Behind strong individual performances and top finishes in relays, the Bonduel High School track and field teams each placed in the top four at the Central Wisconsin Conference-Large Division Meet at Rosholt High School on Saturday.

Canaan Szoszorek won both the shot put and discus, with throws of 47 feet, 10.25 inches and 135-3, respectively, to lead the boys team. His finish in the shot put set a new school record.

“To me, getting first in both of those events made me smile actually,” said Szoszorek. “I knew I had it in me to win, and to go out there and actually perform was what I needed. Although I didn’t do great in discus, I still won.”

The boys 4x800-meter relay team of Colin Ewing, William Beaumier, Carter Kurey and Jared Wondra started the running portion of the meet with a first-place finish in 8 minutes, 36.51 seconds. Wondra, Kurey, Isaac Garside and Isaac Banker capped the day with a first-place finish in the 4x400 relay (3:37.58).

“We knew coming into today that we were expected to win the two races, but both races were going to be close between us and Rosholt,” said Wondra, who also took third in the 800 (2:09.98). “We were right about it being close. But we ended up running really well in both the 4x400 and 4x800, and we ended up running our best times for the season for each race.”

“I’d say the biggest factor to that is knowing that we’ve put forth the effort in practices to win these tight races. Adding in the fact that it was conference also just gave us all an extra boost of motivation to do well, and it paid off in the end.”

The Bonduel girls 4x800 relay (10:20.4) also came in first, setting a new school record in the process. Madison Kurey, Breanna Schnell, Kalleigh Schroeder and Kara Troxel formed the team.

Jessie LaBerge placed first in the 300 hurdles (49.44) and third in the 100 hurdles (17.82), while Jessica Ewing won the high jump (4-9).

“After running a couple of PRs (personal records) today, I have seen how I am capable of running and I am motivated to get even better for the postseason,” said LaBerge on her top finishes. Her time in the 300 hurdles set a school record.

“I was able to calm my nerves by giving myself small pep talks before I jumped and by jumping to make my team and family proud,” said Ewing, a freshman, on winning the high jump.

Madison Kurey finished second in the triple jump (32-5). Troxel was third in the 1,600 (5:34.22), while the girls 4x100, 4x200 and 4x400 relay teams also came in third.

Garside finished third in the 100 (11.83) and shot put (45-7), while Colin Ewing took third in the 1,600 (4:52.04).

Wittenberg-Birnamwood

The Witt-Birn girls scored 62 points to place fifth, while the boys earned 29 points to take ninth.

Emma Herb earned Witt-Birn’s only first-place finish with a throw of 108-7 in the discus.

“Now that I know what I am capable of throwing, I know I can do more,” Herb said. “I only need a few more feet to make it to state, and that will not come easily. I will not only have to practice hard for the rest of the season, but also in the offseason.”

Chloe King earned plenty of points for the Chargers on the day. She placed second in the 200-meter dash (28.25 seconds) and 400 (1:03.43) and third in the 100 (13.98).

Jenna Stone continued her strong freshman season with a pair of top-five finishes, claiming third in the 3,200 (12:46.64) and fourth in the 1,600 (5:47.83).

Cole Schairer led the Witt-Birn boys by placing second in the 1,600 (4:44.92) and third in the 3,200 (10:50.15). He was also on the 4x400 relay team that placed third in 3:49.06. Deakyn Suess, Simon Schairer and Luke Muscha rounded out the relay team.

Menominee Indian

Both Menominee Indian teams placed tenth, with the boys scoring 21 points and the girls 14.

Pasen Waupoose came in third in the discus (115-9) and fifth in the shot put (40-4.75). Darius Wayka was second in the shot put (46-10.25).

Guadalupe Cruz led the girls team with a second-place finish in the shot put (36-11.75).

“Growing up, I was always very competitive with everything I did,” said Cruz. “I always push to be the best version of myself. Finishing where I did motivates me to work even harder than before and pushes me to do better in the rest of season.”

Girls team scores: 1. Weyauwega-Fremont 130; 2. Rosholt 101.5; 3. Manawa 89; 4. Bonduel 86; 5. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 62; 6. Iola-Scandinavia 55; 7. Pacelli 51; 8. Amherst 45; 9. Shiocton 14.5; 10. Menominee Indian 14.

Boys team scores: 1. Manawa 107.5; 2. Rosholt 100; 3. Bonduel 98.5; 4. Shiocton 81; 5. Weyauwega-Fremont 69; 6. Iola-Scandinavia 63; 7. Pacelli 46; 8. Amherst 36; 9. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 29; 10. Menominee Indian 21.

BOYS TENNIS

Shawano 4

Fox Valley Lutheran 3

The Hawks knocked off the Foxes in their final Bay Conference dual of the season on Monday. Shawano finished with a 3-3 record in duals.

Camden Kroll (No. 2) earned Shawano’s lone win in singles play. All three of the Hawks doubles teams were victorious, with Wyatt Theis and Rhain Rodenbeck winning in three sets. Chris Black and Cesar Ramirez won their fourth straight dual at No. 1 doubles.

Singles: No. 1: Jared Petham, FVL def. Anton Piantek, 6-1, 6-0; No. 2: Camden Kroll S def. Adam Laabs, 6-2, 6-4; No. 3: Justin Yang FVL def. Bryce Carlson, 6-0, 6-1; No. 4: Alex Blob FVL def. J.J. Pyatskowit, 6-1, 6-3. Doubles: No. 1: Chris Black-Cesar Ramirez S def. Josh Aden-Dietrich Ragner, 6-1, 6-4; No. 2: Wyatt Theis-Rhain Rodenbeck S def. Riley Tiedt-Luke Hietpas, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; No. 3: Nolan Buck-Rory Johnson S def. Nik Brown-Michael Hahn, 6-1, 6-3.

BASEBALL

Shawano 9

New London 7

The Hawks scored runs in five of the six innings they batted to secure a Bay Conference win over the Bulldogs on Monday.

Nick Grignon tallied three hits for Shawano at the plate. Andrew Popp and Mason Dingeldein each posted two hits.

Steve Hoffmann earned the win after pitching 6 1/3 innings. He struck out four batters.

Bonduel 10

Brillion 0 (6 inn.)

The Bears pounded out 15 hits to ease past the Lions in nonconference action on Monday.

Isaac Boldt finished with three hits and three RBIs for Bonduel, while Noah Beilfuss had three hits and two RBIs. Parker Bohm, Riddik Bohm, Dylan Burch and Aaron Margelofsky each added two hits.

Beilfuss tossed a complete game two-hitter, striking out 10 batters along the way.

Marion 7

NL/WVL 0

Pitchers Carter Goke and Cayden Schoen limited the Northland Lutheran/Wisconsin Valley Lutheran co-op to just two hits during a Central Wisconsin Conference-North Division tilt on Monday.

Goke worked 4 1/3 innings, striking out six batters. Schoen tossed the other 2 2/3 innings, striking out three more batters.

Schoen tallied three of the team’s 11 hits at the plate. Alex Zimmerman had two hits and two RBIs while also scoring twice.

Witt-Birn swept by Amherst

Wittenberg-Birnamwood totaled 12 hits but was only able to score once across a pair of CWC-East losses to Amherst on Monday.

