May 30, 2018 at 12:33 p.m.
Schickert saves the season
Junior's arm, bat carry Hodags in 7-6 playoff win over Medford
Schickert saves the season
Enter Bryce Schickert.
The Hodag junior came up with 4 1/3 strong innings of relief and delivered the go-ahead hit in the sixth inning as Rhinelander defeated Medford 7-6 at Stafford Field in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal.
"I just went into the game thinking I need to do everything I can to get my head in the game and try to leave it all out there tonight," Schickert said afterward. "I did it and it was nice to see."
Schickert relieved an ineffective DeMeyer on the mound in the third inning and struck out six batters the rest of the way. He also went 2-for-4 with three RBIs at the plate, including go-ahead base knocks in the fourth and sixth innings.
"Bryce got the game ball tonight for us," Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. "Obviously for him to come in and throw the way he did, he was more prepared this time, I felt, against Medford than he was last time when he came on in relief. That was a good learning experience for him against Merrill when he came in and he wasn't quite mentally ready. He came in today and shut them down. You can't say enough about what he did with his bat and then, in that last inning, coming in and striking out the side."
The Hodags were without Comer to start the game. He had to sit out the first five innings for what Waksmonski said was a violation of team rules.
"He just made a mistake and, unfortunately, it was this time of year. "Rules are rules. We have to follow the rules and there were consequences," Waksmonski said.
Comer finally came to bat in the sixth after Owen White had bunted DeMeyer over to second. Medford intentionally walked Comer to get to Schickert and Schickert made Medford pay with a base hit to left center that scored DeMeyer.
Two innings earlier, Schickert hit a line shot past third to score White and give Rhinelander a 6-5 lead.
"I was just making sure it was my pitch," Schickert said. "The first at-bat I think I was down 2-2, and just took the pitch and pulled it. The second one, the first pitch I knew and I just took it left center."
Rhinelander jumped out to a 5-2 lead in a first inning that was an adventure for both starting pitchers. DeMeyer had four walks in the opening frame, including two bases-loaded free passes that gave Medford the lead.
The Hodags answered in the bottom of the inning as DeMeyer singled home Cole Spaulding. Schickert added an RBI on a swinging bunt groundout to first with the bases loaded. From there, Teagan Guckenberg drew a bases loaded walk to chase Medford starter Nick Retterath from the hill.
"I think there was a feeling out part with the zone in the first inning, and I think it was for both teams," Waksmonski said. "That's the unfortunate thing here in this playoff situation when you get an umpire you don't see throughout the year and that person has a different interpretation of the strike zone, it takes awhile for a pitcher to get used to it."
Josh Randolph singled off reliever John McMurry to drive in a pair of runs and give the Hodags a three-run lead. It was part of a three-hit day for Randolph who, like Schickert, added some needed production from the bottom half of the Hodag order.
"On any given night it could be anyone who could be the hero in the lineup. Tonight, those two guys did a great job - and we got contributions from the top and the mid (parts of the order)," Waksmonski said. "To get playoff wins and make a deep run, you need to have everyone in the lineup. Tonight those two in particular stepped up for us."
Medford tied it in the third as McMurry doubled off DeMeyer and then scored when DeMeyer threw his third wild pitch of the inning. That ended up being the last pitch DeMeyer threw as Schickert inherited a 2-0 count on John Laher and got the Medford catcher to fly out to end the inning.
The Raiders answered Rhinelander's run in the fourth with one of their own in the fifth. The first three batters of the inning got hits off Schickert, including an RBI single by McMurry. The Hodags wiggled out of the jam, however. After Sam Hallgren bunted the runners to second and third, Liam Stevens made a nice play on a grounder at third to hold the runner before throwing across the diamond to retire Laher. Schickert then fanned Zach Haynes, one of six strikeouts for Schickert in the contest.
While DeMeyer struggled on the mound, he was 3-for-4 at the plate for the Hodags and came up with a big defensive play in the sixth to keep the game tied after Ray Zirngible singled up the middle. Medford attempted to send Cam Wenzel home from second, but DeMeyer fired home from center in plenty of time to cut down the would-be go-ahead run.
"When that ball got through the infield and I saw their coach was sending the runner, I was walking out, ready to give my congratulations because I knew it was going to be an out there," Waksmonski said.
The Hodags were scheduled to take on Mosinee Wednesday, though the status of that game was in doubt as of press time due to a rainy forecast. The Indians were looking to repeat as regional champions after making it all the way to the state tournament last year. Rhinelander, meanwhile, was looking for its first regional title since 2004. Mosinee swept Rhinelander back on May 7.
"We've seen their best pitching," Waksmonski said. "It's just a matter of us putting the ball in play, putting the ball in play hard and putting together good at-bats."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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