NIAGARA, Wis. — The Niagara Lady Badgers waited a couple weeks of the 2025 softball season to play a home game, but that encounter finally came Wednesday night when Niagara hosted Wausaukee in a Marinette and Oconto County Conference matchup.

In the end, the Lady Badgers competed well, coming back from a five-run deficit, but eventually suffering a 7-5 defeat.

“We came up a little short on the scoreboard, but the effort was there from all three phases of the game,” Niagara coach Joe Champeau said. “We definitely had our chances bringing home the ‘W’ but couldn’t come through with generating the big hit with runners in scoring position.”

Niagara stranded 11 runners in the contest, twice loading the bases with no outs but failing to score.

“If one hit goes through with the bases loaded, we are staring at a victory,” Champeau said.

Paige Guardiola led Niagara’s seven-hit attack with a pair of singles. Elesia Sweig, Zowie Loukus, Rachael Walker, Mallory Sanicki and Grace Payette each had one hit.

The visitors broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with single tally. Wausaukee then plated five runs in the top of the fifth to build a six-run cushion.

But the Lady Badgers hit the Rangers with a five-spot of their own in the bottom of the frame to cut their deficit to one. Wausaukee pushed across a run in the seventh to account for the final score.

Guardiola, Walker, Sanicki and Payette each knocked in a run, while Sweig, Loukus, Guardiola, Walker and Sanicki all scored a run.

Sweig got the start in the circle and went five innings. She allowed six hits and four earned runs with two walks and six strikeouts.

Guardiola pitched the final two innings and surrendered a hit and an earned run. She did not issue a walk and fanned two.

The Niagara defense played well, only committing one error.

“We are right there to start stacking up some victories if a couple of plays go our way,” Champeau said.