In a 10-2 loss in the first game, Shane Herb had three hits for the Chargers, while Kody Szews scored the lone run. Szews took the loss, but allowed only one earned run over five innings. Austin Worzalla tossed the final two innings.

In a 2-0 loss in game two, the Chargers collected only four singles. Herb took the loss after allowing two runs over five innings. Simon Stewart pitched the other inning.

Clintonville splits with Oconto Falls

After losing 7-1 in game one, Clintonville bounced back with a 10-3 win over Oconto Falls in the second game of a North Eastern Conference doubleheader on Friday.

Presley Rosenow scored Clintonville’s lone run in game one. Jared Cartwright pitched all seven innings, striking out four and allowing just two earned runs.

Matthew Morse tallied two hits and three RBIs in the game two win. Rosenow and Klay Finger each drove in two runs. Trent Vollmer allowed two runs over five innings to earn the win, while Matt Seefeldt allowed one run over two innings to seal the victory.

SOFTBALL

Clintonville 12

Fox Valley Lutheran 2

The Truckers eased past the Foxes in NEC action Monday.

Hannah Baird picked up the win in the circle for Clintonville.

Baird also led the Truckers at the plate, doubling twice while also homering. Bailey Mares had three hits and nearly hit for the cycle, just missing the triple. Ally Schweitzer added three hits to the team’s 15-hit attack.

Tigerton 8

NL/WVL 7

The Tigers held on late for a CWC-North win over the Northland Lutheran/Wisconsin Valley Lutheran co-op on Monday.

Molly Brehm and Colleen Smith each tallied three hits for Tigerton, while Raven Dewhurst and Bethany Jobe each finished with two hits.

Adrienne Brady earned the win in the circle.

Iola-Scandinavia 4

Bonduel 0

The Bears could only muster three hits in a CWC-East loss to the Thunderbirds on Monday.

Claire Gehm, Nicole Koeller and Alison Renner posted Bonduel’s hits. Gehm took the loss after allowing eight hits and four walks.

Bonduel coach Chris Reinke was pleased with her team’s effort on defense, as the team did not commit an error.

Chargers swept by Falcons

Wittenberg-Birnamwood came up on the wrong end of a pair of games against CWC-East foe Amherst on Monday. The Falcons took game one 10-2 before earning a 3-2 win in game two.

McKenna Metropulos tripled and drove in both of the Chargers run in game one. Abi Fraaza finished with two hits. Destiny Bagley took the loss after pitching all five innings.

Fraaza and Olivia Zoromski each drove in a run in game two. Emma Herb and Bagley finished with two hits each. Jasmin Duranceau pitched all four innings for Witt-Birn.

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School boys golf team placed second in the Bonduel Invite at Golden Sands Golf Course in Cecil on Monday behind strong rounds from Justin Keeney and Ian Resch.

Keeney fired an 18-hole round of 83 to tie for fourth as an individual. He shot a 42 on the front 9 before recording a 41 on the final nine holes.

Resch shot an 88 to tie for seventh individually.

Logan Balliett (92), Calvin Scheurer (93) and Maverick Beran (95) rounded out the Chargers five-golfer team, each placing in the top 15 as individuals.

Bonduel came in seventh as a team with a score of 439.

Colin Hanus shot a 47 on the back nine to finish with a team best round of 101. Aaron Schaal also excelled on the back nine, firing a 48 to finish with a round of 102.

Kole Jashinsky (117), Rhett Hertzfeldt (119) and Brooks Dehn (128) rounded out the Bears team.

Marion came in eighth, just eight shots behind Bonduel.

Myles Peterson led the balanced Mustangs team with a round of 109. Cody Clegg was right behind with a 110.

Mollie Schoen and Ellen Rades each shot 114s for Marion, while McGregor Matz tallied a 116.

Menominee Indian/Gresham took 11th, with Josh Hoffman’s 93 leading the way. That scored placed him 11th overall.

Tristan Wilber shot a 134, while Gregory Turney (153), Saswaen Shawanokasic (155) and Anna Petri (155) filled out the team.

Team scores: 1. Pacelli 349; 2. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 356; 3. Oconto 390; 4. Manawa 394; 5. Amherst 404; 6. Shiocton 414; 7. Bonduel 439; 8. Marion 447; 9. Iola-Scandinavia 474; 10. Weyauwega-Fremont 482; 11. Menominee Indian/Gresham 535.

The Shawano Community High School girls track and field team placed second at the Bay Conference Meet at St. Norbert’s Donald J. Schneider Stadium in De Pere on Monday behind several strong finishes.

Odessa Arce picked up the girls top individual finish, winning the 1,600-meter run in 5 minutes, 27.42 seconds behind a last lap surge.

The time not only landed Arce the conference title, but also broke a school record from 1986 — when Christie Burden posted a time of 5:30.84.

Arce was also the anchor on the first-place finishing 4x800 relay team. Grace Beyer, Carrie Young and Lydia Beyer rounded out the relay team, which posted a time of 10:21.43, over 20 seconds faster than the next best finish.

“Being a conference champ as part of a team and individually is more than I could ask for. It was a very rewarding night.” said Arce, a freshman. “Taking every practice seriously and trusting the process has helped me reach the success that I have. It is a great first year of track experience that I will carry with me through the rest of high school.”

The Shawano boys placed seventh as a team, led by a big night from Parker Pues.

Pues was competing for the first time after dealing with an injury a couple of weeks ago, but it didn’t look like he missed a beat.

“It helped a lot to stay active with the trainers and rehab my leg muscles during the period of time that I missed,” Pues said. “Also it helped to do a lot of mental imagery to keep my technique intact.”

Pues won the conference title in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 1 inch — over a foot further than any other competitor. Pues also took fourth in the 100 (11.41).

“To be a conference champion as a senior feels fantastic,” Pues said. “Knowing that I haven’t long jumped much all year inspired me to come back hard. I’ve never been the long jump conference champion before and it feels great. It’s been something I’ve been working for over the last four years.”

Helping the girls tie for second was a host of underclassmen.

Freshman Isabel Roloff placed second in the 100 with a time of 12.88 — a new school record.

“Setting the record will definitely give me the confidence and motivation to run faster,” said Roloff of how the finish can help her in the postseason. “At the last two meets, I’ve dropped my time for the 100, so hopefully at regionals and sectionals I can keep the trend going and be even faster.”

Roloff was also third in the 200 (27.76) and fifth in the pole vault (7-6).

Roloff thanked her teammates for calming some of her nerves, but also noted being nervous helps get her adrenaline going.

Sophomore Lydia Beyer also picked up a second-place finish, posting a time of 2:29.02 in the 800. Sophomore Claire Guenther was second in the 3,200 (12:44.08), while senior teammate Alice Hoffmann came in third (13:01.41).

Senior Tori DePerry had a strong night in the high jump, clearing a height of 5-1 to place third. Sophomore Morgan Weinig finished fourth in the shot put (31-0), while sophomore Aubree Zastrow was fifth in the 300 hurdles (53.86).

“I do not know the history of girls track finishing in conference, but tonight has to be one of the best,” said Shawano coach Dave Hanssen. “The girls were on all night.”

