Rebels edge Northwoods 5-2

EAGLE RIVER — Sam Schneider did a little bit of everything for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels on Tuesday. 

The senior hit a pair of RBI triples, completed a key out at the plate defensively and pitched two perfect innings of relief as the Rebels got past Northwoods 5-2 in Eagle River.

    Rhinelander’s Sam Schneider tags Northwoods’ Landyn Hoeft out at home plate during the first inning of an American Legion baseball game in Eagle River Tuesday, July 11. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

Schneider plated Rhinelander’s first run of a game with a triple to right in the first inning, added an RBI triple in the fifth that made it 4-2 and then shut down Northwoods with four strikeouts over the final two innings to earn the save. 

Normally Rhinelander’s everyday catcher, Schneider made his third pitching appearance of the summer Tuesday and has yet to allow an earned run over eight innings of work. 

“I think we’ve got a closer now,” Rebels manager Dan Huhnstock said. “He’s been able to come out and throw very well for us when we’ve needed him to. He’s just such a complete ball player. You can’t ask for anything more.”

Kaden Vanney scattered two runs on three hits over five innings to pick up the win for the Rebels. Rhinelander had to start the week deep in its rotation. Ryan Jamison is still limited due to shoulder soreness, Max Ratty and James Heck were out managing injuries and Dylan Vanderbunt was unable to attend due to a family matter. The Rebels were thin all around on Tuesday with only 10 players suited up for the contest. 

“We’ve got a roster full of ball players and we’re going to have to count on some of them that don’t get as much opportunity,” Huhnstock said. “They’re going to have to step up for us if we’re going to continue to win. It’s a long season and everybody cannot make every game.”

The top of the Rebel lineup jumped on Northwoods starter Jared Kaufman in the first inning. Jamison singled and scored on Schneider’s triple and Owen Kurtz singled home Schneider to give the Rebels a quick 2-0 lead. 

Northwoods got one back on Austin Semanske’s RBI single in the bottom of the first, but it could have been more than that. Landyn Hoeft led off with a walk and tried to score from first on a double to the right center gap by James McCormack, but a well-executed relay from Cody Everson in center to Jamison at short to Schneider at the plate cut down Hoeft.

The Eagles tied the game in the third as Hoeft tripled and scored on a Semanske sacrifice fly. Vanney worked out of a couple of jams from there. He walked the first two men aboard in the fourth, but turned a double play after getting Mike Warwick to pop out back to the mound. A fly out by Jonathan Miller ended that threat. 

A walk and an error on a potential double play ball gave the Eagles two on with nobody out again in the fifth with the heart of the order up, but Vanney struck out McCormack, for Semanske to ground into a fielder’s choice and then fanned Kaufman to end the inning.

Vanney walked four and struck out three in the win.

“Kaden did a real nice job. He stayed around the plate, made a couple defensive plays himself and got a key outs when we really needed them,” Huhnstock said. “That was a very good effort, something that he can definitely build on yet this summer and for next year.”

Rhinelander regained the lead in the top of the fourth. Both Everson and Barak Rappley reached on bloop singles to right to start the inning. Everson scored when Pines misfired to first in an attempt to turn a double play on a Vanney grounder back to the mound. 

Schneider added more insurance in the fifth with the back end of back-to-back triples. Jamison knocked the first triple. Schneider then scored on a two-out single by Everson.

Jamison, Schneider and Everson each had two hits on the night as the Nos. 2-5 spots in Rhinelander’s order went a combined 7-for-13.

“They’ve carried us all year long, the top of the order has. It’s nice. We just need them to continue to stay hot,” Huhnstock said.

Rhinelander (12-4) was scheduled to travel to Marathon last night in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. The Rebels will host Northwoods tonight and close out the regular season with a triangular at Clintonville on Sunday. 

Given that Northwoods will be Rhinelander’s opening opponent next Friday in the Class AA Legion Regionals in Medford, Huhnstock said this week’s two-game set against the Eagles carries extra significance. 

“They are important. We want to keep up our winning, keep the momentum going,” he said. “It just so happens Northwoods is our first game in regionals and we face them twice right now toward the end of the season. We will know each other well by the time we play them (in regionals) — which could be a good thing or a bad thing, because they’ll know us well.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].