Mitchell A. Skurzewski
Reporter
Courtney Krueger didn’t have a riseball coming into this season. Her changeup wasn’t working. So the sophomore pitcher scrapped the grip for a new one.
Those two pitches are now key options in her repertoire. A four-pitch repertoire – also including fastball, and curveball – that has flummoxed opposing hitters.
Thanks to the expanded options, hitters don’t know what’s coming and Krueger has completely shut the opposition down. Even she, is a bit surprised how well it’s worked as the sophomore pitcher has yet to allow a run in the playoffs and the Merrill softball team is one-win from state.
“I didn’t expect it at all,” she said of her three shutouts in three postseason games.
Merrill now plays Ellsworth at 5 p.m. Thursday in a WIAA Division 2 sectional final at Baldwin-Woodville.
“She has really worked hard to get to this point,” Merrill head coach Matt Ellenbecker said. “Like our team, to start the year she was really throwing well. Then to end the year she was getting hit hard a bit. But she just worked hard to clean things up with coach (Lindsay) Doescher.
“She really focused on spinning the ball. Getting movement. Working on her changeup. Now hitters are taking off-balance swings again.”
Merrill has defeated Colby/Abbotsford, Antigo/White Lake and Mosinee by a combined score of 28-0. Krueger said she really gained confidence with the shutout vs. Antigo/White Lake.
“They are a good hitting team and I didn’t really expect to throw a shutout,” Krueger said.
Riding the right arm of Krueger, the Bluejays are beaming with confidence and it showed in a surprising 8-0 thrashing of last year’s state runner-up Mosinee, in the sectional semifinal.
Ellenbecker said that it was perhaps the most complete game the team played this year and for sure the best his team has executed.
“Everyone was kind of counting us out and not giving us a chance,” Krueger adds. “It just showed what we can do when we play to our potential.”
Krueger, like the Bluejays, has had a bit of an up-and-down season. Things were going smoothly as Merrill got off to an 10-2 start. But, losing seven of the final eight games entering the playoffs, was a bit of a head-scratcher.
But, Ellenbecker said the young sophomore really dug in and got to work when the chips were down.
“She’s a competitor, a shortstop at heart,” he said. “To bounce back like she has, to continue to work; she is very much a ‘whatever the team needs’ type of player. She’s been outstanding.”
Still, despite the work ethic, it is a bit surprising Krueger has become this dominant at playoff time. Krueger in a way represents the Jays as a team.
Despite losing seven of their final eight games, Krueger and the Jays rolled up their sleeves and took advantage of the opportunity at a “new start.” There was no sulking, but instead of splitting during tough times, the Jays came together.
“The players say it all the time, the motto is family,” Ellenbecker said. “I haven’t seen such a stark contrast in a season. Winning 10 of 12, then losing 7 of 8….that could have broke a lot of teams and you could fall apart. Not us.”
Added Krueger: “We stuck together. We are always behind each other. Whether someone makes a mistake, we are always there to pick them up and support them and someone there to step up.”
It’s clear that the Jays are playing their best ball of the season at the right time. Now, one win from state the Bluejays turn their attention to No. 1 seed Ellsworth, who sports a sparkling 23-2 record.
Once again, the Bluejays will be the underdogs.
But, the Jays come into the sectional final with a pitcher on top of her game and the team’s confidence at an all-time high.
“I think the whole team has gained a lot of confidence,” Krueger said. “We have seen what we can do when we play to our potential. We can beat anyone.”