May 22, 2019 at 1:17 p.m.
RHS baseball drops two entering playoffs
RHS baseball drops two entering playoffs
Stratford rallied past Rhinelander 6-5 Monday afternoon at Stafford Field and the Hodags couldn't overcome two big Merrill innings as they lost to the Bluejays in a 13-10 slugfest Tuesday.
Stratford 6, Hodags 5
Stratford scratched across single runs in the fifth and sixth innings Monday night to swipe a non-conference game from the Hodags.
A two-out throwing error allowed Stratford to score the tying run in the top of the fifth inning and Chandler Schmidt's sacrifice fly in the sixth proved to be the winning run in an back-and-forth ball game.
"I thought it was a very well-played high school baseball game, very competitive. Both teams, you know had their moments to take the game," coach Joe Waksmonski said. "Stratford ultimately made the plays at the end. We had plenty of chances but we just made too many mistakes in some clutch and critical situations."
Leaving runners in scoring position bit the Hodags once again Monday. Leading 5-4, the Hodags were unable to cash in with runners at the corners and two out in the fourth as Bryce Schickert flied out to end the inning. The Hodags got the tying run to third with one out in the fifth, but Eric Grulke was unable to take and score on an Isaac Bixby fly out to right and Jacob Dreifuerst struck out to end the threat.
The Hodags threatened again with back-to-back walks to lead off the sixth but Stratford reliever Riley Bauman got Josh Randolph to ground into a double play and Schickert to strike out behind him to foil another golden scoring chance.
Rhinelander got three runs of Schmidt, who was wild to start. He hit the first two batters he faced, and walked the next two. An error by first-baseman Dawson Moen allowed two more runs to score as Rhinelander took an early 3-1 lead.
Stratford answered with three in the third off start Martin Hoger, keyed by RBI singles from Schmidt and Moen. Rhinelander jumped back in front in the fourth on a pinch-hit two-run homer by Dreifuerst who was inserted into the game for Danny Zuiker, who left the game in the third after being one of the two batters Schmidt hit in the first.
"It was definitely a jolt throughout our team and for everyone rally behind Jacob on that," Waksmonski said. "Jacob came in because Danny Zuiker got hit with the pitch in the wrist in his first at-bat. He tried to bad again but couldn't really swing.
"Jacob was that last man standing and so you know was real clutch moment by him and I'm sure it's something he'll remember for the rest of his life. It was a great at-bat. He battled off a couple tough curveballs and then he jumped on a fastball. He hit it well over the 330 (foot) sign in left field. It was a shot."
Liam Stevens pitched four innings of relief for Rhinelander and took the loss. The Hodags were outhit 10-6 in the contest and struck out eight times.
Merrill 13, Hodags 10
Twice Rhinelander was one pitch away from getting out of big trouble Tuesday night. Neither time did the Hodags convert and Merrill went on to take full advantage.
Merrill used a six-run third and a four-run fifth to take command as they outlasted the Hodags 13-10. The common thread in both of those innings - Merrill did all of its damage after winning full-count battles with the bases loaded, two outs and no runs in.
The Hodags got their cuts in against a quartet of Merrill pitchers, pounding out 13 hits, but in the end could not overcome the two big Bluejay innings.
"There were a lot of the hits in that ball game," Waksmonski said. "I was proud of the way our guys battled, especially at the end. It wasn't like we had 13 singles. We had three, four extra-base hits in there as well. Both teams stung the ball and hit the ball around the yard really well and it ended up 13-10 in their favor."
Holden Smith put Merrill on the board with two out in the third, hitting a 3-2 Bixby offering into shallow right field, scoring two. The floodgates opened from there. Smith and Kordell Renken executed a double steal of second and home to add a run before Jayden Sus hit an RBI double. Peyton Becker added an RBI triple and an RBI infield hit by Alex Gehrke made it 6-1 Bluejays.
Rhinelander got three runs back in the third, but Merrill again cashed in with the bases loaded on two outs in the fifth as pinch hitter Casey Hoffman drew a walk off Dreifuerst, on in relief of Bixby. Chase Bonnell followed with a two-run single that became three runs when Hoger's throw back into the infield missed its mark.
Rhinelander tried to claw back, scoring two runs each in the fifth, sixth and seventh, but Merrill tacked on an insurance run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to win another high-scoring affair over the Hodags. The two teams played each other at the end of the regular season last year as well, with the Bluejays prevailing 11-10.
Six different Hodags had two-hit games Tuesday night - Bixby, Abe Laggis, Schickert, Stevens, Grulke and Walker Hartman.
"Tonight was about our offense getting good, quality at-bats," Waksmonski said. "We knew what our matchup was as far as pitching. We were kind of at the end of our pitching depth, so we wanted to see what we could do offensively. Merrill was at the end of their pitching depth too, so today was about offense and seeing who could outhit each other."
Bixby allowed six runs on five hits over three innings to take the loss for Rhinelander.
Mosinee ahead
Now the attention shifts to Mosinee for this afternoon's WIAA regional quarterfinal contest. Waksmonski said the emphasis shifts as well.
"Once we get into the postseason, it's going to be pitching and defense," he said. "Offensively, we're going to have to put in some good at-bats. We know what they have for pitching, and we've seen all of their best pitchers. We've got to battle with our at-bats. Then, pitching and defense, we've got to avoid the negative plays and avoid the big innings. Once you get into the postseason it seems like any little mistake gets magnified. If you give up a big inning, it can end your season in a hurry."
Rhinelander and Mosinee split a doubleheader in Rhinelander May 7. The Hodags took the first game 6-3, but dropped the nightcap 4-2.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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