The Fastpitch Chronicle

Staring at a 4-1 deficit with only four outs remaining, the Chequamegon High School softball team rallied for four runs after two were out in the sixth inning to take a 5-4 lead and tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the seventh inning for a 7-5 victory at Athens on Monday, May 4. With the win, the Screaming Eagles moved into a first-place tie with the Div. 4 5th-ranked Blue Jays, each with conference records of 6-1. Chequamegon is 7-3 overall. Danielle Masterson's RBI single plated Emily Mader in the top of the first inning. Athens tallied four unearned runs after two were out in the bottom of the second. A two-out error in the sixth scored Megan Hilgart, who had doubled, and Mackenzie Dane followed with a double to put runners at second and third. Both runners scored on Makayla Casey's grounder, which was booted. A walk to Kayla Herbst and single by Emily Mader loaded the bases ahead of an RBI single by Emily Ernest which plated Casey with the go-ahead run. After a 1-2-3 sixth, Hilgart reached on an error, Orr singled, and Dane followed with an RBI single. Orr scored on Casey's RBI grounder to give the Screaming Eagles a three-run cushion. Athens tallied once in the bottom of the seventh. Ernest, Hilgart and Dane had two hits each to spark the Screaming Eagles' 10-hit attack. Megan Mader tossed a six-hitter with four walks and four strikeouts and was backed by a pair of double plays on liners to Masterson at shortstop. Chequamegon travels to Drummond on Tuesday, May 5, in non-conference action. Drummond upset Hurley on Monday.