May 8, 2017 at 1:22 p.m.
Fifth-inning rally leads Hodags past Lakeland 6-4
Fifth-inning rally leads Hodags past Lakeland 6-4
The Hodags pushed across four runs in the inning, breaking open a 2-2 tie, and went on to win the Great Northern Conference contest 6-4.
Eight different Hodags had hits in the contest and the big fifth inning made a winner out of Jacob DeMeyer, who was forced to leave the mound following a two-out walk in the sixth as he reached the daily 100-pitch limit. Lakeland scored twice after reliever Matt Rudolph entered the game, but the Hodags worked out of jams that saw Lakeland put the tying run aboard in both the sixth and the seventh.
"We found a couple holes in their outfield and made some real nice plays with our bunt game," RHS baseball coach Joe Waksmonski said. "We were able to put together four runs and we needed all four of those runs. You knew Lakeland was, at some point, going to come back, which they did."
The big Hodag rally started with Rudolph, who hit a double to right that just eluded the glove of Tanner Nicklaus down the line. Following a walk by DeMeyer, Brad Comer reached on a dropped fly ball in left to load the bases and Tyler Blomdahl forced in a run on a fielder's choice.
After Brad Quade singled to reload the bases, Cole Spaulding hit a sacrifice fly to right and the Hodags caught a break when shortstop Gunnar Weitz lost Tait Spencer's pop fly to shallow left in the sun, allowing Blomdahl to score. Alec Modrow followed with a bunt single up the third-base line to give the Hodags a 6-2 lead.
Spaulding also had a bunt single for Rhinelander in the contest as both teams utilized some small ball on a brisk day with the wind blowing straight in from Boom Lake. Lakeland stole four bases in the game, including three in a two-run first.
"Both teams utilized it well with their small game," Waksmonski said. "We utilized our bunt game. Lakeland, their hitters mostly hit the ball on the ground and they found a lot of holes in the infield, especially between short and third. We found some holes in the outfield. I thought it was a well-played high school game."
DeMeyer was at 101 pitches as he faced a 3-2 count to Nicklaus with nobody on and two out in the sixth. Nicklaus drew a walk and DeMeyer was forced to leave the game. Austin Wanty and Tate Olson hit back-to-back singles off Rudolph to plate Nicklaus, and Wanty scored after T.J. Ullius reached on a error to first. Ullius was shaken up on a close play at the bag. His pinch runner, Kyoskue Kimura, was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
"Tyler made a great throw at second base to gun down their would be base stealer," Waksmonski said. "If they're at second and third with two outs and their No. 3 hitter up, it's a totally different ball game right there."
Lakeland tried to mount a two-out rally in the seventh as Weitz walked and Jesse Armstrong singled up the middle, but Connor Higgins flew out to left to end the contest.
DeMeyer struck out seven, walked four and allowed three runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings in the win. He settled down after Lakeland scored a pair of runs on three hits in the first.
"For the most part, he threw well," Waksmonski said. "He got through that rough first inning. Between innings No. 2 to when he came out, he threw well."
Brandon Slavinsky singled home Ullius and Armstrong had an RBI groundout in the first, but the Hodags answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. DeMeyer tripled to right to lead off the inning and scored on a Comer sacrifice. Blomdahl singled, got to third on a botched pickoff attempt and beat a throw home on a grounder to short by Brad Quade.
"We talked a lot about that yesterday at practice, responding to adversity and, sure enough, right off the bat we're down two runs. It was good to see us put two right back and keep us in the game. It was a new ball game from there," Waksmonski said.
Parker Biertzer took the loss for Lakeland, allowing six runs (two earned) on eight hits over six innings. Slavinsky had two hits for Lakeland, but was thrown out trying to steal home with the bases loaded and one out in the third.
The same two teams played again Monday afternoon in Minocqua in a game that finished after deadline. Rhinelander (8-3, 5-1 Great Northern) returns home Thursday to face Mosinee.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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