The Superior High School softball team wrapped up its regular season with five games in four days with a doubleheader sweep over the Ashland Oredockers Tuesday at Liebaert Field.
The Spartans defeated the Oredockers by scores of 11-10 and 13-3 to improve to 14-9 overall and 6-1 in the Lake Superior Conference. The Oredockers fall to 11-14 and 2-5.
Alison Wainionpaa was the winning pitcher, allowing four hits with 11 strikeouts and four walks. Kaela Huber took the loss, allowing 11 hits with one strikeout and eight walks.
For Superior, Tailor Schuster had three hits; Wainionpaa doubled, singled and knocked in two runs; Taylor Thompson doubled and knocked in three runs; Taylor Johnson had two hits; Jessica Lindstrom triples; and Emily Hansen and Kaitlyn Mergen singled.
Superior scored all 11 runs in the fifth inning.
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Wainionpaa was also the winner in game two, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in three innings. Shannon Johnstad picked up the save, allowing two hits with three strikeouts and two walks in two innings.
Lindstrom was 3-for-4 with three RBIs; Rachal Fregin was 2-for-2 with an RBI; Taylor Nelson tripled, knocked in two runs and scored two others; Mergen singled twice and had an RBI; Johnson singled twice; Emily Hansen doubled and had two RBIs; Tailor Schuster doubled in two runs; and Ari Jago and Thompson each had a single and RBI.
Up next for the Spartans is the WIAA tournament. Their opponent will be found out at Wednesday night's seeding meeting.
SPARTAN SPIN: the SHS JV won 15-0 and 21-3. Katie Heinen was the winning pitcher in the opener and Sydney Johnson won game two.
Spartans 6, Pirates 3
Alison Wainionpaa tossed a two-hitter as the Spartans defeated the Grantsburg Pirates 6-3 Monday afternoon at Liebaert Field.
The senior also struck out 14 and walked six. Jenn Schweiger took the loss for Grantsburg, now 19-2 on the season. She pitched five innings, allowing seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
The Pirates scored two unearned runs in the first inning on three walks and two errors. Their third run came in the third inning when the lead-off batter was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a single and scored when a pick-off attempt went into left field.
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Superior's first run came in the bottom of the third when Kari Miller walked, moved to second on Rachal Fregin's sac bunt and scored on Taylor Johnson's RBI single.
The Spartans scored the rest of their runs in the fourth inning. Taylor Thompson, Kaitlyn Mergen and Tailor Schuster singled to set up Wainionpaa's RBI single, Miller's sac fly and Johnson's two-run single. Schuster also scored on a wild pitch.
Superior had seven hits, including five in the fourth inning, but committed four errors. The Spartans also left four runners on base.
Overall, Johnson had two hits and three RBIs; Thompson doubled and singled; Wainionpaa singled in a run; and Mergen and Schuster singled and scored a run.
Grantsburg stranded eight runners on base.
"This was a great win for us, Grantsburg is ranked third in the state (Division 3) and has a big softball winning tradition, only losing a handful of games in the last five years," SHS coach Amy Zembo said. "Getting the timely hits in the fourth inning and Alison's strong pitching were both keys in getting the win."
Grantsburg also won the JV game, 11-6.
Bloomer Tournament
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The Spartans went 2-1 at Saturday's Bloomer Tournament. The Spartans rebounded from a 7-5 loss to Menomonie to defeat New Richmond 9-2 and the host Blackhawks 5-1.
Wainionpa suffered the loss again Menomonie, allowing five earned runs on eight strikeouts and six walks.
Offensively for Superior, Mergen was 3-for-4 with a run scored; Thompson was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored; and Schuster was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Thompson picked up the win for Superior against New Richmond. The senior gave up five hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
Jessica Lindstrom had a big game at the plate for the Spartans, going 3-for-3 with a grand slam, two doubles and seven RBIs. Her home came went over the left field fence in the fourth inning.
Schuster added two hits and an RBI; Mergen singled in a run; Thompson singled twice and Fregin and Taylor Johnson singled once. Johnson also scored three runs.
Wainionpaa was the winning pitcher again Bloomer (18-3), allowing four hits with 16 strikeouts and two walks. Darian Thompson took the loss for Bloomer, allowing 10 hits with six strikeouts.
Johnson led the Spartans at the plate with a double, two singles and two RBIs. Thompson added two hits and RBI; Fregin single twice, scored two runs and knocked in another; Mergen singled twice and knocked in a run; and Schuster singled and scored a run.
