July 31, 2013 at 2:34 p.m.
Hodag 14Us down Central Wisconsin Impact in all-star battle
Hodag 14Us down Central Wisconsin Impact in all-star battle
Trey Gwinn, Brad Quade and Tait Spencer each drove in two runs as the Rhinelander 14U All-Star team defeated the Central Wisconsin Impact 13Us 6-4.
Tuesday's game was defined by bases-loaded situations. The Hodags got out of one defensively in the first inning, capitalized offensively with the sacks packed in the first and the fifth, and survived a bases-loaded jam in the seventh to preserve the win.
Dom Collelo ripped a bases-clearing double with two outs in the seventh. Thanks to a walk and a wild pitch, the Impact advanced the tying run to second base before reliever Brandon Hess struck out Austin Gilge on a 3-2 pitch to secure the win.
The Hodags got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first after the Impact loaded the bases thanks to a couple of walks and an infield hit by Logan Freund - the only Rhinelander player on the Wausau-based traveling team. But Gwinn got the next two batters to pop out and the Hodags caught leadoff man Sammy Nielsen in a rundown between third and home, eventually throwing him out at the plate, to keep the game scoreless.
The Hodags responded by loading the bases with nobody out in their half of the inning. Kurt Zuiker, Hess and Gwinn all walked, setting the stage for Quade, who ripped a two-run single up the middle. Following another walk, the Impact replaced Collelo on the hill with Freund, who retired all three batters he faced. But Spencer's ground out scored Gwinn and made it 3-0 Hodags.
Spencer added another RBI in the fourth. Tyler Blomdahl walked and got to third on a pair of wild pitches before Spencer hit a sacrifice fly to left.
The Impact scored a run on reliever Matt Rudolph in the top of the fifth. Johnny Breske led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Tanner Richardson.
Rhinelander scored the two runs that proved to be the difference in the game in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-out rally. Back-to-back walks by Easton Senoraske and Zuiker, and a single by Hess loaded the bases for Gwinn, whose two-run single to left made it 6-1.
That was enough run support for the Hodags. Gwinn started and pitched three innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed a hit and three walks with one strikeout. Rudolph got the win, pitching two innings of relief. He allowed a run on three hits.
Hess worked out of a jam in the seventh to preserve the win, all three runs he allowed were unearned thanks to an error earlier in the inning. He allowed two hits and walked two batters. His lone strikeout ended the game.
Hess was the only Hodag to collect multiple hits, going 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. Zuiker, Gwinn, Quade and Spencer collected the other hits.
Freund went 1-for-3 with a run scored for the Impact and only worked the first inning on the mound for the Impact, who used seven different pitchers in the game.
In addition to the two teams on the field, the District 5 champion Rhinelander Little League 10U All-Star team was in attendance and honored prior to the game. They stuck around and sold 50/50 raffle tickets, generating $458 toward their trip to the state tournament Aug. 10-16 in Rice Lake.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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