Wittenberg-Birnamwood is on a four-game streak of home wins, while Antigo is on a five-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Chargers will host the Red Robins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood easily dispatched Amherst on Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Chargers fell just short of Manawa by a score of 4-2 on Thursday. Having soared to a lofty ten runs in the game before, the Chargers couldn't push the score so high this time.
Rory Salvesen was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles, one triple, and one run. Another player making a difference was Chloe Hanson, who went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one run.
Meanwhile, Antigo hadn't done well against Mosinee recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Red Robins had just enough and edged out the Indians 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Red Robins have posted since May 8, 2024.
Bethany Lewis spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Antigo's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Tristin Arlen, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI.
Antigo has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.0 runs on average over those games. As for Wittenberg-Birnamwood, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 11-6.
Antigo's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Wittenberg-Birnamwood hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. It's a different story for Antigo, though, as they've only averaged .228. Will they be able to contain Wittenberg-Birnamwood's hitters?
Wittenberg-Birnamwood might still be hurting after the 7-0 loss they got from Antigo in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Chargers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