On the boys side of things, freshman Elliott Lowney claimed fourth in the 400 (54.17) and tied for sixth in the long jump (5-4). Sophomore Ethan Chelberg trimmed over 12 seconds off his seed time to place sixth in the 1,600 (4:48.62). Senior Crede Timm took sixth in the 200 (24.19).

Girls team scores: 1. West De Pere 199; T2. Shawano 92; T2. Xavier 92; 4. Green Bay East 86; 5. Green Bay West 85; 6. New London 56; 7. Menasha 39; 8. Seymour 38.

Boys team scores: 1. West De Pere 219; 2. New London 142; 3. Seymour 87; 4. Green Bay East 66; 5. Xavier 59; 6. Menasha 44; 7. Shawano 40; 8. Green Bay West 36.

It may take many months but most likely several years before the jury is in on the Green Bay Packers’ draft class of 2019.

How their first pick will pan out is a pleasant mystery. The selection of Michigan defensive end Rashan Gary, along with free agent signings Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, punctuated another offseason dedicated to upgrading the pass rush.

Gary had an injured shoulder during his senior year and still wears a brace to support it, which isn’t a terribly encouraging sign. Nor were his 3.5 sacks last season a source of great inspiration to his detractors, some of whom labeled him an underachiever.

The 6-4, 277-pound Gary ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash among defensive linemen at the combine, and has physical gifts that can’t be taught.

Time will tell. In fact, there is enough waiting time between now and the season to dissect some of the peripheral, less significant storylines of the draft. One such anecdote concerned the departed Clay Matthews, and the appearance of the Packers’ not only giving him the bum’s rush out the door, but throwing it in his face to boot.

The Packers tweeted an image of Gary wearing his new uniform — the jersey of which bears Clay Matthews’ old No. 52 — with accompanying text exclaiming how good the new guy looks in green and gold.

The issuing of Matthews’ old number so soon after his departure and so prominently displayed prompted a reaction from various Packers fans — and from Matthews himself.

“The body’s not even cold yet,” Matthews responded in his own tweet, throwing in an “LOL” at the end to indicate that it’s all good, and no hard feelings.

He was probably not laughing too hard on the inside. In his 10 years with the Packers, Matthews went to six Pro Bowls, made first-team All-Pro and rang up 83.5 sacks, the most in team history.

Like quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Matthews was one of the faces of the Packers, and regularly turned up at the team’s community events. He pitched at a benefit softball game last summer and suffered a broken nose courtesy of a line drive up the middle.

Matthews was reported to have been willing to take a cut in salary in order to stay with the Packers. Whether or not that’s accurate, the writing was on the wall. Matthews was on his way out, and did well to land with a good team, the Los Angeles Rams.

While he didn’t get the gentle sendoff from Titletown that he may have anticipated, Matthews will one day get his due kudos when he is inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

The episode spoke to the transitory nature of sports heroes, and how in the final analysis the only true “loyalty” in pro sports, per se, today comes from the fans.

Ultimately, players will do and say things that will best put them in position to succeed and earn as much as they are able, wherever that may be. Front offices award those who produce and cut loose those who don’t. Kid gloves are seldom laced up in the entertainment business of football.

Fans’ feelings toward players are passionate, and adjustable. Consider the career of Julius Peppers, who played in Carolina, Chicago, Green Bay and then Carolina again. Packers fans, correspondingly, regarded Peppers with indifference, and then contempt, followed by love, and back to indifference again. The old joke rings true about cheering for the garments and logos.

As for Gary, the Packers’ new No. 52 may find motivation in some of the unflattering reviews of his college career. It was said that Gary gives up on plays and his rush technique is one-dimensional.

Pish. Old news. Gary deserves every shot to thrive in Mike Pettine’s defense. Given the Packers’ trouble getting to the quarterback over the past couple of years, 3.5 sacks from their No. 1 draft choice would be a good start.

GIRLS SOCCER

Seymour 4

Shawano 2

The Hawks were doubled up by the Thunder in the first round of the Bay Conference Tournament on Tuesday.

Lindsey Roloff scored both of Shawano’s goals, tallying the first in the sixth minute and the other in the 50th. Kyra Klement recorded an assist.

Peyton Buerman made 14 saves while defending the net for Shawano. The Hawks will host New London at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in the second round of the tournament.

BASEBALL

Witt-Birn 7

Lakeland Union 6

The Chargers used a four-run seventh inning, capped by a walk-off single by Jack Stewart to stun the Thunderbirds on Tuesday. Wittenberg-Birnamwood scored six of their runs across the final two innings.

Jacob Groshek drove in two runs for the Chargers, while Kody Szews scored twice.

Ben Wesolowski allowed an unearned run over four inning before Will Urquhart pitched an inning. Austin Rekow allowed two unearned runs over two innings, but earned the win after Witt-Birn rallied.

Waupaca 10

Clintonville 2

The Truckers were doubled up in hits by the Comets in a North Eastern Conference clash at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton on Tuesday.

Presley Rosenow and Sean Finger each drove in a run for Clintonville, driving in Matthew Morse and Klay Barkow.

Jared Cartwright, Brock Smejkal and Barkow all pitched for the Truckers.

SOFTBALL

Witt-Birn 3

Lakeland Union 2

The Chargers grabbed the lead in the second inning and held on until the end for a nonconference win over the Thunderbirds on Tuesday.

McKenna Metropulos, Megan Konkol and Jasmin Duranceau all drove in a run for Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Konkol had three of the team’s five hits.

Duranceau earned the win in the circle, striking out five batters while allowing just one earned run over seven innings.

Clintonville 2

Waupaca 1

The Truckers held off the Comets in a North Eastern Conference battle on Tuesday.

Hannah Baird earned the win in the circle, striking out 10 batters.

Tessa Doornink posted three hits for Clintonville, including one double.

New London 3

Shawano 0

The Hawks were shutout by the Bulldogs in the final Bay Conference matchup of the season on Tuesday.

Shawano was held to four hits. Bayleigh Laabs had one of the hits and also walked.

Taylor Johnson pitched all seven innings, striking out three batters along the way.

NL/WVL 17

Gresham 10

The Wildcats could not hang on to an early lead in a CWC-North loss to Northland Lutheran/Wisconsin Valley Lutheran on Tuesday.

Kaylee Bohm, Makayla Belongia and Valarie Cerveny all had two hits for Gresham. Destiny Reindl drove in two runs and also scored twice.

Cerveny and Jada James each pitched for the Wildcats, combining to strikeout eight batters but also walking 12 and allowing 15 hits.

The Gresham/Bowler boys and Tigerton girls track and field teams each placed fourth at the Wild Rose Last Chance Meet on Tuesday.

Bryce Bohl won the 200-meter dash (24.18 seconds) and Levi Schick was the top finisher in the 1,600 (5:18.7) to lead the Gresham/Bowler boys.

Monika Minniecheske came in first in the long jump (15 feet, 2.5 inches) and was third in the 100 hurdles (18.84) for the Tigerton girls.

Tigerton’s Elizabeth Robbins came in third in the 200 (29.17). Robbins, Jaycee Schmidt, Ladia Block and Minniecheske formed the third-place finishing 4x100 relay (57.81).

The Gresham/Bowler girls placed fifth as a team with 45 points. Karisa Nietzer placed second in the shot put (30-6), while Alyssa Strassburg was second in the discus (94-11) to lead the way.

