This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – Stratford scored all five of its runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to bust open a scoreless game and went on to defeat Edgar 5-0 in a WIAA Division 4 softball regional final Thursday at Hilgemann Field.
The No. 2 seed Stratford (16-9) will play at Marawood Conference South rival and No. 1 seed Auburndale (15-4) in a D-4 sectional semifinal Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Auburndale High School. The teams split a conference doubleheader on May 4.
Edgar’s Makayla Wirkus and Stratford’s Laney Pankratz matched zeroes on the mound until the bottom of the sixth when the Tigers finally broke through.
Tessa Berg and Tria Tubbs had RBI singles, Lexie Christopherson drove in two with a single, and an error allowed Sonia Peterson, who had walked, to plate another run for Stratford.
Pankratz went the distance for the Tigers, allowing just two hits while striking out six without a walk.
Bailey Linzmaier had two of Stratford’s five hits.
The winner of the Stratford-Auburndale matchup will play the winner of No. 1 seed Blair-Taylor (23-3) and No. 7 Osseo-Fairchild (13-8) in a sectional final on June 1 at Blair-Taylor High School with a state tournament berth on the line.
Click here to see all the statewide WIAA regional final scoreboard
Tigers 5, Wildcats 0
Edgar 000 000 0 – 0 2 4
Stratford 000 005 x – 5 5 2
WP: Laney Pankratz. LP: Makayla Wirkus.
SO: Wirkus 11; Pankratz 6. BB: Wirkus 1; Pankratz 0.
Top hitters: E, Yonker 2B. S, Bailey Linzmaier 2×4, run; Lexie Christopherson 1×3, 2 RBI; Tessa Berg 1×3, RBI, run; Tria Tubbs 1×2, RBI, run.
Records: Edgar 11-10; Stratford 16-9.