Babe Ruth Roundup

Rhinelander avenged its only loss of the season — and handed Tomahawk its first defeat of the year — using big innings in the fourth and the sixth to take down the Hatchets 15-5 in Northwoods Babe Ruth Prep League play Wednesday night in Tomahawk.

The Hodags broke a 3-all tie, scoring five runs during a two-out rally in the fourth inning and then tacked on seven more runs in the sixth inning as they simultaneously finished the game via the run rule and the Prep League’s two-hour time limit. 

Rhinelander had the bases clear and two out in the fourth after Jaxon West was picked off first base, but strung together a big rally from there. Brayden Dervetski drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to keep the inning going and then stole second and third before Matthew Haselton drove him in with a single up the middle. 

Haselton stole second and third, and came home on an overthrow after his steal of third to tack on another run. Daniel Meyer then reached on an error and Johnny Baker drew a walk before Parker Lee hit an infield single that scored both of them. Lee later scored after Carsen Zadnik reached on an error to make it 8-3 Rhinelander. 

Tomahawk answered back with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but did not further damage as the Hodags turned a double play with the bases loaded and one out. That defensive play set the tone for a decisive sixth inning, which started with Landon Woods reaching on an error.

Jaxon West, Dylan Webster and Dervetski followed with three consecutive singles to score Woods. West then scored on a passed ball before Haselton walked to reload the bases. Meyer was hit by a pitch to force in another run before a pair of wild pitches scored Dervetski and Haselton. Baker walked and scored on passed ball later in the inning and Zadnik made it 15-4 as he walked, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch. 

The Hatchets got one back in the sixth but stranded runners with the bases loaded.

The fourth-inning rally made a winner out of West, who allowed three runs, three hits and three walks over three innings with three strikeouts. Tanner Augustine walked three and struck out two over an inning of relief while Webster pitched the final two innings, allowing two runs on a hit with six walks and three strikeouts. 

The game was back and forth early. The Hodags jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Webster singled and scored on an error-aided round tripper by Dervetski — who got to third thanks to one throwing error and scored thanks to another on the same play. Tomahawk plated two in the bottom of the first to tie it, but the Hodags answered with a run in the top of the second as Baker walked, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch. Tomahawk got the run back in the bottom of the third to tie the game at three. 

Both teams finished with seven hits on the night. West and Webster each went 2 for 3 for Rhinelander while Dervetski, Haselton and Lee had one hit each.

The win drew Rhinelander (5-1-1) within a half game of Tomahawk (6-1-0) for first in the league. The teams are set to meet again July 15 in Rhinelander. The Hodags played host to Lakeland Monday in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition and will return to action July 8 at Eagle River.

Senior Leaguers topple Tomahawk

    Rhinelander’s Ryley Hull makes a diving catch on a fly ball to left field during the sixth inning of a Northwoods Babe Ruth Senior League game at Tomahawk, Thursday, June 27. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

The Hodag Senior League team also had a victorious trip to Tomahawk, pulling away to a 6-1 win Thursday. 

Rhinelander broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the four inning and then tacked on four more insurance runs over the final two innings as it avenged a 5-4 loss to the Hatchets a week earlier at Stafford Field.

Aidan Lueder reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch to put the Hodags on the board in the forth inning. Rhinelander had four hits that frame, but only tacked on one more run as Weston Kilber singles and came around on a double by Hoyt Dantoin.

Lueder doubled to lead off the sixth and the Hodags eventually loaded the bases with nobody out before getting two runs out of the inning. Lueder scored on a Dantoin single to left and Henry Schmitz hit a sacrifice fly to score Blake Bauer. Bauer added a two-run single with two out in the seventh, scoring Tommy Eades and Josh Willoughby.

That was plenty of run support for the Hodag pitching staff, which struck out 12 Tomahawk batters. Eades started and allowed one hit over three innings of scoreless ball. He worked around four walks thanks in part to four strikeouts. 

Lueder went the final four innings to earn the win, striking out eight. He allowed a run in the fourth on one of the three hits that he gave up, but Tomahawk left the tying run stranded in scoring position that inning and couldn’t do anything with its only other threat after getting the first two runners aboard in the sixth on back-to-back singles. Lueder recorded a strikeout before Ryley Hull made a diving catch on a fly ball to left to set up an inning-ending double play.

The Hodags collected 14 hits in the game, including three by Kibler. Bauer and Dantoin both went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, Eades had two hits and Rhinelander also got base knocks from Parker McCone, Lueder, Hull, Henry Schmitz and Aden Flannery.

The Hodags (5-2) will face league-leading Crandon tonight at Stafford Field.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].