FOUR-RUN FIFTH INNING PUSHES PACELLI SOFTBALL PAST ALMOND-BANCROFT IN DIVISION 5 SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL

Zaleski Sports

PLOVER – Stevens Point Pacelli scored four times in the fifth inning to pull away and defeat Almond-Bancroft 6-1 in a WIAA Division 5 softball sectional semifinal Monday at Woyak Park.

Pacelli (23-3) will play a sectional final at 5 p.m. Wednesday against Laona/Wabeno (20-2) at Almond-Bancroft High School. The winner advances to the WIAA State Softball Tournament at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on Monday. Pacelli is looking for its fourth-straight trip to state, while Laona/Wabeno has not been to state since its only appearance in 2003.

Emily Grezenski walks and scored after two Almond-Bancroft errors in the fourth inning to put the Cardinals up 1-0.

Almond-Bancroft came back in the fifth when Jillian Newby knocked in a run with a single to tie the game at 1-1.

That would be all the Eagles (19-4) would get against Pacelli pitcher Hannah Trzinski, who struck out seven and walked two in a complete-game effort.

The Cardinals got their offense rolling in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four times to create some distance against their opponent.

Sami Miller had an RBI double and scored on a wild pitch before Sydney Gavin knocked in a pair with a two-out single to put Pacelli up 5-1.

The Cardinals added another in the sixth on an RBI single by Grace Repinski, and Trzinski did the rest, sending down eight of the final nine batters she faced.

Repinski and Miller each finished with two hits and an RBI to lead the Pacelli offense.

Cardinals 6, Eagles 1

Pacelli 6, Almond-Bancroft 1

Almond-Bancroft 000 010 0 - 1 5 4

Pacelli 000 141 x - 6 5 1

WP: Hannah Trzinski. LP: Olivia Baumgartner.

SO: Baumgartner 4; Trzinski 7. BB: Baumgartner 6; Trzinski 2.

Top hitters: AB, Raegen Omernik 2x3. P, Grace Repinski 2x3, RBI; Sami Miller 2x3, 2B, RBI; Emily Grezenski 3 BBs, 2 runs; Sydney Gavin 1x3, 2 RBIs; Jayden Hyrty RBI.

Records: Almond-Bancroft 19-4; Pacelli 23-3.