WEST WALKS OFF EAST IN WISCONSIN VALLEY CONFERENCE SOFTBALL

Zaleski Sports

WAUSAU - The Wausau West Warriors scored six runs in the final two innings to overcome a 9-4 Wausau East lead and topple the Lumberjacks on Friday night, 10-9. It was a wild finish for West that saw 14 combined batters in the sixth and seventh innings to complete the improbable comeback victory.

Autumn Hughes started the bottom of the sixth with a double and then scored as the next batter, Claire Calmes drove Hughes in with a single to right field. Taylor Liebelt then belted her third hit of the game, sending Calmes to second as West began the inning with three consecutive base hits. After a pop fly and ground ball outs, it was Caitlyn Krantz who delivered a two-out base hit to center scoring both Calmes and Liebelt. Maddy Krueger struck out Sophia Peissig to end the West sixth and kept her Lumberjacks in the lead, 9-7.

Hughes sat down the East in order to begin the seventh inning and keep West to within two runs. After a fly out, Isabelle Gullickson had base hit followed by walks issued to Hughes and Molly Muschinske. A trio of wild pitches thrown by Tristen Young scored Gullickson and Hughes to tie the game at 9-9. A ground ball hit by Allison Kirsch forced an out on the bases and left runners on the corners with two outs.

As was the case in the sixth inning, it was again Peissig stepping to the plate with two outs and this time a chance to end the game. Peissig smashed a 2-1 offering from Young to centerfield that easily scored Muschinske from third and completed the six-run comeback to earn the walk-off win for West.

Wausau West (3-1) will host Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and Wausau East (0-2) is at home against Antigo on Saturday at 11 a.m.