Lady Panthers pummel Craig to win regional

The Lady Panthers pounded host Janesville Craig Friday to win the WIAA Division regional.
The Lady Panthers pounded host Janesville Craig Friday to win the WIAA Division regional.

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

The hits kept coming, and there was no stopping the Lady Panthers, as they pounded No. 3 seed Janesville Craig to capture a WIAA Division 1 regional title Friday.

Wilmot, who produced 20 hits, had every batter in the lineup with at least one hit to down the Cougars 16-1 in just three innings.

The Lady Panthers’ victory sets them up for a meeting against Westosha Central for the third time of the year in a Tuesday sectional semifinal contest.

Junior Riley Regnier (2 for 3, two runs)delivered the first blow, belting a first-inning home run, plating Kalyssa Koehn, who advanced on a fielding error.

Koehn went 2 for 4 with a double, stolen base and two runs.

Singles by Sarah Hutchinson (2 for 3) and Alyssa Horn sent Hayli Richards to the plate, where she knocked in Hutchinson on a double, with Horn scoring on a fielding error.

Horn batted 3 for 3 while Richards went 3 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Senior Sawyer Wightman, who went 2 for 3 in just her second game of the year, responded with a run-scoring single to plate Richards, capping off a five-run first inning.

The five-run cushion allowed Hutchinson room to throw strikes entering the bottom of the first inning, striking out all three hitters in order, sending the Lady Panthers back to the plate in second inning.

Wilmot added three more runs in the second inning, starting with a single by Sam Schloegl, who scored on a Montana Platts single in the next at bat.

Schloegl went 2 for 4 with two runs. Platts went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBI.

A Koehn single, Regnier strikeout and Hutchinson fly out sent Horn to the batters box where she knocked in Koehn with a single.

After Hutchinson retired three of four hitters in the bottom of the second, Wilmot exploded with an eight-run third inning, batting around.

With two outs in the top of the third, Koehn belted a two-run home run, plating Schloegl, who hit a one-out single.

Following Koehn’s home run, Craig allowed three straight singles to Regnier and Hutchinson, with Horn plating Regnier in the next at bat.

Subsequently, Hutchinson and Horn scored on a double by Richards, who had been knocked in a Wightman single.

Senior Shauna Lass, who struck out to start the inning, added a single of her own and scored on a Platts two-run single, plating Schloegel, who also singled.

Lass went 1 for 3.

Hutchinson, who fanned four, walked none and allowed three hits, gave up her only run in the bottom of the third inning on a Kayla Kaufman single, plating Taylor Salmon.

Janesville Craig, who entered as Big Eight Conference champions, dropped to 19-4 while Wilmot jumped to 16-10.


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