Stratford sweeps opening twinbill from Hodags

WISCONSIN RAPIDS — The Rhinelander High School baseball team struggled out of the gate Saturday as it opened its 2024 season. 

A pair of six-run frames were Hodags’ undoing as they dropped Game 1 of a non-conference doubleheader 13-1 to Stratford Saturday at the Rapids Area Sports Complex. In the nightcap, Rhinelander couldn’t hold an early two-run lead as the Tigers completed the sweep with an 8-2 win.

It was the Hodags’ first real chance to get outside this spring and it showed in all three phases of the game. Rhinelander mustered only eight hits between the two games, its pitching staff walked 18 batters and the defense committed six errors.

“It’s a start and there’s definitely room to grow in all three phases,” Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. “Just approach at the plate, pitchers throwing strikes, defensively making the routine plays and trying to make life easier for pitchers, we definitely have room to grow, and it’s a start.”

The Tigers (2-0, 0-0 Marawood South) pounced on Hodag ace Max Ratty, tagging the senior righty for 12 runs on 11 hits over 2 2/3 innings in the opener. The 11 earned runs were four more than he allowed all of last summer in 36 innings for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels.

    Rhinelander’s Max Ratty pitches during the first game of a non-conference baseball doubleheader against Stratford in Wisconsin Rapids Saturday, April 6. Ratty was tagged for 12 runs on 11 hits in just 2 2/3 innings of work as the Hodags lost both games of the doubleheader. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Stratford plated six runs in the second, keyed by an RBI double by Landon Zawislan and a two-run single by Brady Berg late in the inning. Ratty gave up five more hits in the third —including a quartet of RBI singles before getting chased from the bump.

“They had some great approaches at the plate, they made some great adjustments,” Waksmonski said of Stratford’s success against Ratty. “We got ahead a lot with strike one, but they were able to get their timing down and really hit the ball really well.”

Meanwhile, Stratford starter Brady Schmidt went hitless through 3 1/3 innings, aided by a diving catch in centerfield by Alex Chapel that robbed Rhinelander freshman Rowan Wiczek of what would have been his first varsity hit to lead off the fourth. Ratty broke up Schmidt’s no-hit bid one pitch later with a single to right center. Kaden Vanney had a hit to keep the rally alive and Ratty scored when James Heck reached on a two-out error.

Schmidt struck out five and walked one over four innings to pick up the win in the opener for the Tigers.

“For a first outing of the year, their guy was just dialed in right around the zone. If he was missing the zone, it wasn’t missing by much,” Waksmonski said.

Infield hits by Vanney and Adrian Patrone gave Rhinelander (0-2, 0-0 Great Northern) life in the second inning of Game 2. Dylan Vanderbunt cashed in on a two-out bloop single to center that plated both of them and gave Rhinelander it’s lone lead of the day. 

Vanderbunt started the second game and worked out of a self-induced bases loaded jam in the second inning unscathed. He was not as lucky in the third as back-to-back leadoff error helped to load the bases and Schmidt drew a two-out walk to put the Tigers on the board. Though Vanderbunt didn’t allow a hit and struck out three in three innings, he walked six batters. 

In general, pitching strikes was a challenge for the Hodag staff. Rhinelander threw just under 50% of pitches for strikes in the first game (66 of 133) and checked in at just under 56% in Game 2 (74 of 133).

“If our pitchers were missing, they were missing by a lot,” Waksmonski said. “That just makes a difference when you want to try to get those close calls on the edges. If you’re consistently there, you’re going to earn those calls. There were a couple of calls where I thought we were around the edges but, because we’re not consistently working the plate, we’re just not getting those calls right now.”

Stratford took the lead for good in a four-run fourth, keyed by a two-run triple by Berg off of Heck — who took the loss, allowing five runs on four hits over two innings. The Tigers tacked on one more in the fifth and two in the sixth. 

Rhinelander did outhit Stratford 6-5 in the second game, getting two hits each from Vanney, Patrone and Vanderbunt. 

“I thought the bottom of the order got some real good at-bats,” Waksmonski said. “It seemed like they were a lot looser at the plate. The top of our order, you could just tell, their body language, they were a little over-aggressive, trying to do too much at the plate. Really you just kind of have to let the pitch come to you  and, when it’s there, you don’t want to be late.”

Regardless, Waksmonski said getting a couple of non-conference games in was good for his squad as the Rapids Area Sports Complex will become its early season home away from home again. Both games of this week’s GNC-opening series against Antigo have moved to Rapids and will be played today as a doubleheader that starts at 10 a.m. Rhinelander will be back again on Saturday to face Wisconsin Rapids in non-conference play. 

“We got to play a couple of games,” Waksmonski said. “Our pitchers got some work and our hitters got some at-bats in. It’s going to be the same routine again on Tuesday — the exact same time we’re getting up and getting on the bus, exact same game time. It’s good to get through that right now.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].