Wausau Pilot & Review
MERRILL – The Wausau East softball team earned its first wins in the Wisconsin Valley Conference this season as it swept a doubleheader from Merrill on Thursday at the Merrill Area Recreation Center.
East scored three times in the top of the eighth inning to win Game 1 6-3, and held on for a 7-5 win in the second game to improve to 5-9 overall and 2-7 in the WVC.
Wausau East trailed 3-1 after three innings before chipping away and tying the opener at 3-3 on a home run by Claire Coushman in the top of the sixth.
In the eighth, Olivia Thome had a two-run double and Maggie Nelson drove her in with a single to give the Lumberjacks the lead and they were able to hold on as Savannah Spees finished off the win on the mound.
In Game 2, East scored four times in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed. Coushman smacked another home run and drove in three, and Nelson had two hits and two RBI in the win.
Wausau East hosts Superior in a nonconference matchup Friday.
Game 1
Lumberjacks 6, Bluejays 3 (8 inn.)
Wausau East 100 101 03 – 6 5 3
Merrill 111 000 00 – 3 6 3
WP: Savannah Spees. LP: Addison Schmeltzer.
SO: Spees 0; Schmeltzer 10. BB: Spees 5; Schmeltzer 3.
Top hitters: WE, Olivia Thome 2B, 3 RBI; Claire Coushman 2×2, HR, 4 runs, RBI. M, Sophie Wendorf 2×5, RBI; Lexi Ollhoff 2B.
Game 2
Lumberjacks 7, Bluejays 5
Merrill 003 002 0 – 5 6 2
Wausau East 400 210 x – 7 7 3
WP: Tristan Young. LP: Mady Graap.
SO: Graap (5 inn.) 3, Wendorf (1 inn.) 0; Spees (3 inn.) 0, Young (4 inn.) 3. BB: Graap 1, Wendorf 1; Spees 1, Young 3.
Top hitters: M, Mia Ott 2×3, HR, RBI; Schmeltzer 2B; Maddie Drew 2B. WE, Maggie Nelson 2×3, 2B, 2 RBI; Coushman 2×3, HR, 3 RBI; Graysen Burger 2 runs.
Records: Merrill 4-9, 1-7 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Wausau East 5-9, 2-7 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
