NEILLSVILLE SOFTBALL JUMPS TO FIRST PLACE WITH HOME WIN OVER LOYAL/GREENWOOD
Zaleski Sports
NEILLSVILLE - The Neillsville Warriors softball team (8-1) have now taken a one-half game lead in Cloverbelt East standings with a home 6-3 win over the Loyal/Greenwood Greenhounds (7-1) on Thursday at Neillsville High School.
The two teams split their season series with the Greenhounds winning in Greenwood on April 21 with a 9-0 shutout. Neillsville has three conference games left on the schedule and Loyal/Greenwood with four left to decide a conference championship.
The Warriors bounced back with two runs in the second and third innings after giving up one to the Greenhounds in the first and took a 4-1 lead. That lead would survive a Greenhounds' run in the fourth and then swell to 6-2 with a two-run firth.
Loyal/Greenwood would get a run in the top of the sixth inning before stranding two one-out base runners in the top of the seventh as pitcher Delaney Rochester induced a pair of fly outs to secure the Neillsville win.
Callee Mohr went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI inside the park home run in the fifth inning for Neillsville.
Emma Mosely and M Jorgensen had two hits each to help the Warriors offensively.
Rochester picked up the win for Neillsville pitching seven complete innings, striking out five, and allowing three runs.
Emma Schlough was the losing pitcher of record, striking out three, and giving up six earned runs.
Neillsville plays in Marshfield on Friday at Columbus Catholic with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on zaleskisports.com. Loyal/Greenwood hosts Spencer in a home doubleheader Friday with beginning at 5 p.m.