still in front, 11-7.
Singles by Hilgart and Orr opened a three-run fourth for the Screaming Eagles and a 1-2-3 top of the fifth slammed the door as Chequamegon won its fourth straight game to improve to 5-3 on the season.
"It was good to get these games in ahead of a couple of key MNC tilts coming up," Dischler said.
The Screaming Eagles' JV team opened its season by going 1-2 at the Medford JV Tournament on Saturday, April 26.
"It was a fun day for the girls, with several playing for the first time at a higher level of competition," Dischler said. "Hope Grubb threw very well in her high school debut, Trista Cegielski had a big day at the plate and all of the girls we had available for the day had some good things happen for them. It was a good building block."
Screaming Eagles open with win; drop three
The Chequamegon High School softball team posted a 1-3 record on an impromptu
southern swing this past weekend.
The Screaming Eagles, ranked 10th in Div. 3 in The
Fastpitch Chronicle Week 1 poll, opened the year with a 7-1 victory at Lodi on
Friday, April 11. Poynette opened its fields to six teams from northern
Wisconsin on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles fell 6-3 to Stratford, ranked 14th
in Div. 3; 17-10 to D.C. Everest, ranked 16th in Div. 1; and 7-1 to Wrightstown,
ranked 18th in Div. 2.
" It was great to get on dirt," Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said.
"Lodi was gracious enough to fit us into their schedule. We had a solid outing.
It was a tight game before we were able to put a few runs on the board in the
later innings."
The Screaming Eagles tallied in the first on a suicide squeeze by Brianna
Mader with Danielle Masterson scoring.
That was the lone tally until the fifth when Jamie Palecek and Brianna Mader
had back-to-back two-out RBI singles. Abby Lee had a sacrifice fly to plate a
run in the sixth and Chequamegon tacked on three in the top of the seventh.
Masterson went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and Brianna Mader had two hits
and drove in three runs. Brianna Mader worked five shutout innings in the circle
for the win, with Megan Mader finishing up.
Stratford jumped to a 3-0 lead in Saturday’s first game before Emily Mader
hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the second inning for
Chequamegon. Lee, Emily Mader, Emily Ernest and Masterson hit consecutive
singles to tie the game in the fourth. Stratford plated three in the fifth for
the win.
Emily Mader and Emily Ernest had two hits each for the Screaming Eagles.
D.C. Everest rapped five home runs en route to the 17-10 victory over
Chequamegon, including three by Makayla Pagel. The Evergreens put a 5-spot on
the board in the first inning.
After a walk to Morgan Hilgart in the Chequamegon second, Remi Orr doubled in
her first varsity at bat and Emily Mader and Ernest followed with RBI singles.
Megan Mader drove in a run in the third with a ground out.
The Screaming Eagles pulled ahead 7-5 with four runs in the fourth. Orr
singled, but was erased on a fielder’s choice. Ernest singled, and with two
outs, Jamie Palecek and Brianna Mader hit run-scoring singles. After a walk to
Kristen Pechacek, Megan Mader laced a two-run single.
Everest came back with two in its half of the fourth to knot the score.
Chequamegon pulled ahead again with a pair of runs in the sixth with Megan Mader
and Hilgart driving home runs. Everest pulled away with four runs in the fifth
and six in the sixth.
Orr went 3-for-4 and Ernest and Megan Mader had two hits each, with Mader
driving in four runs.
Courtesty runner Tess Richard opened the scoring for Chequamegon in the
second inning against Wrightstown, but that was all the Screaming Eagles could
muster. The Tigers tallied two in the second, one in the fifth and four in the
sixth for the victory. Hilgart had two of the Screaming Eagles’ six hits.
"We left too many runners stranded against Wrightstown. We had opportunities,
but didn’t deliver," Dischler said. "We weren’t particularly sharp on the day
and had some weaknesses exposed. We know where we have to get better and will
address those areas. We had a lot of positives throughout the weekend and will
build on those as well."
The Screaming Eagles are idle over the Easter break and will return to action
on Tuesday, April 22, traveling to Abbotsford for a 4:45 p.m. Marawood North
Conference tilt. Chequamegon will have its home debut on Thursday, April 24,
hosting Shell Lake for a doubleheader with the first game slated for 4:30
p.m.
