By Spencer Gonzales

It has been a season of growth so far for the Wausau Ignite, who have been finding their footing in their first-ever season of play in the Northwoods League. Through the first half, the Ignite went 6-13, and though there have been some challenges that any new team faces, Wausau has had their fair share of triumphs.

Opening day remains the Ignite’s shining moment of the year, where they dominated in a run-rule victory over the La Crosse Steam, 13-2. The fans were treated to an evening that featured an all-around excellent performance in Wausau, from a complete game thrown by Maren Sauvageau to an explosive eight-run sixth inning capped off by a three-run triple from Megan Mcginnis. 

Mia Johnson shined in the team’s first-ever victory with a two-homer showing and has continued to be a star for the Ignite since. Johnson leads Wausau in RBI and is top three in the team in batting average, hits, and home runs. Along with that, she has proved to be a valuable tool both in the field and behind the plate, playing games at both third and catcher while boasting a perfect fielding percentage. 

After the fantastic win to start the season, the Ignite faced their first test of the year, the now first-place Madison Night Mares. Aside from one game, the series was kept extremely close, with the other three contests being decided by a combined four runs. Another highlight of the season came in the final game of that series, where Wausau held on for a massive 9-8 win at home. Riley Schwisow and Riley Stiles were huge parts of the second win of the year, with Schwisow mashing two homers and Stiles striking out the final batter to secure her first complete game of the year. 

Schwisow and Stiles have been imperative to the team’s success all summer. Schwisow has been the power-hitting leadoff batter for the Ignite, leading the team with eight doubles and ranking second in the league with six homers. Stiles has been the Ignite’s workhorse in the circle, tossing 23 strikeouts in just shy of 50 innings of play. 

Following their win against Madison, Wausau would go on a five-game skid. This period of struggle was taxing on the young team, but it proved crucial to their development as they would bounce back with a four-game winning streak. 

The streak showed the true potential of the Ignite, as they found different ways to pull out wins. The first game was a pure team win, with five different Wausau hitters bringing in a run and an excellent effort in the circle from the starter Stiles and reliever Ellie Curtis, who earned a save. 

Two of the wins were road comebacks at La Crosse, where the Ignite battled back down 9-3 to take an 11-10 thriller, and then came back down 4-2 with a three-run seventh inning to stun the Steam yet again. Three of Wausau’s wins have come against La Crosse, and they lead the season series so far, 3-2. 

The most impressive win of the four-game stretch came on a rainy day in Wausau against the Mankato Habaneros, where the Ignite trounced the Habaneros, 9-1. Wausau had a season-high 13 hits, with five players posting multi-hit games. It was an equally excellent performance on the rubber from Stiles, who had a season-high four strikeouts and a complete game shutout going into the seventh. 

After their stretch of outstanding play, Wausau would run into another tough series with Madison, losing all four games and being shut out in two. The first half of the season ended in a hard-fought defeat at La Crosse, as the Steam would complete a comeback of their own against the Ignite to win an 11-10 nailbiter.

As Wausau enters the second half, there will be new faces in the dugout as well as some fan-favorites saying goodbye. 

Every day starters Megan Mcginnis and Quinn Marnocha have departed after posting solid numbers in the first half. Mcginnis was the starting shortstop for Wausau, batting .279 with five doubles and 12 RBI over her 19 games of play. Marnocha started the year in left field but shifted over to center and settled in comfortably as the starter. Along with some memorable plays in the outfield, she hit just shy of .300 with three doubles, two triples, and five homers. 

The Ignite look to replace this production with two new additions in Emily Bechtel and Alysa Lowe. Bechtel, a junior outfielder from West Virginia State, hit .327 with seven doubles and eleven RBI this past spring, and will bring some solid hitting into the lineup for Wausau. Lowe played ball at Northern State her first two years of college, primarily in the outfield, and will fill Marnocha’s shoes in center. Both Bechtel and Lowe saw their first bit of action in game one of the second half, with Lowe getting the start in centerfield and Bechtel as the designated player. 

In the bullpen, Maya Rudy has signed on for the last half of the season. Rudy, the freshman right-hander from Benedictine University, played in three games toward the end of June for the Ignite, allowing only six runs over 10.1 innings of work. She also started against the Honeybees in game one of the series in Minot, and will look to be a fresh arm for Wausau’s rotation, which has consisted of just Sauvageau and Stiles for most of the season.

Halfway through the Ignite’s first summer, the team has faced the ups and downs that come with competing in the Northwoods League, and are ready to finish strong with 22 games to go.