NEILLSVILLE DOUBLES UP GREENWOOD/LOYAL TO OVERTAKE FIRST PLACE IN CLOVERBELT EAST SOFTBALL STANDINGS
Zaleski Sports
NEILLSVILLE – The Neillsville softball team handed Greenwood/Loyal its first Cloverbelt Conference East Division loss of the season, and overtook the Greenhounds for first place in the standings with a 14-7 victory Wednesday at Neillsville High School.
With the victory, Neillsville is now 16-2 overall and 10-1 in the Cloverbelt East with one conference game remaining Thursday at Gilman. Greenwood/Loyal drops to 11-6 and 8-1 in the conference and will play at home against Owen-Withee on Thursday and Gilman on Friday, before finishing its Cloverbelt East schedule June 8 at Colby/Abbotsford.
After Greenwood/Loyal took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on RBI groundouts by Kaitlyn Lindner and Gracie North, Neillsville erupted for eight runs in the bottom of the frame to take control early.
Terren Stockheimer had an RBI groundout, Delaney Rochester had a two-run single, Paris Opelt followed with an RBI single, Lizzie Jorgensen knocked in a run with a double, Mia Trunkel plated another run with a single, and Bella Opelt smacked a two-run homer to put the Warriors on top 8-2.
Neillsville added two more in the second and never looked back, finishing with 20 hits.
Bella Opelt finished 5-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBIs, and Stockheimer, Paris Opelt and Trunkel each finished with three hits in the win for the Warriors.
Kayla Bremmer was 4-for-4 with a home run, her seventh of the season, and two RBIs, and Aspen Hagen, Zaida Brock and Mesa Rasmussen all added two hits for Greenwood/Loyal.
Warriors 14, Greenhounds 7
Greenwood/Loyal 201 004 0 - 7 13 2
Neillsville 821 102 x - 14 20 3
WP: Delaney Rochester. LP: Kaitlyn Lindner.
SO: K. Lindner 1; Rochester 2. BB: K. Lindner 1; Rochester 2.
Top hitters: GL, Aspen Hagen 2x4, 2 runs, RBI; Kayla Bremmer 4x4, HR, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Zaida Brock 2x3; Gracie North 2 RBIs; Mesa Rasmussen 2x2, RBI. N, Bella Opelt 5x5, HR, 3 runs, 3 RBIs; Ava Mortenson 2 runs; Terren Stockheimer 3x5, 2B, 2 RBIs; Rochester 2 RBIs; Paris Opelt 3x4, 3 runs, RBI; Ella King 2 RBIs; Lizzy Jorgensen 2x4, 2B, RBI; Mia Trunkel 3x4, 2 runs, RBI.
Records: Greenwood/Loyal 11-6, 8-1 Cloverbelt Conference East Division; Neillsville 16-2, 10-1 Cloverbelt East.