Ireland Jensen took third in the 400 (1:10.24) and tied for third in the high jump (4-6), while Georgia Schultz came in third in the 800 (3:02.59).

The Tigerton boys placed sixth.

Boys team scores: 1. Wild Rose 180; 2. Manawa 125; 3. Iola-Scandinavia 94.5; 4. Gresham/Bowler 56.5; 5. Almond-Bancroft 24; 6. Tigerton 9.

Girls team scores: 1. Wild Rose 199; 2. Manawa 104; 3. Iola-Scandinavia 67; 4. Tigerton 50; 5. Gresham/Bowler 45; 6. Almond-Bancroft 8.

The Bonduel High School softball team couldn’t get its bats going and Laona/Wabeno took advantage of some sloppy Bears defense in the seventh inning to pull away for an 8-0 nonconference win at Cedar Park in Bonduel on Tuesday.

Bonduel was held to just three hits and seven baserunners in the game, leaving coach Chris Reinke searching for answers.

“I don’t know (why the bats couldn’t get going) because this seemed like a good speed for our hitters. We had been hitting really well and then were struggling with our defense,” said Reinke. “Our defense, up until the seventh inning, played pretty well today — and we played really well (Monday). So I don’t really have an answer. I’m not really sure what the issue was.”

Sophomore Joanie Wudtke was the first Bonduel batter to reach base, singling with two outs in the second inning. Wudtke also reached on an error in the fourth. Strikeouts ended both innings.

The Bears put a pair of runners on in the third inning when seniors Jordyn Pingel and Alison Renner each walked, but a groundout ended the threat.

After Laona/Wabeno took the lead by scoring twice in the fifth, Bonduel looked to answer right back in the bottom half of the frame.

Renner singled to center to get the inning started. A blooper off the bat of senior McKenzie Wollenberg left Renner in a tough spot on the basepaths, and she was thrown out retreating to first base after the Laona/Wabeno second baseman made a lunging catch.

Freshman Nicole Koeller walked to extend the inning, but a groundout ended the frame.

Laona/Wabeno had its first sixth batters in the seventh reach base and eventually come around to score. Several errors aided in the visitors big inning.

“I don’t know if its the youth of some of the players playing but it seems like once one of the wheels fall off, the next wheel falls off and we can’t stop it from multiplying,” said Reinke. “And that’s something that we have to be able to fix because obviously teams try and take advantage of that and then instead of maybe giving up one run, we give up three or more runs.”

Freshman Julia Lorbiecki singled with one out in the ninth, but the Bears couldn’t push her around to get on the scoreboard.

Junior Taylor Luepke pitched all seven innings for the Bears. She finished with four strikeouts.

The Bonduel High School baseball team used a patient approach at the plate and some timely hits to ease to a 12-2 win in five innings over Laona/Wabeno in nonconference play at Village Park in Bonduel on Tuesday.

The Bears drew 12 walks in the game to go along with their eight hits.

The strong night at the plate came a day after Bonduel pounded out 15 hits and scored 10 runs in a nonconference win over Brillion, hinting that the Bears’ recent hitting woes might be a thing of the past.

“Yesterday (Monday) seemed like a turning point for us. Noah (Beilfuss) struck out the side in the second inning, and when everybody came off the field, they all had smiles on their faces. Then we scored two runs, two runs, two runs, and we just started to hit the ball again,” said Bonduel coach Donnie Gruenewald. “Maybe they just changed their outlook on everything, because usually when they come back to the dugout, it’s always, ‘This isn’t right, and that isn’t right.’ But that time, they came in with smiles on their faces and started a little chatter and got behind each other.”

“Hitting is contagious — once one guy started hitting, everybody started hitting,” added Gruenewald. “Hopefully that’s something we can continue.”

After Laona/Wabeno scored in the top of the first, Bonduel answered in its half of the frame.

Senior Parker Bohm singled with one out before stealing second. Beilfuss, a junior, walked before both he and Bohm moved up a base. Senior Riddik Bohm was the beneficiary, lifting a sacrifice fly to right to score Parker, his cousin.

The Bears kept the pressure on in the second inning, scoring twice to take the lead. Sophomore Garrett Engel singled to open the inning and eventually came around to score. Senior Aaron Margelofsky drew a walk in the frame and scored the second run.

The hosts drew four walks in the second and walked five more times to tack on five runs in the third and bust the game open.

Cole Letter delivered the clutch hit in the inning, clearing the bases with a double.

“My teammates and coaches have constantly supported me and helped me get back on track with hitting, and I credit them for my appearance at the plate tonight,” said Letter. “Our team has struggled hitting recently. But with some new drills in practice and a lot of hard work and focus, we have been able to start hitting like we know we are capable to.”

Parker Bohm earned the start on the mound, working the first three innings. After allowing a double to the first batter he faced, he only allowed one hit and two walks to get through the third.

Letter took over in the fourth inning and was greeted by a home run and then a double. Letter remained confident and did not allow another baserunner while covering the final two innings of the game.

“I think Parker and Cole battled very, very well for how well they did tonight — by only giving up two runs to a pretty well-rounded team,” said Engel, the Bears’ catcher who reached base three times and scored twice. “The best part is that they are not necessarily avid pitchers either — this is only Parker’s second time on the mound this year. A few small mistakes were made with the placement of a few pitches, but I still think they battled through all of it and pitched very good for us when we definitely needed them.”

Bonduel scored four runs in the fifth to reach the 10-run rule and end the contest.

The Bears drew two walks before Beilfuss drove in a pair. Junior Logan Guenterberg ended the game in style, collecting his first varsity hit to score the game-sealing run.

Letter finished with a team-leading four RBIs, while Bohm and Beilfuss each had two. Margelofsky walked in all three of his plate appearances and scored three runs.

Spring is a beautiful time to be in the woods. Wisconsin’s stubborn winter fights mightily to retain control over the weather and landscape, but spring slowly and steadily wins the battle. The May apples and skunk cabbage are showing in the otherwise brown woods, and buds are slowly appearing on most trees.

Until I started turkey hunting in the mid-1980s, spring was simply a transition time until summer. I had bowfishing and morel mushroom hunting on the mind, but didn’t really worry about real hunting until fall.

If you have not yet tried spring turkey hunting, you are missing out not only on some recreational opportunity and exercise, but also on one of the most beautiful and invigorating times to be a part of the woods.

I was especially excited about this season because I was going to introduce another newcomer to the sport. Troy Staerkel, of Oshkosh, is officially my Little Brother, part of Big Brothers/Big Sisters (in the language of BBBS, I’m his “Big”), but he’s also a 13-year-old boy hungry for fishing, hunting and all things outdoors.

I see a little of myself at his age in Troy. I could not get enough hunting and fishing, shooting pellet guns, bringing home every critter we found and generally driving my poor mom nuts all summer. Troy completed his Wisconsin hunter safety class in Waupaca last fall, and I took him on his first pheasant hunt thanks to a well-coordinated youth hunt organized by the Oshkosh chapter of Pheasants Forever.

