The Union Grove High School softball team is on a torrid run-scoring pace.
In their first six games, the Broncos have scored 103 runs, with 99 of those runs coming over their last five.
Union Grove continued its onslaught of its opponents Friday with a 29-7 victory over Wilmot in a Southern Lakes Conference game at Wilmot.
The Broncos (6-0, 3-0 SLC) took control of the game right from the start, scoring 14 runs in the top of the first inning. Senior first baseman Maggie Domanico, the No. 7 hitter in the order, was the star as she hit a grand slam and an RBI single in the inning. She added another RBI single in the fifth and finished with three hits in four at-bats with six RBIs and four runs scored.
Union Grove, which closed out the game with an eight-run fifth inning, finished with 23 hits and every starter had at least one RBI and seven of them had at least two. The Panthers (0-4 overall and SLC) helped out with 10 errors.
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The bottom of the batting order did the most damage. Along with Domanico, junior shortstop and No. 8 hitter Emma LaFrania went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, and junior left fielder and No. 9 hitter Ella Erickson went 4 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Other top hitters for the Broncos were senior infielder Ella Dinauer (3 for 5, double, four RBIs, three runs), freshman second baseman Katie Madrigal (2 for 5, double, four RBIs, four runs), senior catcher Natalie Schultz (1 for 4, double, RBI, two walks, four runs) and senior third baseman Ashley Bert (2 for 6, two RBIs, three runs).
Union Grove coach Brian Van Swol also said Schultz made an “awesome” diving play in the fourth inning for an out.
Sophomore pitcher Addy Callewaert allowed nine hits, seven runs (all earned) and earned the victory.
The game wasn’t Union Grove’s biggest run output of the season. That happened in their second game, on April 5, when it beat Lake Geneva Badger 31-5.
BURLINGTON 17, BADGER 4: The Demons remained on a hot streak, scoring double-digit runs for the fifth time in six games Friday in a six-inning Southern Lakes Conference game at Lake Geneva.
Burlington (6-0, 4-0 SLC) had 16 hits, with five players combining for 14 of them.
Sophomore third baseman Emie Biedrzycki led the offense by going 2 for 3 with a home run, three RBIs, two walks and four runs scored.
Junior Macie Plitzuweit went 4 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, senior pitcher Kendall Kafar went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, freshman Ashleigh Schkeryantz went 3 for 4 with a triple, two RBIs and three runs scored, and junior Kasey Lois went 2 for 4 with two doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.
The Demons were also helped by 10 walks.
“We had contributions from everyone,” Burlington coach Scott Behnke said. “Our offensive approach has been just incredible the first two weeks of the season and especially tonight.”
Kafar pitched the first five innings and allowed four hits, three earned runs and struck out six. Plitzuweit pitched the final inning and struck out two.
HORLICK/PARK 6, MILWAUKEE REAGAN 1: Nevaeh Folk struck out 11 and pitched a one-hitter as the Co-op won a nonconference game Friday at Milwaukee.
The senior received all the run support she would need before she delivered a pitch when the Co-op (2-2) plated two runs in the top of the first inning. Folk followed in the bottom of the frame with a scoreless inning. The lone run she allowed was in the second inning and she allowed only one hit and three walks in seven innings.
The Huskies (2-4) had an equally difficult time handling Folk as a batter. Folk went 2 for 2 with a double, a walk and two RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Malea Pina went 3 for 4 with three stolen bases, one RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore third baseman Kaitlyn Winkler also stole three bases after going 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
BELOIT MEMORIAL 3, WATERFORD 1: The Wolverines dropped a Southern Lakes Conference game Friday at Waterford.
On Tuesday, Waterford (2-3, 1-1 SLC) won 12-6 over Beloit Memorial (2-3, 1-3 SLC). The Wolverines racked up 13 hits in that game, but weren’t nearly as fortunate the second time around. Waterford had just one hit, from senior second baseman Jenna Runte.
Senior catcher Sam Talavera was walked twice and senior first baseman Ella Greil had the walk which scored the Wolverines’ run in the bottom of the third inning. Sophomore shortstop Jaydin Kiser scored and stole two bases and senior third baseman Rita Rivard had a stolen base.
Sophomore pitcher Jenna Bjorge went six innings for Waterford with four strikeouts, three earned runs, two walks and seven hits. Senior Darby O’Dwyer pitched an inning with one strikeout, one walk and one hit.
RACINE LUTHERAN 22, CUDAHY 2 (5 INNINGS): The Crusaders put together three solid innings to win a nonconference game Friday at Island Park.
Lutheran (2-1), which split a Metro Classic Conference series with Greendale Martin Luther earlier in the week, took advantage of Cudahy’s pitching woes. In just two innings, Packers’ pitcher Anastasia Condiff allowed seven hits, 20 walks and 22 earned runs.
Senior second baseman/pitcher Jenna Beaudin played a stellar game for the Crusaders, going 2 for 2 with a double, a home run and five RBIs. In the circle, Beaudin pitched a near-perfect inning with one strikeout and a walk.