The Chequamegon High School softball team posted a 1-3 record on an impromptu
southern swing this past weekend.
The Screaming Eagles, ranked 10th in Div. 3 in The
Fastpitch Chronicle Week 1 poll, opened the year with a 7-1 victory at Lodi on
Friday, April 11. Poynette opened its fields to six teams from northern
Wisconsin on Saturday. The Screaming Eagles fell 6-3 to Stratford, ranked 14th
in Div. 3; 17-10 to D.C. Everest, ranked 16th in Div. 1; and 7-1 to Wrightstown,
ranked 18th in Div. 2.
" It was great to get on dirt," Screaming Eagles’ Coach Ken Dischler said.
"Lodi was gracious enough to fit us into their schedule. We had a solid outing.
It was a tight game before we were able to put a few runs on the board in the
later innings."
The Screaming Eagles tallied in the first on a suicide squeeze by Brianna
Mader with Danielle Masterson scoring.
That was the lone tally until the fifth when Jamie Palecek and Brianna Mader
had back-to-back two-out RBI singles. Abby Lee had a sacrifice fly to plate a
run in the sixth and Chequamegon tacked on three in the top of the seventh.
Masterson went 3-for-4 with four stolen bases and Brianna Mader had two hits
and drove in three runs. Brianna Mader worked five shutout innings in the circle
for the win, with Megan Mader finishing up.
Stratford jumped to a 3-0 lead in Saturday’s first game before Emily Mader
hit a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the second inning for
Chequamegon. Lee, Emily Mader, Emily Ernest and Masterson hit consecutive
singles to tie the game in the fourth. Stratford plated three in the fifth for
the win.
Emily Mader and Emily Ernest had two hits each for the Screaming Eagles.
D.C. Everest rapped five home runs en route to the 17-10 victory over
Chequamegon, including three by Makayla Pagel. The Evergreens put a 5-spot on
the board in the first inning.
After a walk to Morgan Hilgart in the Chequamegon second, Remi Orr doubled in
her first varsity at bat and Emily Mader and Ernest followed with RBI singles.
Megan Mader drove in a run in the third with a ground out.
The Screaming Eagles pulled ahead 7-5 with four runs in the fourth. Orr
singled, but was erased on a fielder’s choice. Ernest singled, and with two
outs, Jamie Palecek and Brianna Mader hit run-scoring singles. After a walk to
Kristen Pechacek, Megan Mader laced a two-run single.
Everest came back with two in its half of the fourth to knot the score.
Chequamegon pulled ahead again with a pair of runs in the sixth with Megan Mader
and Hilgart driving home runs. Everest pulled away with four runs in the fifth
and six in the sixth.
Orr went 3-for-4 and Ernest and Megan Mader had two hits each, with Mader
driving in four runs.
Courtesty runner Tess Richard opened the scoring for Chequamegon in the
second inning against Wrightstown, but that was all the Screaming Eagles could
muster. The Tigers tallied two in the second, one in the fifth and four in the
sixth for the victory. Hilgart had two of the Screaming Eagles’ six hits.
"We left too many runners stranded against Wrightstown. We had opportunities,
but didn’t deliver," Dischler said. "We weren’t particularly sharp on the day
and had some weaknesses exposed. We know where we have to get better and will
address those areas. We had a lot of positives throughout the weekend and will
build on those as well."
The Screaming Eagles are idle over the Easter break and will return to action
on Tuesday, April 22, traveling to Abbotsford for a 4:45 p.m. Marawood North
Conference tilt. Chequamegon will have its home debut on Thursday, April 24,
hosting Shell Lake for a doubleheader with the first game slated for 4:30
p.m.
Screaming Eagles embark on 2014 season
The Chequamegon High School softball team is set to open its 2014 season as soon as Mother Nature allows.
The Screaming Eagles are slated to host Ladysmith at 4:45 p.m.on Tuesday, April 8, travel to Medford for a 5 p.m. game on Friday, April 11, and play in the Wausau West Warrior Invite on Saturday, April 12. Their Marawood North Conference opener is on tap for 4:45 p.m. on Monday, April 14, at home against Prentice/Buttenut.
The Screaming Eagles are two-time defending MNC co-champs with Athens. It’s been a two-horse race in the MNC since the then-Park Falls Cardinals joined the league in 2009. Park Falls won the outright title in 2009, Athens won outright in 2010 and 2011, and Chequamegon and Athens have shared the title the past two seasons. The Blue Jays are ranked third in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association pre-season coaches poll.
