Scores, schedules and updates

By Reagan Hoverman

Playoff time has finally arrived in Pierce County, and local softball and baseball teams are either gearing up for the postsea

son or have already begun their playoff journey, including Ellsworth, Prescott, River Falls, Spring Valley and Elmwood/Plum City.

While most teams have yet to start the playoffs, Spring Valley and Elmwood/Plum City have already started – and already won – their opening round of the postseason. Spring Valley’s first matchup was on Friday, May 20, at home against Glenwood City.

Spring Valley wasted no time getting on the board early in the game. In the bottom of the first inning, the Cardinals scored five runs and then added another in the bottom of the second to take

a 6

0 lead going to the third inning.

Glenwood City rallied and scored seven unanswered runs, tak

ing a 7

6 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Car

dinals roster remained poised with the season on the line and scraped together two runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8 7 lead that they held for the rest of the game.

Spring Valley advances out of the first round and is slated to play the #1 seed in Fall Creek. That team goes into the playoffs with a first

round bye and with an overall record of 20

6. That game is slated to begin in Fall Creek at 5 p.m.

Elmwood/Plum City defeats Regis 114

The Elmwood/Plum City softball team also kept its season alive and advanced out of the first round of the playoffs with an

11

4 first

round victory against Eau Claire

Regis.

The game was initially slated to be played Thursday afternoon, but with the hail storm that hit Plum City, the contest was resched

uled to Friday afternoon. Despite a 5

14 record for the season, Elmwood/Plum City won its most important game of the season in the first round of regionals.

The next game for the Wolves is slated for Tuesday, May 24, on the road against the #2 seed in Boyceville. That game is slated to begin at 5 p.m.

River Falls softball, baseball

The River Falls softball team is also slated to play on Tuesday, May 24, which is shaping out to be the Super Tuesday of the spring sports season. The Wildcats will travel to New Richmond for their first

round game.

Twice this season the Wildcats have played New Richmond. In those games, River Falls lost 11

1 and 9

4, getting swept in the season series. The first

round playoff game in New Richmond is slated to begin at 5 p.m.

The River Falls baseball team will be in action on Tuesday, May 31, at home against New Richmond in the first round of the Division 1 postseason.

River Falls received the #6 seed and is hosting the Tigers, the

#11 seed in their respective portion of the bracket. In their two meetings this season, River Falls went 2

0, which included 4

0 and 10

5 wins at home and on the road respectively. Game time is still TBD.

Ellsworth softball, baseball

The Ellsworth softball team gets its postseason journey under

way on Tuesday, May 24, on the road against Saint Croix Cen tral.

It should be a tough, competitive game, as the two teams split the season series with each team winning on their home turf. The most recent meeting was on Friday, May 13, when Ellsworth hosted SCC in a 9

4 victory.

The two teams meet again on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Saint Croix Central High School. The winner will play the victor of Somerset and Osceola in the Division 2 Regional Final.

As for the Ellsworth baseball team, the Panthers also play Saint Croix Central. The two programs meet on Thursday, May

26, at Saint Croix Central High School. The two teams split their season series with each team winning on the road. That game is slated to begin at 5 p.m. The winner will go on the road to play the #1 seeded Blackhawks of Baldwin Woodville.

Prescott softball, baseball

The Prescott softball team has perhaps the highest expectations of any softball or baseball team in Pierce County. A program that has reached the state tournament all three of the last full seasons, excluding 2020’s COVID year which effectively canceled spring sports.

Prescott again has one of the best teams in Wisconsin and is poised to make a run in the postseason. The senior

laden roster led by Nick Johnson tackled two of its goals for the season al

ready – winning the conference and securing a #1 seed for the postseason.

The Cardinals begin their postseason on Tuesday, May 24, when they host #8 Stratford in the regional semi final. That game will begin at 5 p.m.

The Prescott High School baseball team, led by head coach Jeff Ryan, received a #3 seed in their respective portion of the Division 2 playoff bracket. The Cardinals will host the Amery Warriors on Thursday, May 26, at Fire Hall Field.

Prescott swept the season series against Amery with wins that included a 2

1 victory at home and a 13

3 win on the road. The first

round game is slated to begin in Prescott at 5 p.m.

Spring Valley baseball

The Spring Valley Cardinals baseball team received a #3 seed for their 10

5 overall record in a tough Dunn St. Croix Confer ence for the 2022 season.

The Cardinals begin their playoff journey on Thursday, May

26, when they host Colfax in a first

round playoff game. Spring Valley swept the season series with a 7

2 win on the road and a

16

9 win at home.

That first

round playoff game is slated for 5 p.m. at Spring Valley’s baseball field, the downtown location.

Elmwood/Plum City baseball

The Elmwood/Plum City Wolves’ baseball team earned a #6 seed in the WIAA Division 4 playoff bracket and will play its first

round game on the road against #3 Pepin/Alma on Thursday, May 26.

Elmwood/Plum City finished the season with an overall record of 3

11 and has had no experience this season against Pepin/Alma. However, Pepin/Alma heads into Thursday evening with an 11

4 overall record in a stacked Dairyland Conference. The game time for Thursday evening in Pepin/Alma is 5 p.m.