Junior outfielder Alexis Kiedrowski hit a double and drove in four runs and senior infielder Aniyah Shaw went 1 for 2 with three RBIs and a stolen base. Sophomore Iyana Garza, who also pitched two innings with five strikeouts and two hits, had two stolen bases and an RBI.
Sophomore right fielder Madelyn Sadowski, senior third baseman Ella Harris and junior shortstop Emilie Lozano had two RBIs each for Lutheran.
Girls soccer
PARK 2, MILWAUKEE SAINT THOMAS MORE 1: The Panthers won another nonconference match Friday at Pritchard Park.
Thomas More (1-1-1) struck first and put away its goal in the 22nd minute. Sophomore midfielder Ellie Khreish levelled the score for Park (4-0-0) in the 32nd minute, assisted by freshman midfielder Addison Betker.
Betker had Park’s game-winner, too, scoring in the 62nd minute, assisted by Jenna Quirk. Betker leads the Panthers in assists with three on the year and is tied with Mirabella Wentorf, another freshman midfielder, for second in goals.
“I felt like Addison did a great job in the midfield and getting forward,” Park coach Matt Maletis said. “For a freshman, that’s pretty impressive. Quirk helped solidify the defense and to get us the ball, especially coming from behind.”
The Panthers’ four straight wins to start their season is the team’s best performance in more than 14 years. Prior to this year, the closest Park had come was 3-1 starts in the 2019 and 2014 seasons, both under Maletis.
PRAIRIE 6, ELKHORN 1: The Hawks got into a flow from the beginning of the match Friday and freshman Meghan Gavigan recorded her first varsity hat trick in a nonconference victory over the Elks at Prairie.
“Tonight was one of those rare games where you put a plan in place, the players know it and they go out and execute it,” Prairie coach Joe Manley said. “From the first minute, I thought our girls started with the right tone and effort by winning 50/50 balls, securing possession and settling into some offensive patterns we were planning to use in the game.”
The Hawks (2-0-1), ranked fourth in Division 4 in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, opened the scoring in the third minute when Gavigan scored on a corner kick by junior midfielder Meg Decker. In the 12th minute, junior Anna Shaw sent a long ball toward Elkhorn’s goal and the ball took an odd bounce over the goalkeeper’s head to make it 2-0.
Gavigan scored again in the 28th minute, assisted by fellow freshman Keira Kimbrough, and it was 3-0 Hawks at the half.
Katelyn Haeft scored the goal for Elkhorn (1-1-0) at the beginning of the second half, but it was all Prairie the rest of the way.
Gavigan got her third goal in the 59th minute, again assisted by Kimbrough, then junior Norah Boerner scored off a Decker assist in the 67th minute. Senior Aishani Dhar finished the scoring, putting in a rebound after Decker hit the crossbar in the 75th minute.
“Gavigan was on the front foot all game and so brave with her runs and clinical in her finishing,” Manley said. “Kimbrough was phenomenal in her hold-up play and checking back to get on the ball, and Decker was a nightmare for them to mark in the midfield.
“Today goes to the team and the collective unit working together to execute at a high level.”
MILWAUKEE PIUS XI 4, RACINE LUTHERAN 0: The shorthanded Crusaders lost a nonconference match Friday at Pritchard Park.
The Lady Popes (2-3-0) scored goals in the 20th and 23rd minutes to take an early lead. Lutheran (1-3-0) had a chance in the 32nd minute to pull within one, but Pius was able to make a save on a shot from six yards out.
The Lady Popes scored again in the 52nd and 60th minutes.
“This was a great game for a young team to learn from,” Crusaders coach Peter LaBoda said.
The Crusaders were without five starters for the game because of injuries or prior commitments. Goalkeeper Izzy Lisowski made seven saves.
Baseball
FRANKLIN 8, CASE 3: The Eagles fell short in the third game of a Southeast Conference series Friday at Franklin.
Franklin, which competed in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament last year, swept Case (0-4, 0-3 SEC), scoring 23 runs across all three games. On Friday, the Sabers (3-1, 3-0) scattered runs between the first, third and fifth innings before putting it away with a four-run sixth.
Case led briefly thanks to some help from junior third baseman Gavin Vela, who went 2 for 2 with a home run and two RBIs. Junior Michael Neimeyer went 1 for 3 with a RBI and senior Tyler Mielcarek hit a double. The Eagles’ other hit belonged to Evan Sommer, who went 1 for 3 and scored a run.
Joe Bline pitched five innings for Case with five strikeouts, three walks and 10 hits. Collin Jaeger pitched an inning with one hit, two strikeouts and two walks and Evan Hruby rounded it out with two hits, a walk and four earned runs.
KENOSHA TREMPER 11, HORLICK 2: The Rebels dropped their third straight Southeast Conference game to the Trojans Friday at Horlick Field.
The Rebels (0-5, 0-3 SEC) lost 17-3 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Wednesday. Friday’s outing against the Trojans (4-0, 3-0) saw a difficult time for control on the mound as Rebels pitchers issued 13 walks, along with four wild pitches and a hit batter.
The Trojans capitalized on mistakes and scored in each of the first five innings.