My only child, Kalispell, is also 13. She’s tried deer hunting a few times, but it’s become clear this is not her thing. I’m anxious to introduce new people to my favorite sport, partially because we all need to make sure this cherished pastime is handed down to the next generation. Troy’s at the age where he’s an information sponge, at least on topics he’s interested in, and he’s definitely interested in hunting.

During my first turkey season May 1-7, Troy and I spent part of a Saturday morning in a scrap-lumber deer blind on a rural New London farm. The farmer’s been good to me, letting me hunt for several seasons now. I think he realizes I will probably not hurt his turkey population one bit, and so far, that sentiment has held true.

Troy and I spent a cloudy, chilly morning watching Canada geese, wood ducks, teal, numerous sandhill cranes, several deer and even a bald eagle — almost every critter but a wild turkey. We tried a few spots on the farm, hearing two distant gobbles early and nothing after that. We headed to town for a hot lunch before taking Troy home.

Last Saturday (May 11) found us back in the same blind, determined to take down a tom. This time, Troy had a turkey license, and I was happy to let him take the first shot if a gobbler did approach within range. I’d rather see a youngster like Troy roll a big tom than shoot one myself.

This morning was a bit sunnier, less windy, but still chilly. We both talked about cold feet and Troy occasionally shivered in the early-morning sun.

Several large trees blocked most of our view on the open end of the blind. The adjacent farm had a large pasture and a natural opening to the plowed cornfield on our side of the fence.

Troy saw the birds first. He whispered, “Over there!” I realize he’d not seen many wild turkeys up close, but that’s what they were. I scanned for color or beards, but all five were hens. It seemed odd to have such a large group of hens this late in the season, especially since everyone’s been telling me that all the hens are nesting! I tend not to believe what I hear.

Troy and I tried another spot later that morning. We’d seen a few deer and plenty of waterfowl, but no more turkeys.

Around 11 a.m., it was time to try another New London restaurant. He gobbled down a big plate of spaghetti and garlic toast while I dined on the most ironic of meals: turkey and dressing.

My final day of my second license was Tuesday, so I hatched a last-ditch plan to break away from work a little early and sneak over to the blind before the turkeys roost. There are many huge oaks and other large trees near the blind, so it’s a likely roost site.

I drove the mini-van to work, carrying all my camo gear and shotgun so I wouldn’t have to drive home. I was in the blind at 6:45 p.m. and had just under 90 minutes of shooting time. The plowed cornfield had several Canada geese in it, but little else. I got my hen decoy set up and started calling with my box call.

At 7:50 p.m., the Canada geese started honking wildly and I looked around the trees toward the pasture. A low-slung coyote was approaching! Coyote season is open all year long and my 3-1/2 inch 12 gauge would certainly do the trick if he came close enough. I tried a hen call and he looked toward my decoy, but he was nervous about the setup. He approached within 80 yards or so, then slinked into the timber.

It was an exciting end to my spring turkey season.

Any time spent in the spring woods is time well-spent. If you haven’t tried spring turkey hunting yet, give it a try. You’ll see the natural world in a whole new light.

East Division

Shawano 16

Menominee 5

Shawano opened its season with a lopsided win over Menominee.

Carter Weisnicht tallied five hits for Shawano, while Kurt Boldig added four hits. Brandon Estep earned the win on the mound.

Ray Lamieux tallied four hits for Menominee, while Alan O’Kimosh drove in two runs. Pete Bruette suffered the loss.

Clintonville 3

Neopit 0

Clintonville blanked Neopit behind a strong start from Hunter Vollmer and a big night at the plate for Kyle Finger.

Finger tallied four hits and three RBIs, while also homering in the win. Vollmer earned the win on the mound. Travis Rohde added two hits and walked twice for Clintonville.

Anthony Leeman took the tough loss for Neopit. Mequon Frechette led the team at the plate with two hits.

Gresham 10

Marion 2

Gresham eased past Marion in the season opener for both teams.

Cody Reimer finished with three hits, while Joe Ejnik and Adam Carroll each doubled for Gresham. Derek Bowman earned the win on the mound.

Cayden Schoen and Ryan Mortensen each led Marion with two hits. Joe Weynberg took the loss.

Northern Division

Birnamwood 13

Eland 8

Birnamwood held off Aniwa to improve to 2-0 on the young season.

Corey Krull homered among his two hits to lead Birnamwood. Brady Erickson doubled twice among his three hits, while Tim Rew had two hits. Austin Reed picked up the win on the mound.

Jarod Richter had two hits for Eland, but also took the loss on the mound. Derek Kawlewski homered and had two hits while Nick Lemke doubled.

Aniwa 11

Elderon 7

Aniwa earned its first win of the season by knocking off Elderon in a high-scoring contest.

Aniwa has 13 hits in the win, with Garrett Held posting three of them. Ryan Govek, Brian Hoppe and Jake Fleischman all added two hits — Hoppe homered twice, while Govek homered once. Fleischman picked up the win.

MacLaen Alwes suffered the loss for Elderon. Marvin Meronk, Matt Meronk and Mike Lehman all had two hits, with one of Matt Meronk’s hits being a home run.

Hatley 9

Wittenberg 0

Hatley blanked Wittenberg for its first victory of the season.

Kyle Zblewski had for hits for Hatley, while John Breske tallied three.

Dom Anderson and Blu Anderson each had a hit for Wittenberg. Heinrich Walder was the losing pitcher.

South Central Division

Waupaca 10

Plover 5

Waupaca doubled up Plover to improve to 2-0.

Cam Seidl earned the win for Waupaca. Walker Smith had two hits, while Tyler Goggin homered.

John Jazz had three hits for Plover, while Ryan Makusku scored twice. Jake Dreves suffered the loss on the mound.

New London 7

Green Lake 6

New London improved to 1-1 with a tight win over Green Lake.

Green Lake fell to 0-2.

Scandinavia 6

Weymont 3

Scandinavia remained undefeated by doubling up Weymont.

Loan Moe and Jason Steinbach each had three hits for Scandinavia in the win.

Andy Krause doubled and drove in two runs for Weymont.

West Division

Caroline 8

Leopolis 1

Caroline opened its season with a convincing win over Leopolis.

Bryson Bernarde earned the win on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings. Aaron Hoffman and Eric Kroening each tossed two innings and struck out three batters. Bernarde and Conner Senzig each tallied three hits at the plate, while Kroening and Dylan Loveland each had two hits. One of Kroening’s hits was a homer.

Nate Laude suffered the loss for Leopolis. Tommy Stueck tallied the team’s only hit.

Tigerton 6

Bowler 1

Paul Sellner stifled Bowler to help Tigerton win its season-opener.

Sellner pitched eight innings, striking out eight batters along the way. He also tallied three of the team’s seven hits.

Cody Thiex took the loss for Bowler. Logan Thiex led the team with two hits.

Little Falls 8

Tilleda 4

Little Falls doubled up Tilleda to improve to 1-0.

Jeremy Bauer turned in a strong start to earn the win for Little Falls. He struck out 11 batters over six innings. Cam Gruenwald had four hits, including two doubles. Kyle Fischer homered.

Joel Brei took the loss for Tilleda. Kurt Brei, Brad Brei and Steve Flanagen all tallied two hits.

Stewart competes in two events

Allison Stewart, currently a sophomore at UW-River Falls competed in the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the UW-La Crosse Eagle Open on May 10.

