June 7, 2017 at 1:35 p.m.
Squeezing out a win
Hoger's 9th-inning bunt leads Rebels past Merrill 3-2 in Legion opener
Squeezing out a win
Cole Spaulding scored on Martin Hoger's suicide squeeze bunt as the Rebels defeated Merrill Post 46 3-2 in the American Legion baseball season opener at Stafford Field.
The Rebels put down two bunts in the ninth after Spaulding led off with a Texas Leaguer down the right field line for a base hit. Kurt Zuiker reached safely on a sacrifice bunt attempt when pitcher Brett Seubert's throw to first base hit Zuiker in the back. Spaulding got to third on the error, setting the stage for Hoger, who was making his first appearance in a varsity-level contest.
"On the JV squad this year, he was very good at situations that we put him in," Huhnstock said of the Rhinelander High School junior-to-be. "I kind of figured he was going to be able to get a bunt down. It just worked out well, the way he got it down. Cole broke off of third at the right time and it just worked out real well for us."
The Rebels had to scratch and claw for every run they scored in the contest. After Merrill took a 2-0 lead in the third, the Rebels tied it in the fourth. Brad Quade reached on an infield hit, stole second and third and scored on Zuiker's sacrifice fly. Spaulding proved to be a one-man rally later in the inning, walking and stealing both second and third. Spaulding scored after stealing third when catcher Dan Duginski's throw sailed into left field.
Ty Belfiori hit a two-out, two-run double for Merrill in the third. Though Post 46 threatened a couple of other times, those were the only runs they got off starter Matt Rudolph, who pitched five innings and struck out three in a no-decision. Brandon Hess pitched four innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.
"Both our pitchers tonight did a good job mixing and matching," Huhnstock said. "Not overwhelming, I don't think we had a whole bunch of strikeouts, but the defense done its job and the pitcher kept them off balance. It was a very good overall game tonight. No errors behind them, a real good Legion baseball game tonight from both squads."
Hess worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the eighth, striking out Zach Anderson looking to end the inning, one of four strikeouts for the 2016 RHS graduate. Hess, and fellow 2016 grad Zuiker, are eligible to compete in the U19 league because their birthdays fall after Jan. 1, 1998.
"I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from him from not playing any ball this spring anywhere, but he said that he'd been throwing quite a bit and he did do some throwing last fall in college," Huhnstock said of Hess. "He came back and he knew what he was doing and how to execute."
The Rebels weren't able to do much to break the deadlock in regulation. Tyler Blomdahl was stranded on third following a leadoff single in the sixth. Seubert sat down nine straight Rebels prior to the ninth-inning rally. The Rebels collected only five hits in the contest.
Rhinelander (1-0, 0-0 GNLC) opened the Great Northern Legion Conference slate Wednesday night at Minocqua in a game that concluded after deadline. The Rebels return home to take on Tomahawk Friday night.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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