August 8, 2014 at 1:18 p.m.
Hodag Little Leaguers round out state tournament with a victory
Hodag Little Leaguers round out state tournament with a victory
The victory gave the Hodags a 2-3 record in the six-team round robin, good enough for a three-way tie for third with Madison Kennedy and West Bend.
In addition, according to coach Craig Orth, the victory gave the Hodags an unprecedented level of success at the state tournament.
"We had two goals going into (to the season). One, obviously, was to win district and the second was to win state," Orth explained. "Once we lost Game 4 (to Kenosha American) down there we realized we weren't going to be in the championship (so) we set a third goal and that was to do something apparently no other Rhinelander Little League team had done, and that was to win two games. I think they accomplished something to be proud of there, not only getting to state, but getting two wins down there against some big city teams."
Rhinelander never trailed Wednesday against West Bend. Joe Schneider tripled to lead off the second inning and scored on Jacksen Smith's sacrifice bunt. The Hodags tacked on another run in the third when Isaac Bixby singled home Jake Losch, who had singled earlier in the inning.
West Bend got a run back in the fifth, but the Hodags added an insurance run in the sixth as Bixby led off with a single and eventually stole home.
West Bend put two aboard with one out in the sixth, but Schneider got out of the jam with a groundout and a pop out.
The Hodags collected seven hits in the contest - two apiece by Bixby and Joe Schneider. Devyn Orth, Ryan Jamison and Losch also recorded hits.
Smith started and pitched 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball with four hits and a pair of strikeouts. Schneider worked the final 2 2/3 innings to record the save.
The Hodags' performance at state this year was a game better than their trip in 2013, when they went 1-4 and finished fifth in the six-team round robin. Four players from that team played for the Hodags in this year's tournament.
Rhinelander started the tournament with a 6-3 loss to Appleton Einstein, who played Kenosha American for the championship Thursday. The Hodags followed that with a 7-4 victory over Eau Claire National, an 8-4 loss to Madison Kennedy and a 15-5 loss in four innings to Kenosha.
Coach Orth said there will be plenty of lessons the team will take from its trip to state.
"Teamwork is a big factor there," he said. "This team, they get along well. You don't see too much arguing or fighting. There doesn't seem to be much for jealousy here. They all seem to know what their role is and I think that was huge. We had one game where we let down and had a bunch of errors, but the other four games we were right in it with some really good teams and I think that's probably the biggest thing. They learned that just because we live in little Rhinelander (it doesn't mean that) we (can't) go south and play with the big boys."
Members of the team who played in Glendale were Devyn Orth, Tim Fox, Bixby, Joe Schneider, Smith, Jamison, Cole Lehman, San Schneider, Losch, Jacob Schoppe, Ian Miller and Cael Steinmetz. The team was coach by Orth, Tom Fox and Kevin Bixby.
Coach Orth said, above all else, the team had fun and made some lasting memories.
"I think they left fairly happy and it's something they'll remember for the rest of their life, I hope, he said. "It was a fun experience and I was glad to have the opportunity to coach."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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