Wausau beat Grand Forks 14-5 following Johnson’s second grand slam and Mills’ second complete game. 

The Ignite were firing on all cylinders Thursday night in game one of a four-game road trip to Grand Forks. The game saw Mia Johnson (UW-Parkside) strike her second grand slam of the year and Claire Calmes’ (UW-Madison) fourth home run. The night was highlighted by a 10-strikeout complete game by Zoey Mills (EFSC).

How It Happened

Claire Calmes opened the scoring in the first inning with two outs on the board. A towering fourth homer of the year put the ignite up one. Zoey Mills collected 2 strikeouts and exited a bases-loaded jam. She only gave up one run in her first inning of work, leveling the score after the first inning at 1-1. 

Riley Schwisow (Northwestern State) led off the second inning with a walk. Gabby Sosa (Purdue) made her return to the Ignite with a single to put runners on the corners. Brooke Steinhorst (Loyola Chicago) took just her second at bat of the year and scored Schwisow on a fielder’s choice, putting the Ignite up one. Quinn Marnocha (SDSU) crushed her first homer of the year to set the Ignite up 3. Marley Teasley (Washington) found a triple after a fumble in the outfield and was left stranded. Zoey Mills found strikeout numbers three, four, and five in the bottom of the second, leaving the Ignite up 4-1. 

Mia Buske (SDSU) found a single that was bobbled in the infield and was stranded. A two-run home run by the Spitfires cut the Ignite lead to 4-3.

Brooke Steinhorst acquired her first hit of the night, leading off. A single by Taylor Liebelt (Illinois State) advanced Stienhorst to third following a misplay on the infield. Quinn Marnocha drew a walk to load up the bases with no outs, and a Marley Teasley sac fly scored one. The Ignite loaded the bases again with a Claire Calmes walk. Mia Johnson then struck her second grand slam of the year to flip the script in Grand Forks. Mia Buske, Riley Schwisow, and Gabby Sosa followed with back-to-back-to-back walks, loading the bases with 1 out, but were all stranded. Zoey Mills collected her sixth strikeout of the night and closed the fourth without giving up any runs. 

Quinn Marnoacha began the fifth with a leadoff triple. An RBI double by Claire Calmes slipped down the third base line to score Marnocha. The Spitfires found their second home run of the game to bring the score to 10-4. Zoey Mills acquired her seventh strikeout of the game to close the fifth. 

Riley Schwisow turned on the after-burgers and created Ignite’s third triple of the night, leading off the sixth. Gaby Sosa put runners on the bases with a walk. A sac-fly by Brooke Steinhorst brought across run number 11 for the Ignite. Zoey Mills continued to deal, gaining her eighth and ninth strikeouts. The Spitfires lost a possible triple with a trip in between second and third, leaving the Ignite up 11-4 into the seventh inning. 

Marley Teasley led off the seventh inning with a walk, followed by a Claire Calmes walk. Mia Johnson’s third hit of the game scored Teasley and advanced Calmes with no outs. A Mia Buske sac-fly advanced Calmes to third and Johnson to second. Riley Schwisow drew a walk to load the bases. Gabby Sosa then drew another walk, bringing in a run. Another sac-fly by Brooke Steinhorst set the Ignite up 14-4. A fantastic double play from Mia Johnson to Brooke Steinhorst took away a 2 runnner jam with no outs. A run would come across on a 2-out RBI single by the Spitfires. Zoey Mills struck out her tenth to close her 14-5 complete game. 

Stats and Facts

• Zoey Mills finds her team’s best second complete game and team-leading 28 strikeouts.
• Mia Johnson crushed her fifth homer and second grand slam of the season. 
• Marley Teasley and Riely Schwisow join Quinn Marnocha for first in the league in triples with two each. 

Coming Up Next

Wausau continues their three game road series in Grand Forks with game two on July third. First pitch is set for 7:35 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.

 

###

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.