“I expect the MNC to be very competitive this season ,” Chequamegon Coach Ken Dischler said. “Athens will, of course, be strong again. Phillips and Abbotsford made strides last season and return a lot of talent. We’ll have to bring our A
game every time out.”
Chequamegon and Athens were both 8-2 in MNC play last season. Phillips finished 3-4-1, Abby 2-3-1, Rib Lake 0-4 and Prentice 0-6. Athens returns six players who earned all-conference honors last season, including two-time player of the year Kyncaide Diedrich. Phillips had three players returning who earned MNC honors last season, and Abby, six.
Chequamegon finished 18-4 overall last season and returns 12 letter winners, including six who earned MNC honors in 2014.
“We have a couple holes to fill and need to get deeper at several spots,” Dischler said. “We return starters at seven defensive positions, but one ( left fielder Makayla Casey) is sidelined by injury to start the season. At full strength, we feel we can be a pretty good ball club.”
Captain Brianna Mader and fellow seniors Jamie Palecek and Kristen Pechacek lead the 2014 squad into the new season. They’ve compiled a record of 48-23 in their three seasons.
Brianna Mader has a career mark of 25-9 in the circle with a 3.43 ERA, 151 strikeouts and 69 walks in 208.1 innings pitched. She was 9-3 last season with a 2.52 ERA. Mader hit .350 last season (.281 career) with five doubles and 14 runs batted in. She earned second-team MNC honors in both her sophomore and junior seasons.
Center fielder Palecek hit .286 (.278 career) last season with a pair of home runs and 17 RBI. She’s scored 64 runs in 69 games over her three seasons. She earned second-team MNC honors last season.
Pechacek hit .522 last season and .429 as a sophomore and has a career average of .403. Twenty-five of her 77 career hits are for extra bases, including 21 doubles, a triple, and three home runs. She’s driven in 57 runs in 61 career games. Pechacek has earned MNC honorable mention and first-team honors.
“We’re really excited for our seniors. They’ve all played in 60 or more varsity games and are tournament tested. They’re primed for huge seasons,” Dischler said.
The junior class is 36-14 in its two seasons.
Casey has a .308 career batting average and just three errors in her two seasons.
Morgan Hilgart hit .294 last season and fielded .925 at second base, earning second-team MNC honors.
Megan Mader has an 18-8 record in the circle over the past two seasons with a 3.21 ERA, 119 strikeouts and 48 walks in 157 innings. She was 9-1 last season with a 2.68 ERA. She hit .255 last season. Mader has earned first-team MNC honors in each of her two seasons and is 10-1 in MNC games over that span.
Danielle Masterson returns at shortstop with a .918 career fielding percentage and .407 career batting average. She earned MNC first-team honors last season and second-team honors as a freshman.
Returning behind the dish is sophomore Emily Mader, who fielded .972 as a freshman. Vying for starting spots are sophomores Emily Ernest and Abby Lee. Sophomores Trista Cegielski and Shelby Zillmer also return with varsity experience.
New to the team are junior Rosie Botka and freshmen Ally Derr, Hope Grubb, Violet Hagmann, Maria Hecimovich, Ashley Mertig, Maggie Nesbit, Remi Orr, Tess Richard, Gabrielle Schmidt and Poetic Zimmerman.
Managers are Mackenzie Dane and Maggie Miller.
“We’ve got good numbers this season and will field a JV team again,” Dischler said. “Our young players are giving their all in practice and improving every day.”
The coaching staff includes Tom Masterson, Dave BeBeau, Dan Herbst and Kevin Orr.
The Chequamegon High School softball team is set to open its 2014 season as soon as Mother Nature allows.
The Screaming Eagles are slated to host Ladysmith at 4:45 p.m.on Tuesday, April 8, travel to Medford for a 5 p.m. game on Friday, April 11, and play in the Wausau West Warrior Invite on Saturday, April 12. Their Marawood North Conference opener is on tap for 4:45 p.m. on Monday, April 14, at home against Prentice/Buttenut.
