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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
NEILLSVILLE – Neillsville had a seven-run sixth inning then hold off a Spencer rally in the seventh to prevail 15-12 in a wild Cloverbelt Conference East Division softball game Thursday at Neillsville High School.
The win allows Neillsville (15-1, 11-0 Cloverbelt East) to clinch a tie for the conference championship and knocks the Rockets to 12-5 overall and 8-4 in the Cloverbelt East.
Spencer led 6-1 after 3½ innings before the Warriors rallied with five runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to go up 8-6.
After the Rockets cut the deficit to a run with one in the sixth, Neillsville exploded for seven runs in the decisive sixth innings.
Spencer scored five times in the top of the seventh but couldn’t get closer than three.
Brooke Kettleborough was 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Courtney Schulz, Krystal Weier and Dani Johnson each had two hits for the Rockets. Schulz had a home run and two RBIs, and Weier and Paige Johnson each had drove in two runs in the loss.
“We played well at times,” Spencer coach Jason Gorst said. “We really did some nice things, but we were not consistent enough to beat a team like that. Their third baseman, (Alyssa) Anding really impressed me. She was a game-changer.”
Alyssa Anding went 3-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and three RBIs, and Jenny Lindner was 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBIs to lead Neillsville.
Spencer hosts Rib Lake and Prentice on Saturday for a tournament at SPREC Field.
Warriors 15, Rockets 12
Spencer 401 101 5 – 12 12 2
Neillsville 100 527 x – 15 13 3
WP: Ashley Friemoth. LP: Tynae Phillips.
SO: Guenther 0, Tynae Phillips 0, Marisa Johnson 0. BB: Guenther 7, Phillips 5, M. Johnson 2.
Top hitters: S, Brooke Kettlebrough 3×5, 2 RBIs; Courtney Schulz 2×4, HR, 2 RBIs; Krystal Weier 2×5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Paige Johnson 1×3, 2 euns, 2 RBIs; Dani Johnson 2×2, 2 BBs, 3 runs; M. Johnson 1×5, 2 runs. N, Alyssa Anding 3×4, 2B, 3 RBIs, 3 runs; Jenny Lindner 3×3, 3B, 5 RBIs; Henchen 2×2, 2B, 3 runs.
Records: Spencer 12-5, 8-4 Cloverbelt East; Neillsville 15-1, 11-0 Cloverbelt East.