Wausau Ignite fall 9-7 to Grand Forks Spitfires 

The Wausau Ignite fall to 0-3 on the season with a 9-7 loss to the newest team in softball, the Grand Forks Spitfires. A combined 23 hits from the two teams came from consistent and well-paced at-bats. The Spitfires would outlast the Ignite despite a late-game rally attempt.

How It Happened

Brooke Stienhorst (Loyola) would get her first start as an Ignite and went three up, three down in the first inning. A good outing from the Grand Forks defence would leave the score at zeros after the first.

In the second, the Spitfires struck first, going up 1-0 after a pair of errors by the Ignite defense. Wausau went on to load the bases on Riley Schwisow (Northwestern State) and Gabriella Sosa (Purdue) walks, followed by a Morgan Smith (Prairie View A&M) single to third base. Ava Arenz (Northern Colorado) would plate Schwisow on a sac fly, and Sosa would be put out on the same play to level the game at 1-1.

A 1-2-3 inning for Brooke Stienhorst and the Ignite defense allowed the offense to pick up where it left off. With two outs, Marley Teasley (Washington) advanced to first on an error, and a Brynn Daniel (Northwestern State) double put runners in scoring position for Megan McGinnis (St. Mary’s MN) to plate both with a single. 

Down 3-1, the Spitfires roared back with 4 runs on six hits. Zoey Mills (East Florida State CC) saw her second appearance this season, coming in for relief of Stienhorst. Despite not starting, Quinn Marnocha  (SDSU) found her third straight game with a hit, pinch-hitting for Morgan Smith. A Mia Johnson (UW-Parkside) single to left plated Marnocha before a Claire Calmes (UW-Madison) double plated Johnson. 

Tied 5-5 in the top of the fifth, Grand Forks kept the pedal to the metal, scoring another 4 runs. Cassidy Gall  (Drake) saw her third straight appearance for Wausau despite a bases-loaded jam. Wausau could only muster one run with Brynn Daniel’s second home run of the season in as many days. 

In the sixth inning, the teams wouldn’t score, and despite Cassidy Gall’s 2 scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, the Ignite only acquired a single run to close the game. Brynn Daniel reached on a single.  McGinnis walked, and Riley Schwisow, on her first hit of the season, a 1-run double to right field, scored Daniel and advanced McGinnis. Sosa and Marnocha would go down for the last two outs of the game. 

Coming Up 

The Ignite will continue their homestand with game two against Grand Forks on Saturday the 13th. First pitch is set for game one at 5:05 on Flo Sports. 

You can stay up to date with the Ignite by visiting ignitesoftball.com and catching all games live on Flo Sports or select games on All Women’s Sports Network.

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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.