April 17, 2023 at 9:41 a.m.
Antigo doubles up Hodag baseball
Antigo doubles up Hodag baseball
Big innings aided by walks and errors proved costly as Rhinelander was swept by Antigo 12-2 and 12-8 in Wisconsin Rapids.
Ultimately, big innings did in Rhinelander in both contests. Antigo had three frames in which it scored three or more runs in the first contest. The Robins jumped out to an 11-0 lead in Game 2 before the Hodags fought back to ensure the game went the full seven innings.
Rhinelander pitchers had nine walks and two hit batters in Game 1. There were five walks and four hit batters in Game 2, to go along with six errors defensively.
"That's kind of what we talked about," Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. "Out of their first seven or eight runs (in Game 1), I believe six or seven got on base due to a walk or hit by pitch. Any time you're giving away bases at that rate, they usually come back to bite you. That's the message, as a whole to our pitching staff. We have to limit the walks. We just have to throw more strikes."
Rhinelander led 1-0 in the first game as AJ Turek led off the bottom of the first with a single and, following a stolen base and a balk, scored on a Sam Schneider base hit.
Back-to-back walks and an errant pickoff attempt by starter Max Ratty allowed Antigo to tie the game in the second on a Ben Robrecht grounder. The Robins hung four more on Ratty in the third, keyed by a Mason Gray two-run triple and an RBI double by Trevor Tarras.
Ratty (0-1) worked into the fifth, but gave up lead off hits to Gray and Luke Bastle before walking Jake Hanus to end his time on the mound. Oscar Hanson then issued a bases-loaded walk to Tarras, allowed a sacrifice fly to Robrecht, and RBI single to Reed Kuenzli before a passed ball allowed Tarras to score and make it 9-2. Hanson then walked or hit four of the first five batters he faced in the fifth before being relieved.
Rhinelander had five hits in Game 1. It's only other run came in the fourth as James Heck tripled and scored on a Cody Everson base hit.
Heck (0-1), who got the start on the mound in Game 2, gave up RBI singles to Robrecht and Kuenzli in the second before being let down by his defense in the third. Errors on a fly ball and a fielder's choice allowed Wyatt Krause to score and kept the inning going despite a Bastle double play ball that scored Alec Knapkavage. Tarras added a two-out RBI single and Javon Bussey doubled in a run before Robrecht scored on a passed ball to make it 7-0.
Antigo tacked on four more runs off Dylan Vanderbunt in relief in the fourth, keyed by a two-run single by Bastle and an RBI single by Hanus.
Meanwhile Antigo's Connor Cornelius was two outs away from recording a five-inning no-hitter. Turek broke that up with a single to left and Ratty then broke up the shutout with an RBI double to right that scored Seth Nofftz. Antigo intentionally walked Schneider with an open base, but then Cornelius walked Owen Kurtz, forcing in the game-extending run and ending his time on the mound.
Rhinelander benefitted from a pair of Antigo errors in the sixth, scoring four times thanks to two-out, two-runs singles by Schneider and Heck.
Antigo scored once in the sixth before Rhinelander plated two in its final at bat. Ratty singled in Nofftz and scored two batters later on a Kurtz bloop single to right.
"You could see our approach at the plate was starting to change," Waksmonski said. "We're starting to have more of a plan at the plate and you could see our guys were putting that plan into play and our bats got a lot better in the last half of the last game."
In addition to collecting two hits and three RBIs at the plate in the doubleheader, Schneider showed off his arm in the two games, throwing out six baserunners on Thursday. Schneider cut down Antigo baserunners four times for the final out in the second game.
"He did a great job back there," Waksmonski said of his senior catcher. "A couple of those Seth Nofftz at shortstop made a couple of nice picks and nifty tags to make those plays. Those plays aren't easy to make. All those situations were first and thirds. Most of those situation the runner from third broke home, so if we don't make that play at second base, not only are they safe at second, but they stole home on us as well."
The games were played at the new Rapids Area Sports Complex, with both Rhinelander's Stafford Field and Antigo's Kretz Brothers Park not quite ready for play following the recent thaw.
The games came shortly after the GNC decided to revert back to a double round robin format after initially switching to a single round robin due to scheduling concerns created by the late snow melt.
"It was great we got back to double round robin format and we got two in. If we have to travel, we'll travel and we'll play. Antigo was happy to travel ... We're playing at a beautiful facility. We're able to play two baseball games, especially on a beautiful day today," Waksmonski said.
The Hodags will return to Wisconsin Rapids this afternoon to play another doubleheader, this time a GNC twinbill against Northland Pines, which jumped out to a 2-0 start in league play by sweeping Tomahawk in a pair of 10-run games on Thursday.
While Rhinelander has lost four home games due to the weather, and has played all of its contests in Wisconsin Rapids so far this season, Waksmonski said he's happy the team is able to get in games at this point.
"I think we just have to be more flexible and, when there are opportunities like this available we have to take advantage of them," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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