Stewart took ninth in the 100 finals with a time of 13.18 after qualifying with a time of 12.88.

In the 200, Stewart placed 12th, running to a time of 27.32.

Wollenberg runs 800

Current UW-Stevens Point senior and Bonduel graduate Travis Wollenberg competed in the 800 at the Dr. Keeler Meet in Naperville, Illinois, which took placed May 9 and 10.

Wollenberg took 36th overall with a time of 1:57.32.

The winner crossed the finish line in 1:51.25.

Zook has two-hit game in loss

Shawano graduate and current Bryant & Stratton College freshman Brianna Zook posted two hits in the team’s 14-3 playoff loss to Madison College on May 9.

Zook singled and doubled in the contest, while also driving in a run.

Bryant & Stratton, the No. 8 seed, lost 8-0 in the first game against top-seeded Madison College, losing the best-of-three series 2-0.

Zook finished the season with a .368 batting average, an on-base percentage of .452, 37 RBIs, 29 runs scored and two home runs.

Pietz competes in conference meet

Wittenberg-Birnamwood graduate and current Winona State freshman Maddy Pietz competed in three events at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Meet at the University of Minnesota-Duluth on May 10 and 11.

Pietz qualified for the 100 finals, where she placed fourth with a time of 11.91 seconds.

Pietz was on the second-place finishing 4x100 relay team that posted a time of 46.66. She also ran the 200, taking 14th in 25.08.

The Shawano Community High School boys tennis team battled, but came up short in a 5-2 nonconference loss to St. Mary Catholic on Wednesday.

Shawano’s No. 3 doubles team of Nolan Buck and Rory Johnson earned a straight set victory, while Bryce Carlson won in straight sets in No. 3 singles action.

It was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Singles: No. 1: Max Van Rossum SMC def. Anton Piantek, 6-1, 6-2; No. 2: Gavin Bergstrom SMC def. Camden Kroll, 7-6 (4), 6-4; No. 3: Bryce Carlson S def. Jack Bogner, 6-4, 6-4; No. 4: Joey Sturzl SMC def. Carson Cummings, 6-2, 6-4; Doubles: No. 1: Jaden Francis-Jack Hageman SMC def. Cesar Ramirez-Chris Black, 6-2, 6-0; No. 2: Jack Bogner-Charlie Staner SMC def. Wyatt Theis-Rhain Rodenbeck, 6-3, 7-6 (1), 11-9; No. 3: Nolan Buck-Rory Johnson S def. Ethan Campbell-Ryan Ortsiheid, 6-2, 6-2.

Local baseball teams learned their postseason fates when the WIAA announced brackets on Thursday.

At the Divsion 2 level, Shawano earned a No. 6 seed. The Hawks will need to upset third-seeded Green Bay Notre Dame to advance.

Clintonville, a No. 7 seed, will look to put together another postseason run this year. The Truckers will face second-seeded Ashwaubenon on the road to get things started.

If Shawano and Clintonville each were to win those games, the teams would meet in Shawano for a regional semifinal.

In Division 3, Bonduel was awarded a No. 3 seed. The Bears will host sixth-seeded Crandon.

Menominee Indian earned a No. 7 seed and will battle second-seeded Coleman in a regional quarterfinal clash.

If Bonduel and Menominee Indian each won, they would meet in a regional semifinal in Bonduel.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood was also handed a No. 3 seed in Division 3. The Chargers will host sixth-seeded Omro in the quarterfinals, with the winner either facing seventh-seeded Weyauwega-Fremont or second-seeded Amherst in a semifinal tilt.

The other four local teams will compete in Division 4.

Bowler and Marion each picked up No. 4 seeds in their respective regional pods. Tigerton and Gresham each earned No. 6 seeds.

Bowler will host fifth-seeded Sevastopol in a regional quarterfinal, with the winner advancing to take on top-seeded Crivitz.

Marion hosts fifth-seeded Newman Catholic. If the Mustangs are able to defend their home diamond, they would advance to the semifinals, where top-seeded Athens awaits.

Gresham will travel to take on third-seeded Gibraltar/Washington Island in a regional quarterfinal. The winner would either travel to face second-seeded Green Bay NEW Lutheran or host seventh-seeded Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy.

Tigerton will head to Edgar to face the third-seeded Wildcats in a quarterfinal matchup. The winner of that matchup will either host seventh-seeded Northland Lutheran/Wisconsin Valley Lutheran or travel to take on second-seeded Rosholt.

All regional quarterfinals games are scheduled to be played May 23. Regional semifinals are scheduled for May 28.

There is no doubt that training pays off for athletes.

The athletes at the Goody Triathlon, held in Pulaski last week, were no exception. The middle school athletes participating in the Goody were able to spend those training months with a coach and mentor. That partnership continued into the competition, with coaches and athletes swam, biked, and ran together.

Their training paid off physically, but it also provided an opportunity for friendships to form.

The Goody Triathlon brings together students with physical and cognitive challenges from 10 northeastern Wisconsin school districts, including Shawano, Menominee Indian, Bonduel and Pulaski.

Athletes started with a 150-yard swim at the Pulaski Community Middle School, biked a course around the school, returning to set out on a 5/10K walk/run that ended at Pulaski High School.

The crowd of family, friends, and fellow athletes cheered as the runner and coach teams crossed the finish line at Saputo Stadium. That’s when the coach celebrated their successful effort by placing a medal around the athlete’s neck.

More than a few high-fives were exchanged as well.

Shawano Community Middle School seventh grader Alonzo Vargas said he found swimming the hardest. After swimming, and biking three miles, he anticipated that he would “walk the rest of the route,” he said.

“Biking is the best,” he said.

Coach and mentor Michael Metcalf, SCMC 8th grader, disagreed.

“Hanging out is the best,” he said, laughing.

This is Metcalf’s second year of mentoring for the triathlon. The multi-sport athlete said he enjoyed working with Vargas, “…hanging out with him, just all around fun.”

Vargas agreed. He had a particular goal in mind when he signed up for the program, and he achieved it.

“Make a friend, have a friend,” Vargas said.

Athlete: Nathanial Juga

Sport: Baseball

School: Gresham Community High School

Year: Senior

Gresham Community High School senior Nathanial Juga has enjoyed a strong senior season batting in the cleanup spot in the Wildcats batting lineup. Juga has delivered timely hits and drawn some walks as well, but his best game of the season came against Marion on May 10.

Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth, Gresham needed a spark. After the Wildcats trimmed their deficit down to just one, Juga delivered a clutch hit, hitting a grand slam home run to put Gresham up 7-4.

It was Juga’s first varsity homer and highlighted a two-hit game in which he also scored twice. Gresham went on to claim a 12-5 victory.

Q: When did your interest in baseball begin?

A: It all began when I watched it on TV with my grandpa (Guy Juga) when I was little.

Q: What is your favorite part about the baseball season?

A: Just practicing with the guys.

Q: As the season wraps up, what does the team need to be doing to put together a playoff run?

A: Just work as a team like we have been lately.

Q: Explain the feeling you got when you hit the grand slam home run against Marion on May 10.

A: It felt great, especially because it was a grand slam. It was a big momentum boost for my team and me.

