Pines rallies past Hodag baseball in extra innings

The Rhinelander High School baseball team could look back on a number of little things on Monday as it let a chance to secure its first victory of the season slip away. The Hodags couldn’t hold on to a 5-3 lead after five innings and eventually lost to Northland Pines in eight innings, 8-5 at Stafford Field.

While Rhinelander (0-6, 0-2 Great Northern) had some bright moments, little slip-ups in all three phases ultimately came back to haunt them. The pitching staff walked seven batters — including what proved to be the tying run in the seventh and the three runs the Eagles scored in the eighth. While Rhinelander had a season-high seven hits, the Hodags also struck out 11 times — including four times with the bases loaded. Defensively, Pines (4-3, 2-1 Great Northern) recorded a number of seeing-eye shots that the Hodags were unable to make a play on.

“It’s still just the little battles within the game,” Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. “Still too many walks for the pitching staff, too many strikeouts offensively. Some of the little things that happened today, you just kind of shake your head and, ultimately, it leads to a loss.”

Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, the Hodags resorted to some small ball to get the offense going. Dylan Vanderbunt, Seth Nofftz and Kaden Vanney dropped down back-to-back-to-back bunt singles off Northland Pines ace Landyn Hoeft to load the bases with nobody out. Two batters later, Adrian Patrone drew a bases-loaded free pass to score Vanderbunt. Owen Kurtz then tied the game with a single past third and James Heck gave the Hodags the lead with a two-run single into left. 

“It was three excellent bunts and we had a couple of clutch hits after that,” Waksmonski said.

Pines nibbled back in the sixth as Jonah Will led off with a single and eventually scored on a Matt Milanwoski ground out. After starter Max Ratty hit his 100-pitch limit to end the sixth, the Hodags turned to Owen Kurtz in an effort to try to get the save in the seventh. A pair of walks set up a two on, two out situation for Pines’ Griffen Beyer, who singled a 1-0 pitch into left to tie the game.

After going down in order in the home half of the seventh, the Hodags left Kurtz on the mound to begin the eighth and he promptly walked the first two batters he faced. Rhinelander called on Kaden Vanney to try to put out the fire, but he walked Jason Linn to load the bases for Jonathan Miller, who delivered a two-run double to right. Linn later scored on a wild pitch to give the Eagles a three-run cushion. 

Deeper into its pitching staff with Heck and Vanderbunt not eligible to throw after starts in a doubleheader Saturday at Wisconsin Rapids, Kurtz was not able to close out his first varsity save opportunity. 

“We had confidence in Owen. He showed out pretty well his first outing in Stratford. He was throwing strikes in the bullpen,” Waksmonski said. “I don’t know if he wasn’t used to coming out for the second inning or not but, again, it’s just a situation when your number’s called, we need you to throw strikes. But, overall, I thought is was a good outing. It was a tough situation for him in a high-leverage situation. He was excited but, unfortunately couldn’t get the job done.”

Pines seemed to have a number of breaks go its way early on as it took a 3-0 lead in the third. Linn lined the very first pitch of the game at Rhinelander’s Johnny Turek, and the shot broke through the webbing of the first baseman’s glove. Though Linn was erased attempting to steal second, Miller followed with a single off the pitcher’s mound, stole a bases and eventually scored when Heck couldn’t field a two-out grounder by Brody Hoeft to third. 

A bloop single to right by Landyn Hoeft gave the Eagles two on with one out in the third, Brody Hoeft singled to left and Tanner Maines hit an RBI ground out to put Pines ahead 3-0.

“It’s just little things that are happening to us this year that we have to overcome and, unfortunately, offensively right now, we can’t overcome those mistakes,” Waksmonski said.

Rhinelander threatened in the bottom of the first, loading the bases with one out in the inning, but Kurtz and Heck both struck out to end the threat. The Hodags got on the board in the bottom of the third as Nofftz reached on an error and scored on a two-out single by Patrone. 

Though the Hodags hung a crooked number on the scoreboard in the fifth, Ratty struck out looking with the bases loaded and nobody out in the inning. Rowan Wiczek also went down looking before Vanderbunt went down swinging to end the inning. He was the final of eight strikeout victims for Landyn Hoeft in a no-decision.

“In those situations, we have to put some sort of pressure on the defense to get the ball in play and make them make a play. Unfortunately, we did not do that enough,” Waksmonski said.

    Rhinelander’s Max Ratty pitches during the second inning of a GNC baseball game against Northland Pines at Stafford Field Monday, April 15. Ratty allowed three earned runs on seven hits over six innings in a no decision as the Hodags fell to the Eagles in extra innings, 8-5. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Ratty went six innings in his most effective outing of the spring so far for Rhinelander. He struck out five, walked two and allowed three earned runs on seven hits. 

“He got stronger as the game wore on, especially being able to throw his curve ball for a strike the last two innings that he threw tonight,” Waksmonski said. “He was a lot more confident with that pitch and, once that got dialed in, he could work his fastball around the zone. Max is kind of an off-speed pitcher first. He just has to have that pitch dialed in early on.”

Rhinelander got another crack at Northland Pines up in Eagle River on Thursday in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. It kicked off a busy stretch to end the week for the Hodags, who are home this afternoon to face Antigo in a rescheduled game from last week and will then host Abbotsford/Colby for one game tomorrow morning. 

“This will hurt for tonight but we’ve got to come back Tuesday and Wednesday, put some work in an be ready for Thursday, Friday, Saturday,” Waksmonski said. “It’s very frustrating. We’re all frustrated, but the only thing we can do is put our heads down and go back to work.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].