July 7, 2017 at 1:26 p.m.
Hodag Little Leaguers start 2-0 in district play
Hodag Little Leaguers start 2-0 in district play
The Hodags opened up district play this week, winning a pair of games at Hodag Park. Rhinelander defeated Wausau American 9-5 on Wednesday and Northwoods 2-1 Thursday to remain in the winner's bracket of the Wisconsin Little League District 5 tournament.
Rhinelander will take on Wausau National Tuesday at Doepke Park in Wausau, looking to advance to the championship game of the double elimination tournament.
Rhinelander 2, Northwoods 1
Rhinelander held on in a nail-bitter Thursday at Hodag Park. Caleb Olcikas scored twice, including a bases-loaded walk in the fifth that proved to be the game's winning run.
The Hodags had chances to pad their lead, but stranded nine on base in the contest - including six in scoring position. Defensively, Rhinelander wiggled out of jams in the second, fourth and fifth with minimal damage to preserve the victory.
Olcikas got the Hodags going in the third with a leadoff single. He motored all the way to third on the play after the ball was misplayed in the outfield. A.J. Turek drove him in a few pitches later on a groundout to short.
That was it for the Hodags until the fifth as two walks, an error and a fielder's choice loaded the bases with one out for cleanup hitter Mason Davis. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Davis eventually worked the count full and drew a walk on the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Rhinelander could do no further damage in the inning as Ryan Jamison and Kolby Ridderbusch both grounded back to the mound.
Defensively, the Hodags staved off a couple of run-scoring threats by Northwoods. Owen Will hit what appeared to be a sacrifice fly with one out in the second and Miles McCanles on third base, but Rhinelander successfully appealed that McCanles left third before the catch for what turned into an inning-ending double play.
Northwoods put two in scoring position with one out in the fourth, but Max Ratty snagged a line drive to third by McCanles to keep the Hodags in front. Kadin Kroeplin tied it on the next pitch with a hard-hit ball through the middle. After a walker Lindstrom walk, Olcikas made a grab in right of a Roen McGee fly ball to preserve the tie.
Reliever Logan Schmoeger got out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth, striking out Nolan Lurvey to end the inning with runners on second and third. Schmoeger worked around a two-out walk in the sixth to close out the game and earn the save.
Jamison got the win for Rhinelander, allowing a run on two hits over four innings with five strikeouts. Schmoeger struck out four over the final two innings. Olcikas collected a pair of hits for Rhinelander in the contest. Sam Schneider and Ridderbusch recorded the other hits.
Rhinelander 9, Wausau American 5
Five runs in the fifth inning proved to be the difference as Rhinelander defeated Wausau American in Wednesday's tournament opener.
A double by Jamison and a single by Schneider combined to plate four runs in the decisive inning, which gave Rhinelander a 9-2 advantage.
The Hodags needed that added insurance after the Americans rallied for three in the bottom of the inning, capped off by a towering home run from Brandon Landrath. Wausau got only one more runner aboard the rest of the way as Schneider struck out the final four batters he faced - and six overall in three innings of relief - to earn the win.
Landrath singled home Ethan Graham for Wausau in the first, but Rhinelander took the lead in the third and didn't trail the rest of the way. Jamison doubled in the third for the Hodags and scored on Schneider's single. Schneider's pinch runner, Aiden Walker-Jewell, later scored on a wild pitch. Bryce Heil singled home Graham to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Rhinelander retook the lead in the fourth as Olcikas scored on a passed ball and Davis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Jamison.
Rhinelander got two hits each from Jamison, Schneider and Ratty in the contest. Turek and Olcikas also collected hits. Davis started on the mound for the Hodags and went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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