Third no-hitter for Kewaunee’s Paulsen

Kewaunee senior southpaw Brett Paulsen entered rare air last Thursday, becoming only the second pitcher in Wisconsin high school baseball history to record three straight no-hitters.

Paulsen struck out 17 at Sevastopol in game one of a doubleheader last Thursday, walking two in an 8-0 win. Five days later, he struck out the first nine Algoma batters he faced at home in a 14-0 win Tuesday.

A fourth-inning single by Charlie Prokash is the only thing that prevented Paulsen from becoming one of just a few players nationally — in more than a century of high school baseball — to throw four straight no-hitters in the same season.

The Storm, the state’s top-ranked Div. 3 team, improved to 8-0 in the Packerland Conference, 10-0 overall, after wins of 8-0 and 10-0 over the Pioneers and 14-0 and 6-0 over the Wolves. Kewaunee has outscored its opponents a combined 97-6.

Paulsen, Waylon Delain, Blake Temme and Dane Harrell all had two hits in the opener at Sevastopol. Paulsen and Harrell each doubled and Harrell and Delain each had two runs batted in.

Kewaunee scored all 10 of its runs in the first inning of game two, and Delain threw a one-hitter with four strikeouts. Connor Kilgore and Calvin Kolmorgen each had two hits and two RBI, with Kilgore doubling. Paulsen also had two RBI.

Against Algoma, Paulsen struck out 11 of the first 13 batters he faced. Jacob Massey pitched the first three innings for the Wolves, allowing six hits and four runs. He walked three and struck out one. Wolves’ relievers gave up five hits and five walks in a 10-run fourth inning. Diesel Bosdeck, Noah Hudson and Blake Temme each had two hits, with Temme getting four RBI and Paulsen and Delain each two.

Delain earned the win in game two. He gave up three hits while striking out four and walking two in five innings. Jackson Walecka earned the save in both games. He threw the final inning in the first game and the last two in the second, striking out four while not allowing a hit.

Prokash went 5 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and six runs (five earned), with six strikeouts and three walks in game two. He also had two of Algoma’s four hits. Braeden Leist allowed one hit the final 1 2/3 innings. Delain had three hits, including a double and a triple. Bosdeck had a pair of hits. He and Paulsen each knocked in two runs.

After a doubleheader at Southern Door Friday, the Storm hosts Gibraltar-Washington Island Tuesday in a battle for the top spot in the conference.

Meanwhile, the Storm girls served notice that they intend to compete for the Packerland softball title after doubling up Algoma at Kewaunee Tuesday, 6-4 and 7-0. Now 7-1 in conference (11-5 overall), they’ll be playing for the top spot Friday in a doubleheader at Southern Door.

Ali Repitz got the win in game one, allowing nine hits while striking out three and walking two. Breanna Riha had three hits and Kambreia Last and Braelyn Chevalier each two. Macie Zimmerman took the loss despite striking out seven and walking one. Zimmerman, Amya Lukes and Kenzie Lischka each had two hits for the Wolves, and Natalie Ray a two-run blast over the center field fence.
In game two, Riha threw a two-hit shutout while striking out five and walking six. She and Chevalier each had a pair of hits. Lischka took the loss, allowing six hits while striking out four and walking seven.

Earlier, the Storm lost to Valders Monday, 4-3. Kewaunee was outhit, 7-4. Repitz took the loss.

Last Thursday, Riha drove in five runs on two doubles and a three-run homer as the Storm beat Sevastopol 13-3 in game one. Last also had three hits, and Vivian Bootz, Mariah Schlies and Chevalier each had two, including a triple for Chevy. Repitz earned the win, giving up eight hits and no walks while striking out three.

In game two, Chevalier doubled, tripled and homered in a 15-2 win, and London Karnopp had two doubles. Last had a pair of hits, and Riha got the win, allowing five just five hits while striking out two and walking one.

Zimmerman surpassed 600 career strikeouts last week, whiffing 17 and allowing just one hit in a 11-1 win over Sturgeon Bay Thursday. She followed that a day later with 11 more ‘Ks’ in a 7-0, three-hit shutout over previously unbeaten and state-ranked Bonduel. The senior slugger also homered twice and drove in four runs against the Bears. Ella Severinsen and Lukes each doubled.

Against the Clippers, Sadie Rikkola had three hits and Zimmerman two (including a homer) in game one. Lischka also homered. In game two, Bristol Schmidt had three hits and Lischka two. Lischka tossed a one-hitter in four innings, with seven strikeouts and five walks.