Cole Weisenbeck and Connor Blaeske provided the Rebels’ hits, with Weisenbeck hitting a double. Cam Gulotta scored in the third inning after being hit by a pitch and Dylan Hayek scored later in the inning after reaching base on a walk.
KENOSHA INDIAN TRAIL 18, PARK 0 (FIVE INNINGS): The Panthers were unable to slow down the Hawks in a Southeast Conference game Friday at Kenosha.
The Hawks were averaging just over 11 runs per game heading into Friday’s game against the Panthers (0-4, 0-3 SEC). That mark was exceeded in the first inning alone. Indian Trail (5-0, 3-0 SEC) scored 12 runs in the bottom of the first inning and followed with two runs in the second and a four-run fourth before concluding the game in the fifth on the 10-run rule.
Park freshman pitcher Cristian Torres allowed 14 runs (13 earned) off eight hits and six walks in two innings while striking out two.
The Panthers were limited to three hits as Dominic Fuentes, Cy Charles and Torres each hit a single. Park’s lone chance to score came as a result of a walk by Carter Eschmann, who stole second and third, but was stranded on third base.
MUSKEGO 8, BURLINGTON 7: For the second time in as many days, the Demons let a large lead slip away in the final innings.
In a nonconference game Friday at Muskego, Burlington (1-3) led Muskego 7-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh and final inning. The Demons were one out away from escaping the inning, but the Warriors (4-0) scored four runs in the inning and went on to win on a walk-off wild pitch.
One day earlier, Burlington had held a 7-3 lead over Badger in the sixth inning, but allowed six runs in the bottom of the sixth and lost 9-8. It is the third consecutive loss for the Demons.
Burlington jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but Muskego scored the next three runs to take the lead. The Demons responded with four runs in the top of the fifth, and added another in the top of the seventh before the four-run bottom of the seventh.
Burlington was led by Carter Baumester, who went 3 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Jack Sagedal also had three hits and scored two runs. Aben Beinlich and Carter Behling had Burlington’s two other hits, and Ryan Dummer had three RBIs.
Sagedal pitched the first five innings, striking out eight and allowing three earned runs.
SHORELAND LUTHERAN 17, ST. CATHERINE’S 4: The Angels fell behind 8-0 after three innings and lost a Metro Classic Conference game Friday at Horlick Field.
St. Catherine’s (0-3 overall and MCC) had just four hits, one each by Adon Ruiz, Mariano Talamantez, Nathanyell Callis and Maurico Talamantez, and Ruiz, Callis and Maurico Talamantez each had an RBI.
The Pacers (2-3, 1-2) had nine hits and stole seven bases.
Boys golf
ST. CATHERINE’S/LUTHERAN: Freshman Maddox Matson finished seventh individually with a 98 and helped the Angels finish seventh in the 10-team West Allis Central Bulldog Invitational at New Berlin Hills Golf Club.
St. Catherine’s/Lutheran totaled 200, eight behind Milwaukee Rufus King and Central, which tied for first with 192 strokes. King was the champion on the WIAA tiebreaker.
Matson tied with four other players at 98, but he won the WIAA tiebreaker to take seventh. Alex Krowski of Saint Francis was the medalist with an 85.
Sophomore Finn Crawford finished 17th for the Angels with a 102.
Track and field
FRANKLIN INVITATIONAL: A quality showing across a deep lineup for the Union Grove girls saw them place eighth overall at the Franklin Invitational Friday.
Union Grove senior Brooklyn Lamers placed second in the 100-meter high hurdles (16.18) and placed third in the 300 low hurdles (47.97), finishing ahead of Prairie junior Izzy Baumgardt in eighth (52.39).
In the 400 meters, Union Grove senior Alyssa Gruber took fourth (1:01.64) ahead of Horlick sophomore Nahvia Jent in eighth (1:04.49). Gruber and Lamers then linked up and were second as part of Union Grove’s 4x400 relay (4:15.04) with Abby Johnson and Ashley Lamers.
Union Grove also showed well in field events. Senior Adelle Polzin was third in the triple jump (33-7), sophomore Ellie Gajewski was fifth in the long jump (15-7½) and sophomore Breeya Katterhagen was seventh in the discus (91-1).
Junior Carly Lopez gave Prairie its top finish of the meet as she took fourth in the 800 (2:28.75) ahead of Union Grove freshman Tera Commodore in fifth (2:30.79).
Verona won the girls team event with 71 points ahead of Brookfield Central (65) and Kettle Moraine (60.5). Union Grove (43) was eighth, Prairie (6) 17th and Horlick (1) tied for 19th.
In the boys meet, Landon Franke shined for Horlick.
The sophomore won the 3,200 (9:52.64) and also was third as part of the Rebels’ 4x800 relay (9:00.08) with Giovanni Maccanelli, Crystian Amezcua and Parker Seggelink.
In field events for Horlick, junior Jayden Brown was second in the triple jump (39-11½) and senior Carson Fletcher took eighth in the discus (119-10).
Union Grove earned a pair of points with junior Jayden West finishing seventh in the 200 meters (23.30).
Oshkosh West won the boys team event with 62 points ahead of Kettle Moraine (61) and Middleton (57). Horlick (25) was 14th and Union Grove (2) 19th.