July 9, 2014 at 3:09 p.m.
Little League: Hodag 10U All-Stars 2-0 in district play
Little League: Hodag 10U All-Stars 2-0 in district play
Faced with games on back-to-back nights, both at Mel Mode Field, Rhinelander was determined to get off to a hot start and didn't disappoint.
They beat Wausau National 9-5 on Monday and came back the next night to post a 6-2 win over Antigo.
Isaac Bixby started for Rhinelander against Wausau and pitched a strong game until being relieved late.
Tim Fox, Rhinelander's leadoff man, started things off with a single in the first inning, and his teammates took it from there. Devyn Orth and Bixby both reached base, and Joe Schneider and Jackson Smith also got in on the action, pushing Rhinelander out to an early 2-0 lead.
They were able to plate another three in the second to keep the momentum rolling. Sam Schneider and Cole Lehman both reached to start things off, and again it was Fox and Orth who got on. Bixby and Joe Schneider added two more hits to drive home the runs and suddenly Rhinelander was up 5-0.
They tacked on three more in the fifth and another in the sixth to seal the victory and earn themselves a spot in the tournament moving forward.
Joe Schneider started Tuesday's game for Rhinelander and pitched four innings of shutout ball.
Rhinelander scored one run in the first inning when Orth reached on an error. He stole two bases to reach third base, while Joe Schneider walked and stole second base. When the dust settled on the first frame, Rhinelander had again managed to secure an early lead.
They kept it going in the second inning, plating two more runs to give Joe Schneider an early cushion.
Ryan Jamison walked to lead off, then with two outs, Jake Losch and Fox strung together two base hits, scoring both Jamison and Losch.
Losch, Orth and Bixby scored again in the fifth inning to push the lead to 6-0, and the coaches went to their bench, bringing in Jacksen Smith for relief.
Smith ran into a little trouble, and gave up one run in both the fifth and sixth innings, but was ultimately able to close out the game and send Rhinelander into next week's game on a high note.
The win kept the Hodags in the winners' bracket. They will play again July 15 at Hodag Park. Rhinelander's next opponent is yet to be identified. Rain has delayed play in the other half of the bracket.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.