July 22, 2021 at 9:07 a.m.
Walk-er off: Hartman's sacrifice fly gives Rebels GNLC tourney title
Walk-er off: Hartman's sacrifice fly gives Rebels GNLC tourney title
The Rebels squandered a two-run lead in the seventh inning, but rallied and got a sacrifice fly from Walker Hartman to defeat Mosinee 5-4 for the GNLC tournament championship Monday night at Stafford Field.
Hartman's sacrifice came on a fly ball to left with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the seventh. It was just deep enough to score Ryan Jamison from third for the winning run as the relay throw home sailed up the line.
Rebels manager Dan Huhnstock said hopefully his team can parlay that success into a strong performance as it hosts regionals this weekend and looks to advance to the Class AA state tournament for the first time since 2012.
"It's an exciting way to win and hopefully that gives us some real good momentum going into the regional tournament," he said.
Trailing 2-0 after 2 1/2 innings, the Rebels did just enough to inch in front down the stretch. Isaac Bixby doubled home Tim Fox to cut Mosinee's lead to 2-1 in the third. Hartman walked and scored on a wild pitch to tie it in the fourth and Kolby Ridderbusch scored on Fox's ground out to take a 3-2 lead.
Mosinee's Keagan Jirschle made a diving stop with the infield in on Fox grounder in the sixth and threw home to retire Ridderbusch, but Fox stole second and scored on Bixby's two-out single.
That insurance run proved critical in the seventh as Barnes Bunkleman doubled and Davin Stoffel singled to put runners at the corners with nobody out. After striking out Sean Bryant, reliever Devyn Orth got Grant Kuklinski to ground to third and Bunkleman was thrown out trying to score on the play. But Mosinee plated the tying run three pitches later as Trevor Garski doubled to deep left, allowing Stoffel and Kuklinski to score.
Jamison singled to lead off the seventh. Ian Miller and Sam Schneider both looked to bunt him along, but ended up drawing walks instead to load the bases for Hartman.
"That was important for us to get the lead after we started in the hole there. Luckily we were able to regain the lead in the bottom of the seventh," Huhnstock said.
Quinn Lamers went five innings in a no-decision for Rhinelander allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts.
"We've grown to expect a good, solid outing from Quinn all summer long. He's really been throwing the ball well for us," Huhnstock said.
Orth ended up the winner despite allowing the tying run. He gave up two runs on three hits with three strikeouts over the final two innings.
Mosinee led 2-0 thanks to single runs in the second and third. Eli Miland rounded the bases in the second with a leadoff double left and then came all the way home when the throw to second went wide all the way into foul territory on the first-base side. Garski singled and scored on a Tanner Unertl double in the third.
Left out there
Hartman's walkoff was key for a Rebels team that's struggled with runners in scoring position late in the regular season. The team left the bases loaded in the third inning Monday and two more in scoring position in the fourth inning.
Though the team is hitting .253 with runners in scoring position over its last six contests, the team has left 38 runners in scoring position - a rate of 6.3 per game.
"We've had a habit of having too many runners left on base, not being able to blow games open when we've had a chance," Huhnstock said. "I'm not sure how many runners we left on tonight, but I know there was more than we wanted to."
Regional tournament ahead
The Rebels host a five-team double elimination regional tournament beginning tonight and running through Monday at Stafford Field. Rhinelander begins by hosting Antigo in the nightcap of tonight's play. Medford and Minocqua play in the early game while Merrill drew the bye and will open tournament play tomorrow morning against the Medford-Minocqua winner.
"It should be a very highly-contested regional," Huhnstock said. "Any team is capable of beating any one in that field. The team that's deepest on pitching, makes the fewest mistakes is going to probably be the team that gets to advance to Antigo."
Antigo has already qualified for the state tournament, as it will serve as the host for the five-day event that begins July 30. The highest-placing team of the other four in the bracket will join Antigo at state.
That makes tonight's opener doubly important for the Hodags. With a win, they would advance to the late game on Saturday - where another win would automatically advance them to the championship on Monday night. A loss means Rhinelander would have to win three elimination games to make it to the championship round - and five straight games to win the tournament.
"The first game in any double-elimination tournament is absolutely key to stay out of the loser's bracket," Huhnstock said. "We've just got to make sure we take care of business and are the one's advancing."
Short-handed
Joe Schneider was the likely starting pitcher for tonight's game, but he will be unable to play after getting ejected during the seventh inning of Monday's game after disputing the call of the game-tying run.
Per Legion regulations, Schneider is required to sit out Rebel's next game - tonight's contest - for his actions.
"It's a team game and somebody else will just have to step up," Huhnstock said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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