By Spencer Flaten
Staff Writer 

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.—Eau Claire North rode a strong performance from starting pitcher Tanner Halvorson to a 7-0 win over Marshfield in the Division 1 regional finals on Thursday.

Halvorson mowed down the Tiger offense with eight strikeouts over six innings of work. Marshfield mustered only two hits off of the junior southpaw.

The Huskies had much better fortune at the plate than their counterparts. They scored early and often to cruise to a comfortable victory.

North opened their account in the bottom of the second inning. John Bickle drove in two runs with a single to left field. Zac Stange chipped in with an RBI single of his own later in the frame to stretch the lead to 3-0.

The Huskies scored two more runs in the bottom of the third. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out for North, and Lukas Lanners grounded into a fielder’s choice to score a run. An error allowed another run to cross the plate on the play.

The Huskies’ bats came out firing again in the fourth. Cal Sauro hit a two RBI single to center field, which extended the lead to 7-0.

Just one run would have been enough for Halvorson on the mound. He never allowed more than one baserunner in an inning during his six innings on the bump. He made the Tiger hitters look uncomfortable at the plate all game long.

Connor Jasurda took the loss for Marshfield. He pitched 3.1 innings and allowed six earned runs.

The high-powered Husky offense was led by Stange, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Sauro, Bickle and Ryan Venne all had two hits for North. Trevor Schwecke went 1-for-3 for Marshfield, and he was one of only two Tiger batters to not strike out in the game.

This game was the first of three to be played at Carson Park on Thursday. In the next game, Eau Claire Memorial beat Menomonie 8-3. In the nightcap, Pepin/Alma beat Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran in the Division 4 regional finals.

The Huskies will face Stevens Point in the sectional semifinals on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Marshfield. Both teams are 21-3 and conference champions this year (Stevens Point won the Wisconsin Valley Conference and North is the co-champ of the Big Rivers). The winner will face the winner of the game between Eau Claire Memorial and Chippewa Falls for the right to go to the state tournament.