July 21, 2023 at 7:30 a.m.
10U All-Stars knock off both Wausau teams
RIB MOUNTAIN — Back-to-back wins over Wausau’s two All-Star teams early this week left the Hodag Little League 10U squad one win away from a District 5 title.
Rhinelander used a pair of middle-inning rallies to get the job done, getting past Wausau National 6-3 Monday afternoon and Wausau American 9-2 Tuesday evening at Doepke Park.
The wins advanced Rhinelander into the championship round of the double-elimination tournament which was scheduled for Thursday after press time for today’s edition. The Hodags were slated to face Wausau American again, after the Americans edged Antigo 8-7 Wednesday in the losers’ bracket. Wausau would need to beat Rhinelander twice to deny the Hodags a trip to the sectional series against the District 1 champion July 29-31 in Superior.
Rhinelander 6, Wausau National 3
The Hodags took the lead for good in a three-run fourth inning and then tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the sixth as they got past Wausau National in Monday’s opening round play.
Trailing 2-1 at that point, the Hodags took the lead before the first out of the fourth. Jaxon Eades led off with a single, got to second on a wild pitch and to third on a passed ball before scoring on an Eli Bauer infield hit.
After a Nick Schneider walk, Easton Ostrom singled home Bauer to give Rhinelander a 3-2 lead. Schneider scored later in the inning, coming home when Ostrom got caught in a rundown between second and third.
Bauer reached on an error in the sixth that allowed Jeter Vander Gailen to score. Bauer came around on a groundout by Schneider to account for the final margin.
Rhinelander got on the board first in the contest as Eades tripled to deep right in the top of the first and scored on a passed ball. Doubles by Wausau’s Brett Dahnel and Camden Harnel, plus a passed ball, allowed the Nationals to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
Wausau’s only other run came in the fourth at Lincoln Gasper tripled and scored on a passed ball.
The Hodags used three different pitchers Monday night. Schneider started and picked up the win, allowing two runs on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in three innings of work. Bauer pitched 2 2/3 innings before getting removed to remain under the one-day rest threshold in Little League pitch count regulations. He struck out six, walked one and surrendered only one hit. Ostrom picked up the save, getting a pop out against the only batter he faced.
The Hodags had a 6-3 edge in the hit column with Eades and Bauer recording two hits each. Schneider and Ostrom both had one hit in the contest.
Rhinelander 9, Wausau American 2
The Americans scored twice in the top of the first, but it was all Rhinelander from there. The Hodags took the lead for good in a four-run third inning and tacked on four more insurance runs in the fifth to win Tuesday night’s game in the winner’s bracket.
The Hodags were forced to play catchup after Max Johnson’s two-out single found grass in shallow center, allowing a pair of runs to scored. Rhinelander got one back in the bottom of the inning as Vander Gailen singled and scored when the Americans couldn’t squeeze Schneider’s two-out fly ball to left.
That was a common theme Tuesday night as the Americans committed five errors that led to six unearned runs for the Hodags.
After making a diving catch in right field to end Wausau’s rally in the top of the third, Griffin Rady helped spark Rhinelander’s rally in the bottom half of the inning. William Sundby walked and Rady reached on an error to give Rhinelander two aboard with nobody out. Mason Paulson scored Sundby on a sacrifice bunt and Rady later scored on a wild pitch.
Back-to-back walks to Vander Gailen and Eades kept Rhinelander in business. Bauer scored Vander Gailen with an RBI single to right. Eades came around a short time later after Schneider’s single got by the Wausau defense in right field.
Vander Gailen singled again to start Rhinelander’s push in the fifth inning, Eades then reached on an error, giving Rhinelander runners at second and third with one out. Following a Bauer strikeout, Vander Gailen scampered home on a passed ball and Eades scored when Wausau muffed Schneider’s two-out grounder to second. Ostrom walked behind that and both Schneider and Ostrom scored after Wausau misfired attempting to pick Schneider off third base.
Eades started and went 4 1/3 innings for the Hodags before reaching the Little League mandated 75-pitch limit for 9 and 10 year olds. He allowed two runs on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Ostrom came in from their to pick up his second save in as many days, retiring all five batters he faced — finishing the game with back-to-back looking strikeouts.
The Hodags edged the Americans 6-5 in the hit column, led by Vander Gailen’s 2-for-2 night at the plate. Bauer, Schneider, Cooper Clark and Rylan Pasanen had one hit each.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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