CHIPPEWA FALLS— The bats were hot and the Macks were on their toes. McDonell Central Catholic High School are Division IV Sectional Champions, and the team is headed to the WIAA State Softball Tournament for the second time in three seasons. The Macks were seeded fourth and defeated the top seeded Lakers 9-0 Thursday night.
On the mound for the Macks was Kelsey Bremness. She shut out the Lakers with 10 strikeouts while giving up six hits.
Behind the plate, Liz Leibrandt threw out one stealing Laker.
“We work great together,” Leibrandt said about the connection from the mound the plate. “We've known each other for a long time and I think we connect well, so it's fun to work on things and we can speak to each other easily.”
The Macks found every gap and took advantage of mistakes. The team tallied 16 hits starting right from the first inning.
Leibrandt was 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs. Bremness batted in three runs. Rylie Christanson-Richardson went 2-for-3 with an intentional walk.
“I wasn't really swinging from the fences,” Leibrandt said. “I was just trying to get the ball on the ground and make them make a play.”
“It was more about the mental mindset of it all,” Bremness said. “I went in looking to get a base hit knowing my teammate behind me would deliver.”
The Macks scored five runs in the fourth inning.
“The energy was up all game,” Bremness said. “We remained confident and never let up until the last out was made.”
Both Bremness and Leibrandt could not wipe the smiles off their faces. The dynamic duo said the feeling is still surreal but the team is not finished yet.
“We enjoy this moment and come back ready to practice tomorrow,” Leibrandt said.
Macks head coach Rick Ruf said there was no pressure heading into this matchup.
“I just told the girls to play with heart and passion,” Ruf said. “Just go out and give it your best and see what happens.”
The Macks defeated Colfax High School in the Sectional Semifinals by a score of 7-6 on June 2. The team had to fight for the win, but Ruf said the grit of this team is indescribable.
“The game against Colfax we did not play well, but we just kept trying and figuring out,” he said. “Trying to get runners on and get some runs across, that’s just how they play. They' don’t care who does it, it doesn't matter when it happens, they know they just have to get it done.”
He credited the efforts of Bremness on the mound.
“Kelsey just keeps working,” Ruf said. “She will surprise you, she will give you extra efforts. She is just one of those good, hard workers.”
Ruf took over the head coach position prior to this season. He said this win is all about the girls.
“It's a tribute to what they do. They earned it and it was great to watch,” Ruf said.
#McDonell #softball #takes #Shell #Lake
