July 17, 2015 at 2:46 p.m.
Rhinelander falls to Wausau American in 10U district championship
Rhinelander falls to Wausau American in 10U district championship
American, which earned a bid into the championship game by scoring 13 runs off Rhinelander in extra innings Tuesday night in a 17-5 decision, strung together six runs in the first and seven more in the second to leave little doubt of the outcome. Wausau tacked on five more in the fourth as the game - which started 15 minutes late and was hampered by pesky rain showers - ended via the 10-run rule.
Rhinelander managed only three hits in the game, but they helped lead to runs. A.J. Turek doubled deep to left center in the third inning, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Cody Sedlacek's grounder to short. Kolby Ridderbusch reached via a leadoff error in the fourth, was doubled over to third by Mason Davis and scored on a Leo Losch groundout. Cal Laggis drew a single later in the fourth inning.
Sam Schneider started on the hill, lasting 1 1/3 innings in the loss. Ridderbusch recorded a couple of strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Mason Davis faced the final two batters of the fourth inning, getting out of the inning with a grounder back to the pitcher's mound.
Rhinelander needed to win Thursday's game to force a winner-take-all championship game on Friday. The Hodags clinched second place in the tournament Wednesday with a 9-3 victory over Northwoods.
The Hodag bench started the rally in the top of the third inning against Northwoods. Losch, Will Gretzinger and Justin Orth led off the frame with three consecutive singles and all eventually came around to score. Turek and Evan Sedlacek also singled and scored in the inning.
Rhinelander tacked on three more in the fourth. Laggis and Turek drew bases-loaded walks to drive in Ridderbusch and Davis. Sedlacek reached on an error and plated Max Ratty.
After Northwoods responded for two runs in the bottom of the inning, Rhinelander tacked on another run in the fifth as Ridderbusch singled and scored. Northwoods scored a run in the sixth and had runners at the corners with two away, but the Hodags threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the game.
Sedlacek pitched 3 2/3 innings, recording five strikeouts in the win. Ridderbusch, Davis and Layne Roeser also pitched in the contest.
Wausau American advances to the 10U state championship, which will begin Aug. 1 in Glendale.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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