06/07/2026
ThunderStix 16U opened their summer season this weekend with a 3-2 record and a lot of good softball to build on heading into Janesville next weekend.
Day one was dominant. The girls went 3-0 behind balanced, disciplined offense and steady defense up and down the lineup. As a team the Stix hit .427 with a .496 OBP, meaning they were consistently on base and making pitchers work. They averaged over three pitches per plate appearance and posted a team OPS north of 1.0 in the early going. Sunday was a tougher draw, but the compete level never wavered.
Anna was the offensive story of the weekend. She finished hitting .545 with a 1.856 OPS, going 6-for-11 with three doubles, a triple, and a home run while driving in five. She was nearly impossible to retire when the game was on the line. Defensively she was locked in at second base all weekend, handling every chance cleanly.
Mari was a force at the plate and in the field. She went 7-for-10 (.700) and reached base in 10 of 12 plate appearances, driving in five and scoring five more. She was dangerous every time she stepped in the box. In the field she showed her versatility, logging time in left and right field and making the plays when it counted.
Ivie had a big weekend at the plate, going 7-for-13 (.538) with two doubles and four runs scored. She made hard contact consistently and was one of the most reliable bats in the lineup. At third base she was equally steady, playing 22 innings without missing a beat and handling 13 total chances over the course of the weekend.
Elley hit .462 and drove in six runs, coming through with runners on base throughout the tournament. At shortstop she was as clean as it gets, handling every chance that came her way without an error across 24 innings. That kind of reliability up the middle means a lot over the course of a tournament.
Addyson brought it on both sides of the ball. She hit .385 with five hits and four runs scored, and behind the plate she was in command from the first inning. She held runners completely, with opposing teams going zero for eight in stolen base attempts on her watch. When the team needed her elsewhere she moved to right field without missing a step, showing the kind of versatility that makes a roster deeper.
Payton hit .333 with two RBI and kept her contact rate at 100 percent throughout the weekend. In center field she made the play of the tournament, robbing what would have been a home run by going over the fence to bring it back. That is the kind of moment that swings games and fires up a team.
Kaya was steady and smart all weekend. She drove in four runs in just 10 plate appearances and drew three walks, staying disciplined in counts and creating opportunities. Behind the plate she was in control, shutting down the running game and keeping pitchers comfortable. When the team needed her to shift over to second base she did it without hesitation, which says everything about her approach to the game.
Natalie carried the biggest workload on the mound, taking the ball for 18 innings across five appearances and earning three wins. She struck out nine batters and competed hard every time out. In the field she handled her position cleanly, finishing with a perfect fielding percentage. Oh, and she also hit .300, driving in 5.
Madalynn came in and gave the team six solid innings of work, striking out eight batters along the way. She attacked the zone, striking out 8, and kept the team in games. At the plate she chipped in a hit and added a run scored.
Maddie logged the most innings at first base and held it down, staying ready to do whatever the team needed. Her .583 OBP showed she was patient and making pitchers work every time she stepped in, coming across the plate 4 times to score.
We welcomed Alex back on Sunday fresh off a state championship win with Dakota on Saturday. She showed up ready to compete, taking the field at third base and in the outfield and working her way into defensive reps after spending her high school season as a designated player. That kind of attitude is exactly what this program is about.
Paizley hit .333 with a .500 OBP and drove in three runs, making the most of her plate appearances throughout the weekend with a double, a triple, knocking in 3, and scoring 5 times. She covered left field and center field and was where she needed to be all weekend, taking reps at first as well.
The bats are live, the roster is deep, and this group showed they can compete. Janesville is next weekend and the work continues.
