July 2, 2014 at 2:30 p.m.
Hodag 12Us ousted from Little League tourney
Hodag 12Us ousted from Little League tourney
The Hodags were bounced just two days into this year's District 5 tournament, falling 6-3 Monday to Merrill and 5-4 Tuesday to Northwoods. Rhinelander rallied late in both games to make things interesting, but are out of the double-elimination tournament after both comeback bids fell short.
Miscues cost the Hodags Monday against Merrill. Rhinelander committed errors in the second, third and fifth innings. Merrill scored runs in all three frames. Spencer Schneider had two hits for Merrill, a two-run double in the second and a run-scoring single in the third, that helped stake the Bluejays to a 5-0 lead.
Rhinelander got a run back in the fourth inning as Nathan Cogar drew a leadoff walk and scored when Abe Laggis' single got past the left fielder. Merrill tacked on a run in the fifth as Ty Bailey led off with a double and scored on a throwing error.
The Hodags put on the rally caps in the top of the sixth. Danny Zuiker reached on an infield hit and advanced to second when the throw to first sailed wide. He advanced to third on Cogar's flyout to center and scored on an Alex Fortier single to left.
Quinn Lamers grounded to the pitcher, but the Hodags received new life when the shortstop dropped the ball at second, trying to turn a double play. Following a Laggis flyout, Teagan Guckenberg singled to left, scoring Fortier, but Lamers was cut down on a close play trying to advance to third, ending the game.
Close plays plagued the Hodags Tuesday against Northwoods as well. Twice the Hodags were thrown out at the plate, which proved to be the difference in the contest.
With runners at first and second and nobody out in the first inning, Zuiker bounced to the hole at short. When Northwoods threw to first to retire Zuiker, Laggis broke for home, but was called out at the plate.
There was a similar situation in the fifth as Lamers singled to left, scoring Jacob Dreifuerst. The ball was bobbled in the outfield and Max Spaulding tried to score from second, but was thrown out at the plate.
That left the score 5-4 and the Hodags were unable to get anything going in the sixth against Northwoods - a co-op from Eagle River, Three Lakes and surrounding areas.
Northwoods led 5-0 through 3 1/2 innings, scoring one in the first, two in the third and two more in the fourth.
Rhinelander got one back thanks to a two-out rally in the fourth. Dreifuerst singled while Guckenberg handled base-running duties. Spaulding singled, Lamers singled to score Guckenberg and Payton Johnson walked to load the bases, but Laggis went down swinging to end the threat.
Bridger Flory and Zuiker sparked things in the fifth with back-to-back singles. Following a Cogar strikeout, Fortier hit a sacrifice fly to left. Dreifuerst walked and Spaulding reached on an error to score Zuiker. That's when Northwoods lifted starter Clake Mouw, who was nearing his 85-pitch limit, in favor of Liftschutz. Liftschutz gave up the Lamers single that triggered the Spaulding play at the plate and induced three ground balls in a perfect sixth to record the save.
Zuiker took the loss for Northwoods Monday, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work. He struck out six and walked two. Cogar was saddled with the loss Tuesday, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits with two walks and a strikeout. Fortier pitched the final two innings, allowing a hit and striking out four.
The Hodags collected six hits in Monday's loss - one apiece for Johnson, Zuiker, Cogar, Fortier, Laggis and Walker Hartman. Flory and Lamers each had two hits Tuesday for the Hodags, who collected nine hits overall. Laggis, Zuiker, Fortier, Dreifuerst and Spaulding also recorded hits.
Kamerin Resch also competed for the Hodags, who were coached by Ken Zuiker, Joel Flory and Glen Spaulding.
Notes: Four players from last year's Rhinelander 10U Little League All-Star team, which qualified for state, were on this year's 12U team - Fortier, Lamers, Hartman and Johnson ... Three members of the team played on last year's 12U team, which qualified for the second week of District 5 tournament - Flory, Spaulding and Zuiker ... Wausau American, Merrill and Northwoods qualified out of Rhinelander's four-team pod for the second week of district play, which begins July 7 at Doepke Park in Wausau.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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