Hodag baseball downs Pines for first win

The Rhinelander High School baseball team knocked on the door of its first win of the season Tuesday, holding a two-run lead after five innings against Northland Pines, only to fall in extras. On Thursday, the Hodags kicked the door down in a rematch with the Eagles.

Eight runs between the fifth and sixth innings were enough as the Hodags defeated Northland Pines 10-4 in Eagle River. That was to have been the start of a busy three-day stretch of baseball for the Hodags, but cold temperatures prompted the postponement of Friday’s home game against Antigo and the cancellation of Saturday’s home game against Abbotsford/Colby.

Owen Kurtz had three hits in Thursday’s game, Dylan Vanderbunt’s two-run single capped off a five-run sixth inning and the Hodags got 5 2/3 innings out of James Heck on the mound in the win over the Eagles.

After dropping six in a row to start the season, Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski simply said it was nice to get one win the win column.

“It was a good feeling,” he said. 

Up 2-1 after four innings, the Hodags put the pressure on the Eagles in the fifth with some small ball. After Max Ratty walked and Adrian Patrone was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Owen Kurtz laid down a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. 

A passed ball allowed Ratty to score, then the Hodags executed a double steal of home and third with Patrone and Kurtz before putting on the suicide squeeze play as Kurtz scored from third on a Rowan Wiczek sacrifice bunt.

“It was just a fun inning. It got guys going, got some commotion going on the bench and we finally felt some life within the team,” Waksmonski said. “When guys are struggling at the plate, you try to manufacture some things, force some offense for yourself. Tonight wasn’t so much the bunting for base hits, but it was stealing and taking bases.”

The Eagles got two runs back on a Brody Hoeft two-out single in the bottom of the inning, but Rhinelander went to work against the Eagles’ bullpen in the sixth. Kaden Vanney was hit by a pitch and Ratty walked to give the Hodags life with one out in the inning. Back-to-back RBI singles by Kurtz and Patrone made it 7-3. Barak Rappley drew a bases-loaded walk later in the inning before Vanderbunt’s single up the middle made it 10-3.

“Offensively, I thought it was our most complete game, scoring 10 runs, and we got contributions from everyone,” Waksmonski said. “Owen had his first couple of hits today. That was good to see. You can just see the older guys are starting to get their feet underneath them in the batters box and they’re starting to get some good swings on the ball.”

That was enough run support for Heck, who allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Pines tagged him for an early run in the first inning, courtesy of a Griffin Beyer two-out single. The Hodags worked out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the fourth as Heck struck out Tanner Maines before getting Mylo Albrecht to ground into an inning-ending double play. 

After Hoeft’s two-run single in the fifth, the Eagles got one more in the sixth as Maines walked and scored on a wild pitch right before Heck hit the daily 100-pitch maximum. 

“James had a great start today, threw really well,” Waksmonski said. “He worked his way in and out of a couple of jams but, like we’ve been saying all along, James pitches with such poise and confidence, he can just work his way through those jams.”

Vanney pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for Rhinelander, striking out three. 

After the Eagles scored first, the Hodags took the lead in the top of the second. Wiczek and Johnny Turek were hit by pitches to start the inning, and Vanderbunt bunted for a base hit to load the bases. Wiczek scored when Seth Nofftz reached on an error and Vanney lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Turek to put the Hodags up 2-1.

Lefty Jonathan Miller took the loss for Northland Pines. While he only gave up three hits and struck out seven over 4 1/3 innings, he walked five batters and hit three others with pitches. 

The weather turned much colder after Thursday’s game. On and off sleet and blustery winds during the day Friday forced the postponement of a scheduled GNC game against Antigo. The teams were set to make up that game Monday, after press time for today’s edition. Conditions did not get much better Saturday and the Hodags lost a non-conference opportunity against an Abbotsford/Colby team that is in its same half of the Division 2 sectional for next month’s WIAA tournament. 

The Hodags are back at it today, traveling to Medford to kick off a home-and-home set with the Raiders. Medford will make the return trip to Rhinelander on Friday.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].