Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Menominee Indian High School senior Taylor Mahkimetas pitched a complete game, allowing three hits and six runs while striking out nine batters in the 22-9 home victory Tuesday.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Bowler High School sophomore Reanne Kietlinski fields a ground ball and throws for a force out at second base. She added a grand slam at the plate the lead the Panthers.
Before Bowler could get an out in the bottom of the first inning, Menominee Indian had already racked up three hits and two runs.
The Eagles did not let up, jumping out to a nine-run lead after two innings and dominating at the plate for a 22-9 five-inning victory Tuesday at home.
“I liked us being aggressive at the plate,” Menominee Indian head coach Bob Smith said. “We were disciplined at the plate, which was more important.”
Senior third baseman Kelsey Corn recorded three RBIs on four hits to lead the Eagles at the plate.
Corn drove in the game’s first two runs with a single. Ania Smith added an RBI double to left field, and Liz Corn finished out the scoring in the inning with a single to left after two Bowler errors.
Kelsey Corn added a solo home run in the second inning. Aaliyah Pecore earned an RBI on a fielder’s choice following two Bowler errors.
“They hit the ball well. If you help them out with an error, that just escalates everything,” Bowler head coach Tim Ploeger said. “You give them an extra out in an inning, that really hurts with a team like that.”
Trailing 9-0, Bowler got on the scoreboard in the third inning. After two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with one out, sophomore shortstop Reanne Kietlinski turned on a pitch, blasting a grand slam over the fence in left-center.
The Panthers (0-4, 0-4 CWC-10) tacked on two more runs to cut the deficit to 9-6.
“To stay with a team like that for as long as we did, we were happy with the way we played,” Ploeger said. “They believe they can get better and start playing with teams in our conference.”
Mahkimetas bounced back to strike out four Panthers through the next two innings to put the game away as the offense plated 13 more runs.
“I really like how we responded after the grand slam,” Smith said. “We came back out, and they were ready to hit again. They understood that the game wasn’t over.”
Mahkimetas struck out nine and walked four. She allowed three hits and six runs in five innings.
Menominee Indian (5-1, 5-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) has already scored 35 runs in its two games this week,
“I hope it gives us enough confidence in our abilities and ourselves at the plate so we can actually put runs on the board against the top teams in our conference,” Smith said.
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Bowler 0 0 6 0 0 6 3 6
Menominee Indian 7 2 4 9 x 22 16 1