Q: What’s your favorite memory of competing on the Gresham baseball team?

A: Has to be when we made it to the sectional finals my freshman year.

Q: What are you going to miss most when your baseball career is over at Gresham?

A: I’m going to miss the guys and my coaches.

Q: You also have golfed for the Menominee Indian/Gresham co-op this spring. What has competing in two sports been like for you?

A: It was different. It was my first time doing two sports. It was a good experience for me.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do when you are not in school or competing in a high school sport?

A: Play video games with my friends.

Q: Favorite TV show, movie and musical artist?

A: TV show: “Impractical Jokers.” Movie: “Avengers: Infinity War.” Musical artist: Eminem.

Q: Name one thing about yourself that not many people know.

A: I actually enjoy school.

Q: What’s the greatest piece of advice you have ever been told?

A: To never give up. That’s in my head every time I’m out there competing.

Seven Shawano Community High School students took the next step in their athletic careers on Wednesday when they officially announced which colleges they would be attending.

Six of the seven athletes will stay in state. Nathan Krizan will play football for St. Norbert College, while Crede Timm will play football at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Kate Hoffman will join the Marian University softball team, while Bayleigh Laabs heads to Bryant & Stratton College to play softball.

Julia Klement will continue her volleyball career at Viterbo University, while Parker Pues heads to UW-Eau Claire to compete in track and field.

Karson Rades was the lone athlete that is headed to a school outside the state, as he will head to St. Mary’s University (Winona, Minnesota) to swim and compete in archery. He will join a familiar face on the swim team, as his brother, Griffin, already competes for the Cardinals.

“I’m definitely excited about it,” said Rades on joining his brother on the swim team. “We do the same strokes so we’ll be able to push each other to be faster and faster, but also we’ll be able to help each other in relays. He can always help teach me and if a coach can’t explain something, he can explain it right.”

Coming off a volleyball season in which she was named the co-player of the year in the Bay Conference, Klement received plenty of interest from schools.

Viterbo contacted Klement most often and was the school that seemed to be most interested in obtaining her skills. The V-Hawks are coming off a 33-8 season.

“I just kind of looked into them and their program and saw that they were really successful,” Klement said. “So then I went to a camp and toured a little bit and then the coach talked to me after the camp and said he’d really like to see me at the school and thought I’d fit in well.”

Pues is nearing the end of a strong high school career on Shawano’s track and field team. He recently became a Bay Conference champion in the long jump, but he’s still got more big goals set.

“I want to break the school record in the long jump and I want to go to state. I want to go to La Crosse again and I want to prove that I am meant to be performing collegiate sports, collegiate track and field,” Pues said. “I want everyone to know that I deserve a spot on that team (UW-Oshkosh) and that that’s what I am supposed to be doing.”

Timm and Krizan nearly ended up playing for the same college, but in the end, both believe they found places where they can succeed and be comfortable over the coming years.

“There are a lot of colleges that come and show interest at first but then as it gets closer to that time where you need to make a decision, they kind of start dwindling out,” Timm said. “It all comes down to that one place that everyone has that feels like the right place and is really inviting. It reminds you of home and it will become your second home eventually. You know it’s right because there’s a good feel there.”

Timm capped his high school career by earning a spot on the all-conference second team as a wide receiver. He will now try to find a role with UW-River Falls, which finished 3-7 last fall.

Krizan visited a few schools in Minnesota during his recruitment process, but felt they weren’t the right fit.

“I also thought about going to River Falls with Crede actually but then at the very end, St. Norbert came and visited the school and talked. I was like, ‘OK, I’ll give this a try because I’m not really sure where I wanted to go.’ When I visited the campus, I was just kind of blown away by everything. They were so much more up close and personal and felt like they actually cared about me. That’s what caught my attention and made me want to go there.”

Krizan also landed on the all-conference second team in his senior season, earning the spot for his play on the offensive line. St. Norbert is coming off a season in which it lost just once in the regular season.

Hoffman’s college decision was influenced by her academic future. Once she found a school where she could set up a future career along with playing the sport she loves, she did what she could to get noticed.

“I didn’t really care if it was a D3 school, as long as I got to play at that upper level,” Hoffman said. “So when I went to the campus for a college tour, the coach talked to me there and asked if I was interested in playing and I was. I went to a bunch of camps there over the winter so that they could see me.”

When Laabs steps on the softball diamond at Bryant & Stratton, she will get to do so alongside a familiar face — Brianna Zook.

“I’m super excited because since sophomore year, we’ve played together on the varsity level and always had that duo in the infield,” Laabs said. “I’m super excited to get that duo back in college and see what we can do back together again.”

SOFTBALL

Bonduel 12

Menominee Indian 2 (5 inn.)

The Bears scored 12 runs across the first two innings before cruising to a Division 3 regional quarterfinal playoff win over the Eagles at Cedar Park in Bonduel on Thursday.

Bonduel took advantage of eight walks while also posting eight hits. The Bears did not strikeout in the contest.

Olivia Lorbiecki and Graci Zuleger each tallied two hits for Bonduel. McKenzie Wollenberg scored three runs, while Nicole Koeller and MacKenzie Moore each crossed the plate twice.

Claire Gehm earned the win in the circle, striking out four batters while surrendering two unearned runs.

Marlee Waupoose and Lois Turney each scored for Menominee Indian. Alexis Wilber took the loss in the circle.

Gresham 15

NEW Lutheran 5 (5 inn.)

The seventh-seeded Wildcats eased past the 10th-seeded Green Bay NEW Lutheran/Providence co-op in a Division 5 regional quarterfinal on Thursday.

Destiny Reindl drove in two runs, while she, Kennedy Hoffman, Jada James, Kaylee Bohm, Tiana Ferguson and Makayla Butschli all scored twice.

Reindl also earned the win in the circle, working around six walks and five hits. She struck out four batters.

Port Edwards 10

Tigerton 7

The seventh-seeded Tigers were upset by the 10th-seeded Blackhawks in a Division 5 regional quarterfinal on Thursday.

Port Edwards will now face second-seeded Assumption in a regional semifinal next Tuesday.

Newman Catholic 9

Marion 1 (5 inn.)

The ninth-seeded Mustangs could not hang with the eighth-seeded Cardinals in a Division 5 regional quarterfinal clash on Thursday.

Newman Catholic advances to face top-seeded Almond-Bancroft.

An aggressive offensive approach helped the Shawano Community High School softball team overcome an early deficit and cruise to a 12-1 regional quarterfinal victory in five innings over Clintonville at Martzke Park in Shawano on Thursday.

After Clintonville manufactured a run in the first, Shawano responded with a three-run frame in the bottom half. The Hawks keep the pressure on from there, scoring at least once in every inning.

“I’ll be honest, when we saw the kid from Clintonville on the mound (junior Hannah Baird), I was a little nervous. She’s a very nice pitcher and she’s got nice pop on the ball,” said Shawano coach Brian Johnson. “We made a couple tweaks in the lineup and they paid off. (Junior) Jewel (Waupekenay) had a big night. The bottom of the order came through big for us tonight, especially some of our subs.”

Shawano sophomore Naomi Wynos got the bottom of the first started with a single. Wynos made her way to third before scoring on a grounder from junior Gracyn Habeck.

