BY RICK ARGALL
MMC STAFF
The Merrill Varsity Girls Softball Team returned home after weekend tournaments to host non-conference opponent Mosinee at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex (MARC) on Monday night, April 15, 2024. In what turned out be a nine-inning affair, Merrill was unable to hold the lead which they had for most of the game. But Mosinee capitalized on a few breaks to rally late and ultimately score in the top of the ninth inning to earn the victory. “
If you are going to lose, I would rather lose like that fighting hard the entire game,” said Merrill Girls Varsity Softball Head Coach Alison Krohn. “I saw a lot of grit today that I have been wanting to see, and I am proud. We made a couple of mistakes here and there, but that is going to happen. They fought back today, which I was really happy about. That was a really good game against a good program. I am happy, but it was bittersweet.”
Mosinee jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning before Merrill came to bat in the home half of the inning. With runners at first and second base, Freshman pitcher Mackenzie Herdt (1-4, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 BB) hit a booming home run to left center field that gave the Bluejays the lead at 3-1. The Lady Indians would go on to add a run in the second and fourth innings to tie the game at 3-3 headed to the bottom of the fourth. A bases-clearing triple by Mady Graap (1-5, 1 R, 3 RBI) bolted Merrill into the lead again at 6-3 headed to the top of the fifth inning. Mosinee rallied again, scoring one run in the fifth and two more runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the game and send it to extra innings. After scoring in the top of the ninth inning, Mosinee took the lead for good at 7-6, as Merrill was unable to score in the bottom of the ninth.
Merrill finished the game with 10 hits and 6 runs (5 earned) over 9 innings. Mackenzie Herdt and Mady Graap each drove in three runs and Mia Ott (0-2, 1 R, 2 BB) paced the Bluejays with two walks. Ava Detert and Olivia Pierce each added two hits apiece for Merrill. Mackenzie Herdt was the starting pitcher, going four innings, giving up two hits and three runs (one earned), striking out nine and walking seven. Mady Graap took the loss for Merrill, giving up three runs (zero earned) on two hits, striking out two and walking one. Senior Sophie Wendorf pitched one inning, giving up one run (zero earned), one strikeout and two walks.
Box Score
Mosinee 7 @ Merrill 6
Upcoming Youth Softball Night/Josiger fundraiser
On Monday, April 29, the Merrill Girls Varsity Softball Team will host Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Girls at the MARC with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m.
“[That is also] our youth night here at the MARC, so we are going to be celebrating all of our travel programs and thanking the coaches for putting time into that season, but we are also going to be having a fundraiser for Todd Josiger who was a bus driver for many different groups,” Coach Krohn said. “We have had a lot of different fundraisers for him this year with Team Todd, and we are going to have carnival games, raffles, and Rapids will be wearing different jerseys with us to try and raise funds to help combat some of his medical bills to assist him and his family. We would like to see the community come out for this event.”
