June 26, 2015 at 1:50 p.m.
Rebels hold off Minocqua, rain in legion victory
Rebels hold off Minocqua, rain in legion victory
Tyler Blomdahl hit a three-run homer as part of a 10-run explosion it the fourth and fifth innings as the Rebels rallied past the 89ers 13-9 Wednesday in an American Legion baseball game at Stafford Field.
Steady rain hampered the game through the first four innings creating two delays that totaled 26 minutes. Once the weather lifted, the Rebels took command and completed a three-game regular season sweep of the 89ers.
"It was one of those unusual games," said coach Joe Waksmonski, who skippered the Rebels Wednesday with manager Dan Huhnstock away with other commitments. "It seems like every year you have something like that where rain will delay your game. We had a couple of different delays. Generally the first four innings tonight, if it wasn't delay, you were playing in rain."
The rain was the heaviest during the top of the third and fourth innings, and it appeared to effect Rebels' starter Kent Mathews (1-0). Minocqua plated six of its nine runs during those two frames as Mathews struggled commanding a wet baseball.
Mathews issued bases-loaded walks to Brett Slavinsky and Jacob Crabtree in the third, which tied the game at 3. Jack Melms flared a Texas leaguer to right to give the 89ers a 4-3 lead and Slavinsky later scored on a wild pitch.
"Kent was struggling in particular that inning," Waksmonski said. "It seemed like if he wasn't walking someone, he was kind of putting it over the plate and they were good pitches to hit. He didn't quite have his pin-point accuracy. The first two innings, he was throwing great. He was hitting his spots, (was throwing) a nice, sharp slider tonight. In that one inning it was just a little too wet for him, I guess."
Bradley Hilmer singled and scored on a Slavinsky sacrifice fly in the fourth. Nick Peterson doubled and scored when a two-out grounder by Ryan McEnroe went under Trevor Young's glove at short.
Play was briefly halted in the middle of the third inning to apply a drying agent to the area around home plate. The players were taken off the field, and tarps were put on the pitcher's mound and batter's box, prior to the bottom of the fourth as the rain intensified. Following a 23-minute delay the Rebels came back with a vengeance.
Brandon Hess started the inning with a single that died in the wet infield, Trevor Young followed with a ground-rule double that skipped under the fence in left center and Hess scored on a wild pitch. Nick Spencer singled up the middle to score Young and Zuiker was hit by a pitch. Two batters later Blomdahl homered for the second time in as many games, hammering a 3-2 pitch to left center to give the Rebels an 8-7 lead.
"We came back ready to play," Waksmonski said of the Rebels' approach following the delay. "We were able to put the ball in play, hit the ball hard and obviously Tyler had the big shot there."
Rhinelander tacked on five more in the fifth. Matt Rudolph walked, Alec Modrow put a bunt single down the first base line and Trevor Young walked to load the bases and chase Minocqua starter Bryce Crabtree from the hill. Reliever Ryan McEnroe walked Nick Spencer and Scott Sedlacek to force in Rudolph and Modrow. With two out and the bases still loaded, Bradley Comer grounded to short, but Slavinsky threw wide of second base, the ball skidded into right field and two runs crossed the plate. Tait Spencer followed with a single to shallow left that put the Rebels ahead 13-7.
"We were patient at the plate, got a couple walks, took advantage of an error there," Waksmonski said. "We were able to push across enough runs where we were able grab the momentum."
Mathews allowed seven runs (four earned) on six hits and struck out eight to earn the win. Rudolph pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the summer. The junior-to-be worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth by getting Peterson to fly out to center and Slavinsky to ground out to short. After a 1-2-3 sixth, Minocqua tacked on two in the seventh before Rudolph shut down the 89ers.
"There were little spots here where we had command issues, but again I think it had to do with a slick baseball," Waksmonski said of Rudolph's outing. "He slammed the door in the fifth and sixth innings and allowed our team to kind of stabilize, control ourselves so that offensively we could tack on some more runs."
A Peterson sacrifice fly and a Slavinsky single up the middle scored pinch hitters Phil Kuckkahn and Jacob Victor in the seventh.
Minocqua appeared to bat out of turn to lead off the inning as No. 9 hitter Bradley Hilmer came to the plate instead of No. 7 hitter Bryce Crabtree, who was scheduled to lead off. Hilmer flew out to right and the mix-up was not appealed by Rhinelander before the first pitch of the next at-bat, making the play legal according to Rule 6.03 (b)(5) of the "Official Baseball Rules," which states, "When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and a pitch is made to the next batter of either team before an appeal is made, the improper batter thereby becomes the proper batter, and the results of his time at bat become legal."
Rhinelander outhit Minocqua 12-9 in the contest. Nick Spencer, Zuiker and Blomdahl each recorded two hits and combined to drive in seven runs. In all nine Rebels recorded at least one hit.
"We got contributions from everyone tonight," Waksmonski said. "It was a good team win."
Bryce Crabtree took the loss for Minocqua, going four-plus innings on the mound. Sam Killian had a three-hit night for the 89ers and Slavinsky went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Rhinelander traveled to Medford Friday in a game that concluded after deadline. The Rebels will play at Rothschild/Schofield/Weston Monday before returning home Wednesday to face Antigo.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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