Wausau, WI- The Ignite ended their first week in the Northwoods League with a much-needed win, slugging their way past the Night Mares, 9-8. Riley Schwisow (Northwestern State) led the charge for Wausau with a monster day, hitting two home runs and bringing in five RBIs.
The day started off rough for the Ignite, as Gretta Grassel was hit by Riley Stiles’ (Lake Forest College) first pitch and was then brought home two pitches later by a Hilary Blomberg shot to center field.
Stiles was backed up by her field for three quick outs, and then by Schwisow’s first homer, a two-run long ball to center that evened things up at 2-2.
Madison kept their foot on the pedal in the third, as Reganne Bennett dumped one over the fence to go up 5-2. Wausau didn’t quit, and in the bottom of the frame tied the game once again off the bat of Schwisow with a three-run shot. They didn’t stop there, taking the lead two at-bats later with a Molly Fitzgerald (Missouri-KC) solo blast.
Brooklyn Hofer (North Dakota) and Hannah Trzinski (Minnesota-Crookston) tagged on three more runs with homers of their own, giving Stiles just enough insurance to escape the seventh with a 9-8 win. Stiles went the distance in her first start of the season, pitching seven innings and striking out four, including Bennett, one of the league’s leading batters, to shut the door on Madison.
Stiles earns her first win of the season and Wausau’s first win after a three-game skid to Madison. The Night Mares will return home to play the second-place Minot Honeybees in a two-game set that could determine who holds first place in this young season.
The Ignite will travel to Mankato for their first back-to-back road games of the year before returning to Athletic Park for a four-game homestand.
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Leveraging the 31-year success of the Northwoods League, the first for-profit Summer Collegiate Baseball League, Northwoods League Softball (NWLS) is the first for-profit Women’s Summer Collegiate Softball League beginning play in the Upper Midwest in the summer of 2024. The purpose of the League will be to develop players for their college, Olympic and future professional play. Teams will be promoted similar to minor league baseball teams, playing games in front of fans in a fun, friendly, family-oriented environment.
