June 20, 2018 at 1:09 p.m.
Babe Ruth Roundup
Rhinelander Green remains perfect in Senior League
Babe Ruth Roundup
The Hodags scored seven times in the first two innings and defeated Tomahawk 8-4 at Stafford Field.
The Hatchets jumped on starter Jordan Kuczmarski for two runs in the opening inning, but Jesse Mahner cooled off the Tomahawk bats over 4 1/3 innings of relief and the Hodags put up some big numbers in the first two frames to build the lead.
Kuczmarski walked the first two batters of the game and both came around to score on wild pitches to give the Hatchets the early advantage. That lead quickly vanished in the bottom half of the first. Walks by Ian Miller and Teagan Guckenberg set the table for a two-run double by Walker Hartman. Hartman later scored on a wild pitch and Kuczmarski added a sacrifice fly to give Rhinelander a 4-2 lead.
The Hodags tacked on three more in the second, sparked by singles at the bottom of the order by Brian Stoxen and Quinn Lamers. Miller drove in a run after reaching on an error and Lamers beat a throw to the plate on a ground ball by Devyn Orth. Guckenberg followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to five runs.
Tomahawk scored twice off Mahner in the third but, after that, he and Lamers combined to retire 13 of the final 14 batters they faced. Miller gave Rhinelander a little extra breathing room in the fourth with a double that scored Lamers.
Stoxen and Lamers, the last two batters in Rhinelander's order, led the Hodag hit parade. Stoxen finished the night 2-for-3 and Lamers was 3-for-3. Miller, Guckenberg, Hartman and Mahner had one hit each.
Mahner was credited with the win, scattering two runs on four hits after taking over for Kuczmarski with two outs in the first. Lamers closed out the game, striking out three and walking one over two innings of hitless ball.
Big inning leads Laser Pros to win
Rhinelander's other Senior League team, Laser Pros International, mirrored its Rhinelander Green counterpart in the nightcap of Monday's doubleheader at Stafford Field.
Laser Pros spotted Three Lakes two runs in the top of the first, but answered back with four in the bottom of the frame and held on for a 5-3 win.
Mistakes marred the first inning for both teams. A dropped third strike allowed the first Three Lakes batter to reach. Laser Pros also committed two errors in the inning, aiding the Bluejays in plating a pair of runs.
But Three Lakes gave it right back in the bottom of the inning, committing four errors. Isaac Bixby reached on an error and scored on a single by Payton Johnson. Joe Schneider reached on an error and scored when Jacksen Smith also reached on an error, Johnson scored on a wild pitch and Smith came around on a ground out by Jacob Schoppe.
Schneider added an RBI double in the third that scored Tim Fox.
That was all the offense Laser Pros would need as Fox and Bixby split the pitching duties and did not issue a walk in the contest. Fox pitched the first three innings, allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts. Bixby worked the final four innings, earning the win. He struck out four and allowed three hits, allowing a run in the sixth inning.
Bixby, Schneider and Johnson recorded the only hits in the game for Laser Pros, which won despite being outhit 5-3.
Other action
In Prep League play, Rhinelander lifted its record to above .500 with a pair of wins earlier this week, defeating Tomahawk Blue 14-5 on Monday night and edging Merrill 10-2 Tuesday night. Rhinelander is now 4-3-2 on the season, one game out of second in the Prep League standings.
Meanwhile, Laser Pros could not knock off undefeated Eagle River on Tuesday, falling to the Eagles 11-6 in Eagle River. That result sets up a first-place showdown in the Senior League tonight as Eagle River travels to Stafford Field to take on Rhinelander Green in a battle between a pair of 6-0 teams. Rhinelander Green and Laser Pros will face off in an intra-city showdown on Friday.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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