Little League 12U All-Stars fall twice in Merrill

The Rhinelander Little League 12U All-Star team was eliminated from District 5 tournament play with a pair of losses Sunday and Monday during pool play in Merrill.

The Hodags fell to Wausau American 12-1 on Sunday and to Merrill 11-1 on Monday.

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12U All-star Tournament

Big innings plagued Rhinelander in both games. On Sunday, the Americans jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first inning after eight straight batters reached base with one out against starter Collin Jorata. Merrill scored 10 times in the second inning on Monday, capped off by a Taylor Timm grand slam with one out in the inning. 

The Americans scored once in the third inning and tacked on four more in the fifth as they ended Sunday’s game early via the run-rule. Merrill’s 10-run second came after scoring a run in the first and Rhinelander was never able to get under the 10-run threshold before the game was called after four innings. 

The Hodags had three hits in Sunday’s game against Wausau American. Finn Brown singled and scored in the fourth courtesy of a Jeter Vander Gailen base knock. Jaxson Kremer also had a double in the contest. 

Kremer had the big hit for Rhinelander in Monday’s game as he lined a shot deep to left center off the top railing of the fence and over for a solo home run in the fourth inning. The Hodags had two other hits in the game, a Nick Schneider single in the second and a double by Jorata in the third. 

The Hodags used five different pitchers in Monday’s game. Jorata took the loss as he struck out one over a third of an inning, allowing seven runs on three hits. Ben Rexford worked the next 3 2/3 innings, allowing just a run on four hits with four strikeouts. 

Jaxon Eades was unable to record an out in the top of the fifth, allowing four runs on a pair of hits and a pair of walks. Cooper Jahn worked two third of an inning and Schneider got the last out via a strikeout.

Eades, who was kept under the pitch count threshold Sunday, was able to return to the mound Monday. He allowed seven runs in an inning plus of work. He allowed seven runs on two hits, walked three and hit a pair of batters in defeat. Jahn pitched the rest of the way, allowing four runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts. 

Rhinelander’s 12U All-Star team also included Ben Gehrmann, Blake Sundby, Jacob Bauman and Mason Hauser. 

The Hodag 10U All-Star team will begin district play in Rhinelander this coming Monday and Tuesday. The Hodags will host Merrill on Monday and Wausau American on Tuesday. Both games are slated for 5:30 p.m. start times Hodag Park’s Mel Mode Field.