The Screaming Eagles are two-time defending MNC co-champs with Athens. It’s been a two-horse race in the MNC since the then-Park Falls Cardinals joined the league in 2009. Park Falls won the outright title in 2009, Athens won outright in 2010 and 2011, and Chequamegon and Athens have shared the title the past two seasons. The Blue Jays are ranked third in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association pre-season coaches poll.
“I expect the MNC to be very competitive this season ,” Chequamegon Coach Ken Dischler said. “Athens will, of course, be strong again. Phillips and Abbotsford made strides last season and return a lot of talent. We’ll have to bring our A
game every time out.”
Chequamegon and Athens were both 8-2 in MNC play last season. Phillips finished 3-4-1, Abby 2-3-1, Rib Lake 0-4 and Prentice 0-6. Athens returns six players who earned all-conference honors last season, including two-time player of the year Kyncaide Diedrich. Phillips had three players returning who earned MNC honors last season, and Abby, six.
Chequamegon finished 18-4 overall last season and returns 12 letter winners, including six who earned MNC honors in 2014.
“We have a couple holes to fill and need to get deeper at several spots,” Dischler said. “We return starters at seven defensive positions, but one ( left fielder Makayla Casey) is sidelined by injury to start the season. At full strength, we feel we can be a pretty good ball club.”
Captain Brianna Mader and fellow seniors Jamie Palecek and Kristen Pechacek lead the 2014 squad into the new season. They’ve compiled a record of 48-23 in their three seasons.
Brianna Mader has a career mark of 25-9 in the circle with a 3.43 ERA, 151 strikeouts and 69 walks in 208.1 innings pitched. She was 9-3 last season with a 2.52 ERA. Mader hit .350 last season (.281 career) with five doubles and 14 runs batted in. She earned second-team MNC honors in both her sophomore and junior seasons.
Center fielder Palecek hit .286 (.278 career) last season with a pair of home runs and 17 RBI. She’s scored 64 runs in 69 games over her three seasons. She earned second-team MNC honors last season.
Pechacek hit .522 last season and .429 as a sophomore and has a career average of .403. Twenty-five of her 77 career hits are for extra bases, including 21 doubles, a triple, and three home runs. She’s driven in 57 runs in 61 career games. Pechacek has earned MNC honorable mention and first-team honors.
“We’re really excited for our seniors. They’ve all played in 60 or more varsity games and are tournament tested. They’re primed for huge seasons,” Dischler said.
The junior class is 36-14 in its two seasons.
Casey has a .308 career batting average and just three errors in her two seasons.
Morgan Hilgart hit .294 last season and fielded .925 at second base, earning second-team MNC honors.
Megan Mader has an 18-8 record in the circle over the past two seasons with a 3.21 ERA, 119 strikeouts and 48 walks in 157 innings. She was 9-1 last season with a 2.68 ERA. She hit .255 last season. Mader has earned first-team MNC honors in each of her two seasons and is 10-1 in MNC games over that span.
Danielle Masterson returns at shortstop with a .918 career fielding percentage and .407 career batting average. She earned MNC first-team honors last season and second-team honors as a freshman.
Returning behind the dish is sophomore Emily Mader, who fielded .972 as a freshman. Vying for starting spots are sophomores Emily Ernest and Abby Lee. Sophomores Trista Cegielski and Shelby Zillmer also return with varsity experience.
New to the team are junior Rosie Botka and freshmen Ally Derr, Hope Grubb, Violet Hagmann, Maria Hecimovich, Ashley Mertig, Maggie Nesbit, Remi Orr, Tess Richard, Gabrielle Schmidt and Poetic Zimmerman.
Managers are Mackenzie Dane and Maggie Miller.
“We’ve got good numbers this season and will field a JV team again,” Dischler said. “Our young players are giving their all in practice and improving every day.”
The coaching staff includes Tom Masterson, Dave BeBeau, Dan Herbst and Kevin Orr.
|
2014 JV Schedule
Tuesday, April 8 vs. Ladysmith Monday, April 14 vs. Lakeland Friday, April 11 at Medford Saturday, April 26 - JV Tournament (3 games) at Medford Thursday May 1 vs. Athens Friday, May 2 vs. Medford Tuesday, May 6 @ Stratford Monday, May 12 @ Lakeland Saturday, May 17 at Neillsville (DH) Monday, May 19 @ Athens Tuesday, May 20 at Tomahawk (DH) |
| 2014_calendar.pdf |
