By MIKE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
After losing all-state pitcher Nicky Mansur to graduation, the Stevens Point Area Senior High softball coach Tom Drohner expected his team's pitching would be a strength, but he didn't think he'd have a dominating presence on the mound.
Coach Drohner, meet sophomore Lexi Mains.
Mains, who played sparingly as a freshman a year ago, shut down Wausau West Tuesday in a 6-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference victory. The sophomore scattered five hits over seven innings.
"I just wanted to get a win. I was trying to throw my hardest," Mains said. "I was getting changeup over as a strike. I've been working a lot in practice on that."
Mains kept the Warriors off balance the whole game, striking out seven. West never made a serious threat to take the lead.
"She was in command the whole game," Drohner said. "She's proven she's capable. She's our horse."
Mains received a lot of help from SPASH's clutch hitters too. The Panthers' first three runs all came with two outs before a big three-run fifth basically sealed the win.
Rachel Ploetz got things started with a two-out RBI single in the first inning. Kristin Rosicky followed with a pop-up to first base that the defense couldn't handle. Darcia Wesenberg scored on the error to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead.
The two-out hit crew struck again in the third. With two away, Ploetz and Rosicky singled and Paula Swanson entered as a pinch runner for Ploetz, who is nursing a calf injury. The next batter, Lacey Groshek, singled and Swanson scored on an error, putting the Panthers ahead 3-0.
While Mains continued to cruise, SPASH doubled its lead in the fifth. Sam Polito opened the inning with a single and Wesenberg followed with a bunt single and Polito moved over to third.
After Kristin Feltz lined out, Ploetz followed with a two-run double to right field, giving the Panthers a 5-0 advantage. Rosicky then singled and Lacey Groshek drove in Ploetz with a sacrifice fly.
Wesenberg's bunt was one of the big plays in the three-run fifth. "We try to work hard on moving people over and hope for a clutch hit," Drohner said. "We're not afraid to bunt with one out.
"Bunting is huge for us. If we get a person on, we're going to lay one down and hopefully get that clutch hit."
Ploetz finished 3-for-3 at the plate with 3 RBI. Polito had two hits and scored twice and Rosicky added a pair of hits. Drohner wasn't even sure Ploetz would be able to play.
"She's really struggling with an injury," Drohner said. "It really bothers her. I give her credit for working through the injury and coming up with three big hits."