Wausau, WI- Wausau’s return home after a two-game road trip wasn’t as pleasant as they expected, as they fell to the La Crosse Steam, 19-6, after six innings. This marks the Ignite’s third-straight loss and moves them to last place in the Northwoods League standings. 

Hannah Trzinski (Minnesota-Crookston) had to leave her first start of the summer early after a 41-pitch first inning, where the Steam put up a whopping 11 runs. 15 batters made their way to the box in the first frame, punishing a Wausau field that has now given up 55 runs in just three games. 

To get out of the inning, the Ignite turned to Riley Stiles (Lake Forest College), who pitched in 2.2 innings on Tuesday and was coming off less than a day of rest. She struck out the last batter of the inning and would catch three more Steam players on strikes, matching her season high of four Ks. Stiles let up only three earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched before she was replaced by Trzinski in the sixth.

The game looked to be over in the fifth with Wausau down 11 runs, but the Ignite fought on, scoring four to extend the game another inning. Valarie Osthoff (Carroll) doubled to left with two outs, bringing in the first two runs before Kaylie Frydenlund (Minnesota-Duluth) and Reagon Proud (Upper Iowa) batted in the next two. 

A six-run top of the sixth from the Steam would put the game out of reach once and for all, as the Ignite couldn’t come back in the bottom of the frame.

La Crosse’s Avary Makarewicz had a monster night at the plate, hitting six RBI on a double and a sixth-inning bases-clearing triple. She also worked a walk, reaching base four total times on the evening. Makarewicz now sits in second place in the league with 15 RBI, just two behind the Night Mares’ Hilary Blomberg.

Things only get more challenging for Wausau, as they look ahead to a double-header against the 5-3 Minot Honeybees on Thursday night, with game one starting at 5:05 pm CT and game two scheduled for 7:35.

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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.