With two outs, Waupekenay tripled to score Habeck. Sophomore Taylor Johnson then singled to score Waupekenay and make it 3-1.

Shawano added three more in the second inning, highlighted by a RBI single from Wynos and a two-RBI single from Habeck. The inning started with back-to-back singles from juniors Sarah Mente and Macie Herm.

In the third, junior Abi Vomastic singled with one out before stealing second and third — she scored the run in the inning to extend the host’s lead to 7-1.

After allowing Clintonville’s leadoff batter to reach base and come around to score in the first, Taylor Johnson turned things around in the circle.

She worked around a one-out single in the second inning before tossing a clean third inning. Over those three innings, Johnson struck out three batters.

“I was just trying to move the ball and have a lot of different change of speed pitches to keep them off balance,” Taylor Johnson said.

With Shawano up by six, Johnson elected to put senior Emilee Bastar in the circle to try and seal up the win.

Bastar picked up where Johnson left off, tossing two strong innings. She allowed just one baserunner over that span.

“I think my mentality had a lot to do with how I pitched. Just knowing that this is my last year and if I slack in any way, shape or form, that’s it for me. My mentality had me set because we needed a win because I’m not ready to be done yet,” Bastar said.

Shawano pushed across two more runs in the fourth to extend its lead to eight.

Pinch-batter Isabella Buettner, a junior, walked to open the inning. Senior Kate Hoffman then came in to run and proceeded to steal second and third base.

Hoffman scored on a grounder from senior Bayleigh Laabs, who advanced to second after a Clintonville error. After a groundout moved Laabs to third, she scored on a passed ball.

In the fifth, junior Caitlin Daniel, freshman Margo Gull and Wynos all singled to load the bases. Hoffman then singled to score Daniel.

Habeck then stepped to the plate and delivered a two-RBI double to the center field fence to help the hosts reach the 10-run rule.

Habeck finished with five RBIs.

“I just liked her pitching. I finally figured out how to time pitchers better and the contact for me has gotten better and better as the year has gone on,” Habeck said.

Shawano finished with 12 hits in the game. The Hawks know they will need to continue to have their offense put the pressure on opposing teams, especially as the competition gets tougher.

The team hopes its win over Clintonville gave the group some confidence that it can carry over into the next game.

“I hope a lot of confidence. They (Clintonville) were a good team,” Bastar said. “With Denmark next, this game should give us confidence with how well we did, how well we played together and just everything went so smoothly that it should give us a boost for the next games to come.”

The win moves Shawano (8-11) into a Division 2 regional semifinal where they will face second-seeded Denmark. The game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start at Veterans Memorial Field in Denmark on Tuesday.

Baird was the one who delivered Clintonville’s first inning run, scoring junior Abigail King with a single.

Baird pitched all four inning for the Truckers (4-16). She struck out out six batters.

“I think we came out excited to play. We were coming off three wins in a row so I think we were feeling really good and proud, and then I don’t know if we got nervous on defense because we just couldn’t execute plays,” said Clintonville coach Dana Chaney. “We had some silly errors that we don’t typically make. We are a very mental team, where if we make a mistake, then we feel bad and can’t bounce back.”

BOYS TENNIS

Shawano 6

Two Rivers 1

The Hawks ended their regular season with a nonconference victory over the Purple Raiders.

Kamden Kroll (No. 1), Anton Piantek (No. 2) and Carson Cummings (No. 4) all earned singles wins for Shawano.

The Hawks’ doubles teams of Chris Black and Cesar Ramirez (No. 1) won in straight sets. Shawano’s No. 2 and 3 doubles teams won by forfeit.

Singles: No. 1: Camden Kroll S def. Donny Heinsohn, 6-1, 6-2; No. 2: Anton Piantek S def. Logan Perry, 6-1, 6-4; No. 3: Ethan Jacquart TR def. Braden Schmidt, 6-4, 6-2; No. 4: Carson Cummings S def. Kaleb Hall, 6-0, 6-0. Doubles: No. 1: Chris Black-Cesar Ramirez S def. Julian Weier-Ethan Limon, 6-1, 6-3; No. 2: Wyatt Theis-Rowyn Rodenbeck, S by forfeit 2-0, 2-0; No. 3: Rory Johnson-Nolan Buck S by forfeit 2-0, 2-0.

BASEBALL

Shawano 10

Clintonville 9

Steven Hoffmann delivered the game-winning hit for the Hawks in the bottom of the sixth inning, and they held on for a nonconference victory over the Truckers on Friday.

Zach Erdmann finished with two hits for Shawano, while Andrew Popp struck out six batters over 2⅓ innings to earn the win.

Sean Finger was dealt the loss. Blake Hopp had two hits for Clintonville, while Chance Bork drove in a pair.

Bonduel 14

Men. Indian 0 (5 inn.)

Joey Wagester tossed a five-inning no-hitter as the Bears topped the Eagles in Central Wisconsin Conference-East Division play on Thursday.

Wagester struck out four batters while walking two. He needed just 59 pitches to get through five innings.

Parker Bohm led Bonduel at the plate with three hits. Cole Letter, Riddik Bohm, Dylan Burch and Aaron Margelofsky added two hits each.

Maurice Waupoose took the loss for Menominee Indian.

Tigerton 20

Gresham 3 (5 inn.)

Tigerton eased past Gresham in CWC-North play Thursday.

Izaiah Hidde and Austin Hoffmann led Tigerton with three hits apiece, while Hidde and John Uttenreither each drove in three runs. Isaac Schoen pitched all five innings to earn the win.

Luke Pecore and Nathanial Juga each had two hits for Gresham. The Wildcats used five pitchers to get through the game.

Witt-Birn 8

Shiocton 7

The Chargers scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning before holding Shiocton to two to hang on for a CWC-East win Thursday.

Larken Betry and Kody Szews each drove in two runs for Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Michael Gibson, Jacob Groshek and Jack Stewart all scored twice.

Simon Stewart pitched the first 4⅓ innings, allowing four runs. Shane Herb worked the final 2⅔ to pick up the win for Witt-Birn.

Bowler 5

Marion 3

The Panthers held on late to top the Mustangs in CWC-North action Thursday.

Landan Kroening drove in two runs for Bowler. Lane Schultz reached base three times and scored three runs.

Kroening pitched the first 4⅓ innings, striking out four batters and allowing three runs. Zach Fehrman struck out six over the final 2⅔ innings.

Carter Goke and Ethan Scheef each drove in a run for Marion. Goke pitched all seven innings.

West De Pere 11

Shawano 1 (5 inn.)

The Hawks could not slow the Phantoms in a Bay Conference clash Thursday.

Zach Erdmann took the loss on the mound, but struck out three batters over two innings.

Waupaca 10

Clintonville 6

The Truckers could not keep up with the Comets in a North Eastern Conference clash Thursday.

Matthew Morse, Jared Cartwright and Brock Smejkal each had two hits for Clintonville.

The Truckers used four pitchers in the contest. The quartet struck out six batters, but walked 12.

GIRLS SOCCER

New London 6

Shawano 1

The Hawks dropped a Bay Conference tournament game to the Bulldogs on Thursday.

Lindsey Roloff netted the lone Shawano goal. Peyton Buerman made 21 saves while defending the net.