April 7, 2017 at 2:36 p.m.
RHS collects 13 runs, 13 hits in rout of Merrill
RHS collects 13 runs, 13 hits in rout of Merrill
Rhinelander pounded out 13 hits, including three from outfielder Brad Quade, and pulled away to a 13-2, six-inning rout of the Bluejays at Athletic Park.
Jacob DeMeyer went four innings in his first start of the season and helped his cause, plating the game's first run as part of a two-run third. Rhinelander (2-0, 0-0 Great Northern) feasted on Merrill errors in a four-run fourth, tacked on three more runs in the fifth and four in the sixth on a day when the winds were blowing in from right and gusting in excess of 25 MPH at times in Merrill.
"It's good to have that kind of production with the wind and the weather the way it was today," RHS baseball coach Joe Waksmonski said. "Early on the game, I counted at least three balls that, any other day, it's over the outfielder's head. Today the wind knocked it down. All game long our bats and our hitters just squared up to the baseball, were putting it in play and putting it in play hard."
The final five spots in the Hodags' order, which were a combined 1-for-18 in Tuesday's extra-inning win at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, picked up their production Thursday going a combined 9-for-18 while accounting for seven of the team's eight RBIs.
Alec Modrow and Tyler Olson, the team's No. 8 and 9 hitters, sparked the offense in the third with back-to-back base hits. Easton Senoraske singled to load the bases and DeMeyer followed with a run-scoring fielder's choice. DeMeyer and Olson then executed a double-steal of second and home to give the Hodags a 2-0 lead.
Cole Spaulding recorded RBI hits in the fourth and fifth innings and Liam Stevens came in off the bench to hit a bases-loaded, two-out, two-run single in the sixth that pushed acrossed what proved to be the game-clinching runs.
"It was good to see the bottom of the order get going and really spark us," Waksmonski said. "Obviously, our bigger bats had their day as well, but it was good to see our lineup, 1-9, compete today."
Rhinelander blew the game open in the fourth, thanks to some shoddy Merrill defense. Tyler Blomdahl wound up at second to start the inning, following a dropped fly ball, and scored on a throwing error following a Quade single. Spaulding doubled home Quade and scored himself after Matt Rudolph reached on a throwing error. Another dropped pop up allowed Olson to score later in the inning.
That was more than enough run support for DeMeyer (1-0), who held Merrill off the board until the fourth when an error and a walk came back to bite the Hodag ace. Dan Duginski and Zach Anderson, who reached on the Rhinelander mistakes, scored on a two-out double by Kobe Blake, one of only two hits DeMeyer allowed.
"He threw a lot of pitches and that's typical J.D.," Waksmonski said of an 81-pitch effort that included four walks and four strikeouts. "He's a strikeout pitcher. He's going to throw a lot of pitches and, hopefully, it doesn't come back to bite us later on in some closer games. But he did a nice job. He got out of it with a nice pickoff move in the first inning and, for the most part, he threw strikes, kept their hitters off-balance and was able to locate throughout the zone. We'll be ready for him when he's at his best later on in the year."
While the Hodags failed to record a hit in the first two innings off starter Ryan Golisch, the Bluejays were unable to cash in on opportunities. An error and a walk gave the Bluejays runners at first and second with nobody out in the first, but DeMeyer struck out Golisch, picked Ty Belfiori off second base and fanned Adam Detert to get out of the jam. DeMeyer then caught Blake looking to end the second with runners at first and third.
Speed to burn
The Hodags, not typically known for their aggression on the base paths, were on the move Thursday. Quade and Olson swiped two bags each. Rhinelander stole eight bases in all, including two double-steals of second and home.
"We did a lot of running today and that's always good to see," Waksmonski said. "When we had a chance to put a little pressure on, we did it. This team, I feel, is one of the faster teams that we've had in a while. I think it's good for us to get on the bases and take advantage of that."
Pitching situation
DeMeyer's 81-pitch outing triggers a mandatory three days of rest under new WIAA pitch count regulations. He will not be eligible to throw again until next Tuesday's home and Great Northern Conference opener at Medford.
Brad Comer worked the fifth and sixth for Rhinelander Thursday, recording one walk, one hit and one strikeout. He totaled 27 pitches, four fewer than the threshold for a mandatory one-day rest period. He and the rest of the Rhinelander pitching staff will be available for a non-conference doubleheader Saturday at Shawano.
"Every arm is going to be available, except for J.D. We'll see just about everyone," Waksmonski said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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