Rockets improve to 16-4 overall, 12-0 in Cloverbelt East

By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

LOYAL — The Spencer softball team wrapped up its second-straight undefeated Cloverbelt Conference East Division season with a doubleheader sweep of Loyal/Granton on Friday.

The Rockets won 6-4 and 13-10 to end their regular season with a 16-4 record and a 12-0 mark in the Cloverbelt East. Spencer has won 27 games in a row in the conference. Loyal/Granton is 6-9 overall and finishes 6-6 in the conference.

Overall, Spencer has won three of the past four Cloverbelt East championships and four of the last six.

“This is the first time we have won back-to-back championships, so it is a great accomplishment for the girls,” Spencer coach Jason Gorst said. “I am very proud of their hard work and dedication. They are a great group of people, and I am thankful for the opportunity to coach them.”

In Game 1 Spencer scored single tallies in the bottom of the fourth and fifth innings to pull ahead after Loyal/Granton had tied it 4-4 in the top of the fourth.

Macie Weber struck out six in 4 1/3 innings to earn the win, and Tiffany Meinders grabbed the save with 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Mandie Schultz had two hits and three RBIs, and Courtney Buss added a pair of hits for the Rockets.

In the second game, Spencer scored four times in the first and six more in the third to help push out to a 13-3 lead. The Greyhounds rallied with seven runs in the final three innings but could not get close the gap.

Kallie Reckner and Meinders each had three hits, and Lexi Baehr drove in three for the Rockets.

Spencer is the No. 2 seed in its Division 3 sectional and earned a first-round bye. The Rockets will host the Auburndale-Loyal/Granton winner in a WIAA regional semifinal on Wednesday. If Spencer wins, it will host a regional final on Friday, May 27.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

Game 1

Rockets 6, Greyhounds 4

Loyal/Granton 020 200 0 – 4 10 1

Spencer 112 110 x – 6 8 1

WP: Macie Weber. LP: Reinwand. SV: Tiffany Meinders.

SO: Reinwand (4 inn.) 0, Rowley (2 inn.) 0; Weber (4 1/3 inn.) 6, Meinders (2 2/3 inn.) 0. BB:Reinwand 3, Rowley 1; Weber 3, Meinders 1.

Top hitters: LG, Wilke 2×4; Schoonover 2×4; Rayhorn 2 RBIs; Rueth 2×4, 2B; Oestreich 2×3, 2 runs. S, Courtney Buss 2×4; Mandie Schultz 2×3, 3B, 3 RBIs.

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Game 2

Rockets 13, Greyhounds 10

Spencer 416 200 0 – 13 15 2

Loyal/Granton 111 024 1 – 10 13 1

WP: Meinders. LP: Rowley.

SO: Meinders 3; Rowley (3 inn.) 1, Reinwand (4 inn.) 1. BB: Meinders 3; Rowley 3, Reinwand 1.

Top hitters: S, Buss 3 runs; Weber 2B, 2 RBIs; Cinnamin Harwood 2×4; Lexi Baehr 3 RBIs; Kallie Reckner 3×3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Meinders 3×4, 2 2Bs, 2 runs; Sadie Mercier 2×4, 2 RBIs. LG, Schoonover 4×5, 4 runs; Rayhorn 2×5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Reinwand 3×3, 3B; Rowley 3 RBIs; Rueth 3×4; Oestreich 2 runs.

Records: Spencer 16-4, 12-0 Cloverbelt East; Loyal/Granton 6-9, 6-6 Cloverbelt East.