Rhinelander rallies past Fond du Lac Springs in Rebel Invite opener

Down four runs in the sixth inning on Friday night, the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels conjured up a rally that changed the narrative of the game and, potentially, the summer for the program.

After rallying to tie the game with four runs in the sixth, Sam Schneider smashed an RBI double to right center to score Seth Nofftz in the seventh as the Rebels walked off 9-8 winners over Fond du Lac Springs in the opening game of the Rebel Invite at Stafford Field.

After scuffling offensively through its first two games of the summer, including a 3-1 loss at Northwoods on Wednesday, the bats finally came alive for Rhinelander Friday night. It was just the second varsity level win all year for the Rhinelander baseball program and one manager Dan Huhnstock said he hopes can get his team moving in the right direction.

“That’s something to build on for our whole season. Hopefully that gets them a little swagger, a little momentum going for the rest of the season,” he said.

There wasn’t much reason for excitement until the late innings for the Rebels. After Rhinelander jumped on Fond du Lac Springs for four runs in the bottom of the first, the Ledgers nibbled away by scoring eight unanswered runs over four consecutive innings to take a four-run lead in the fifth. What’s more, starter Riley Brenner settled in after a rocky opening inning and sat down 10 in a row going into the sixth.

Schneider, one of only two age eligible Class of 2023 players on the roster, turned the fortunes with a leadoff single in the sixth. Kaden Vanney was then hit by a pitch and Max Ratty singled to load the bases. Owen Kurtz followed with a two-run single to left and Adrian Patrone hit an RBI grounder to second to cut the lead to one. Oscar Hanson then blooped a ball into shallow center that Kaden Krusick dropped on a running attempt. That allowed Kurtz to score from third to tie the game. 

The Ledgers appeared to threaten in the top of the seventh thanks to a leadoff hit from Max Sadonikow before Schneider made the defensive play of the game. Jacob Holmes attempted to bunt Sadonikow along and popped it up toward third. Charging in on the bunt, Schneider leaped into the air to snag the ball and then fired to first to complete the double play. While the Ledgers got a two-out walk, they got nothing more in the inning. 

That set the stage for Schneider’s heroics at the plate as the bottom of the seventh lasted only three pitches. Dylan Vanderbunt popped out to center, Seth Nofftz singled to right and Schneider ended it on a blast to the right center gap.

“Sam’s a ball player. He’s as clutch as we have on this team,” Huhnstock said. “You always look for him for that kind of leadership. He knows how to play the game. Taking away that bunt and turning that into a double play really jacked up the momentum in the dugout. Then he comes up right away with a big hit to drive in Seth.”

    Rhinelander’s Sam Schneider makes a throw to first during the second inning of an American Legion Baseball game against Fond du Lac Springs at Stafford Field Friday, June 14. (Weston Kibler/Submitted)
  

The Rebels churned out 11 hits and seemed to have Brenner figured out in the first inning. The Rebels had four straight singles courtesy of Nofftz, Schneider, Vanney and Ratty that made it 2-0 before Patrone laced a two-run double to right center giving Rhinelander and early four-run lead. 

“We started out right away with the hot bats and we actually hit the ball hard all game long,” Huhnstock said. “It was a heck of a good performance at the plate, pretty much throughout the whole team. Everyone was aggressive at the plate and swinging the bat well.”

Vanderbunt started for Rhinelander and went four innings in a no-decision. The Ledgers got on the board on a two-run single by Caleb Duwell in the second, tacked on one more on an RBI double by Keegan Wagner in the third. An error kept things alive for Fond du Lac in the fourth. Sam Lucas drove in an run on a fielder’s choice before Ian Stoffel hit a go-ahead two-run double to right. 

Hanson pitched three innings in relief for Rhinelander to earn the win. He allowed two runs on a pair of wild pitches in the fifth, but settled in from there as he allowed two hits and struck out four. 

“That’s as good of an outing as I’ve seen Oscar have, probably ever. He done a whale of a job,” Huhnstock said.

Rhinelander defeated Marquette, Mich. 14-4 and Minocqua 14-0 on Saturday, and was set to face Merrill Sunday in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. A full recap of those games will appear in Friday’s edition of the River News. 

Northwoods 3, Rebels 1

    Rhinelander’s Mason Schmidt pitches during an American Legion baseball game against Northwoods in Eagle River Wednesday, June 12. Schmidt allowed one run and struck out seven over four innings of relief, but the Rebels lost the game, 3-1. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Rebels pitched well enough to win on Wednesday but were done in by both offensive and defensive mistakes in a 3-1 loss to Northwoods in Eagle River. 

Rhinelander made two outs at home plate in the first inning of the game, which loomed large later as the Eagle scored a pair of unearned runs — one each in the second and sixth innings — that proved to be the difference in the game.

“It was a very close game, a very well-pitched game by both teams. We had plenty of opportunities, just couldn’t get a clutch hit,” Huhnstock said.

The Eagles took the lead in the second, making Rhinelander pay after Vanney was unable to squeeze Landyn Hoeft’s pop up to second that would have been the final out of the inning. Jonathan Miller followed with a ball up the middle that deflected off of Vanderbunt on the mound for an infield hit that scored Matt Milanowski to put the Eagles ahead. 

The Rebels then nearly wiggled out of a bases loaded, nobody out jam in the sixth. Pitcher Mason Schmidt struck out Isaiah Kroeplin looking before Milanowski bunted back to the pitcher’s mound. Schmidt fired home to cut down Davis Beyer for the second out but catcher Chandler Servent through high to first in an effort to retire Milanowski and complete the double play. The overthrow allowed Aiden Minx to score and gave the Eagles a two-run cushion. 

That proved to be enough against a Rebel offense that struggled to get anything going after the first inning. Vanderbunt and Nofftz both singled to start off the frame and were on second and third, with nobody out when Vanderbunt was thrown out at the plate, trying to score on a wild pitch. Nofftz later scored on a passed ball but the Hodags made the final out of the inning at the plate as Schneider was gunned down trying to steal home.

“We made a couple of very aggressive outs on the bases, especially home plate twice,” Huhnstock said. “That’s the difference between a 3-1 game and a 3-3 game right there, but I’d rather have us making aggressive outs and playing aggressive baseball than sitting there being passive.”

Northwoods would tie the game in the bottom half of the inning as Miller singled and scored on a Brody Hoeft base hit. 

Vanderbunt went only two innings on the mound for Rhinelander. He struck out three, walked one and scattered four hits in defeat. That gave the Rebels a long look at Schmidt, a senior-to-be. He struck out seven and walked only one over four innings of relief. He allowed four hits, two of which were bunt singles. 

“Mason has done it all spring on the JV level and he’s getting his feet wet on the varsity level now, Legion level. He’s doing a very great job for us thus far,” Huhnstock said.

Vanderbunt collected three hits as the top five in the Rhinelander lineup went a combined 6 for 14. The bottom four in the lineup were a combined o for 12 with six strikeouts. 

“The top of the order put the ball in play real well. We’ve got to work on the bottom of the order picking up the slack a little bit,” Huhnstock said. 

The Rebels are back home Wednesday for a rematch against the Eagles. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].