The Wittenberg-Birnamwood Chargers will face off against the Iola-Scandinavia Thunderbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood barely beat Weyauwega-Fremont the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Chargers' pitcher stepped up to hand the Warhawks a 20-0 shutout on Tuesday. The game was the first time the Chargers have beaten the Warhawks on their field since May 14, 2021.
Rory Salvesen and Sophia Lemieux did most of the damage at the plate: Salvesen scored three runs and stole a base while going 4-for-5, while Lemieux went 2-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and two doubles. Brianna Krueger also deserves some recognition as she scored her first run of the season.
They weren't the only one making solid contact: Wittenberg-Birnamwood kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Iola-Scandinavia waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with three straight wins... but they left with four. Everything went their way against the Panthers as they made off with a 14-4 win.
Rayanne Clendenning spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Iola-Scandinavia got a massive performance out of Braelyn Jueds, who scored two runs while getting on base in all five of her plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Brylee Jueds, who scored a run while going 3-for-5.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Iola-Scandinavia, they pushed their record up to 5-2 with the win, which was their third straight at home.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Wittenberg-Birnamwood has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .443. However, it's not like Iola-Scandinavia struggles in that department as they've averaged .490. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood came out on top in a nail-biter against Iola-Scandinavia in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
