This story is sponsored by Forward Financial Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
PLOVER – The Marshfield softball team jumped on Stevens Point starting pitcher Aubrey Drohner early and had the Panthers on the ropes to the bitter end, but couldn’t hold on for the upset and dropped a 5-4 decision in 8 innings in a WIAA Division 1 softball sectional semifinal Tuesday at Fire Pro Field at the Woyak Sports Complex.
Emily Draeger drilled a two-run home run and Maddie Mews knocked in Megan Donahue with a single to put the Tigers up 3-0 after one-half inning.
The Tigers led for much of the game, but defending state champion Stevens Point slowly chipped away.
Ally Miklesh walked with the bases loaded in the second to make it 3-1 before Donahue got it back quickly with a home run of her own to deep left-center, putting Marshfield back on top by three at 4-1.
Marshfield would only get one more hit after Drohner and reliever Andrea Cherney, and Stevens Point was able to get back in it.
“We’ve hit (Drohner) her pretty well in all of the games we faced her going back to last year,” Marshfield coach Dan Costa said. “It’s kind of been our M.O., we jump out first, second inning and then the bats die down. (Cherney) is a good pitcher as well. She came in and shut us down.”
Cherney’s sacrifice fly plated pinch runner Jenna Bohanski in the third, Brittney Flugar had an RBI double in the fourth, and Drohner crushed a two-out home run in the sixth to tie the game.
After a scoreless seventh, Point was able to get the winning run across when Miklesh was hit by a pitch with one out and scored all the way from first on a double by Flugar down the left-field line.
Stevens Point (21-6) moves on to a sectional final at Chippewa Falls (20-6) on Thursday. Chippewa Falls beat D.C. Everest 2-0 in the other semifinal Tuesday.
Marshfield’s season ends with an 18-6 record.
“I know my girls are heartbroken right now, but they will look back and they did some good things this year,” Costa said. “Hopefully we’ll reload and see what they have going next year.”
Panthers 5, Tigers 4 (8 inn.)
Marshfield 301 000 00 – 4 6 0
Stevens Point 011 101 01 – 5 11 0
WP: Andrea Cherney. LP: Megan Donahue.
SO: Donahue 8; Aubrey Drohner (4 inn.) 1, Cherney (4 inn.) 3. BB: Donahue 5; Drohner 2, Cherney 0.
Top hitters: M, Emily Draeger HR, 2 RBIs; Donahue HR, RBI; Melissa Roberts 2×4. SP, Ally Miklesh 1×3, 2 runs, RBI; Brittney Flugar 2×5, 2 2Bs, 2 RBIs; Drohner 1×3, HR, RBI, 2 runs; Sam Saloun 2×4, 2B.
Records: Marshfield 18-6; Stevens Point 21-6.