The Hatchet softball team crushed Lakeland last Tuesday and swept Northland Pines on Thursday, but two non-conference games later slipped out of the girls grasp.
Tomahawk took down Pines 5-4 in the opener, then backe it up with a 12-0 rout.
“We were very fortunate to come away with a victory (in Game 1),” THS coach John Larson said. “The hatchets might have overlooked their opponent.
“But they bounced back nicely. Overall (Game 2) was one of our better games in all phases. Emma (Bushey) pitched very well.”
Alex Bellile walked and stole second in the eighth inning of Game 1, then scored on Leah Foster ripped a single.
Game 1:
Tomahawk– 300 001 01–5.
N. Pines– 010 002 10–4.
TP: Alex DuPlayee 8 I, 10 H, 3 W, 11 K, 4 R, 0 ER. TH: 6 H; Foster 2-4, 2 RBI.
Game 2:
N. Pines– 000 00–0.
Tomahawk– 254 1x–12.
TP: Bushey 5 I, 3 H, 1 W, 6 K, 0 R, 0 ER. TH: 15 H; Alicia Kurth 3-3; Heidi Massa 3-4; Cheyenne Czerwinski 2-3, 2B, 4 RBI; Hannah Feest 2-2; Maggie Gudinas 2-3.
Toasted T-Bird
Tomahawk blew out Game 1 by an 11-0 tally, then actually turned it up in Game 2, winning 26-2.
“We did a better job of being patient, but we stranded way too many runners (in Game 1, 12),” Larson said. “Alex hurled a one-hitter and defensively we made plays when we had to.
“Emma threw with confidence (in Game 2), mixed speeds real well and was around the strike zone all night long. Offensively, the Hatchets exploded for 16 hits.”
Tomahawk– 214 04–11.
Lakeland– 000 00–0.
TP: DuPlayee 5 I, 1 H, 1 W, 7 K, 0 R. TH: 7 H; Adrianna Schultz 3-3, 2 RBI; Gudinas 2-4, 3 RBI; Mandy Timm 2-2.
Game 2:
Lakeland– 000 02–2.
Tomahawk– 1(13)5 7x–26.
TP: Bushey 5 I, 5 H, 1 W, 6 K, 2 R, 2 ER. TH: 16 H; Kurth 3-4, 2B, 5 RBI; Erin Sparks 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; DuPlayee 3-5 2B, 3 RBI; Gudinas 2-2; Massa 2-4, 2 RBI.
Non-league
The Hatchet fell 15-5 to Hurley on Friday and 5-4 to Wausau East on Saturday.
Tomahawk improved to 4-4 in the GNC, tied for third with Rhinelander. The Hatchets are 6-8 overall.