Babe Ruth: Rally falls short for Senior Leaguers vs. Tomahawk

Rhinelander nearly erased a five-run deficit on Thursday night but fell short in a comeback bid, losing to Tomahawk 5-4 in Northwoods Babe Ruth Senior League play at Stafford Field.

The Hodags spotted the Hatchets four runs after a two-out rally in the top of the first and an error helped lead to another Hatchet run in the fourth. Rhinelander got one run back in the bottom of the inning and three more in the sixth, but left the bases loaded that inning and stranded the tying run in scoring position in the seventh.

Things went south in the first for the Hodags after missing a tag on a rundown between first and second with two outs. A walk and a hit batter followed before the Hatchets hit a three-run double to left followed by an RBI single to right to jump out to an early four-run lead.

A misfire to second on a fielder’s choice attempt in the fourth allowed the Hatchets to score on an RBI single two batters later. 

The Hodags got one back in the bottom of the inning as John Willoughby walked and scored on a groundout by Blake Bauer. 

The big rally occurred in the sixth for Rhinelander. Charlie Johnson and Aidan Lueder walked to start the frame, followed by RBI singles by Parker McCone and Willoughby to make it 5-3. Weston Kibler then reached on an error to load the bases with nobody out, but the Hodags managed only one more run out of the inning as Tommy Eades popped out, Bauer drew an RBI walk and both Hoyt Dantoin and Ryley Hull went down looking to end the inning. 

The Hodags had one last gasp in the seventh as Douglas Hartmann reached on a two-out error, followed by a single up the middle by Johnson. Lueder followed with a hard line shot to third that the Hatchets were able to knock down and complete a fielder’s choice to end the game. 

    Rhinelander’s Aidan Lueder pitches during the fifth inning of a Northwoods Babe Ruth Senior League game against Tomahawk at Stafford Field Thursday, June 20. Lueder struck out eight batters over three innings of relief. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Willoughby took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits in the first inning. Dantoin worked around a walk and a hit batter to pitch a scoreless second. Bauer then went two innings, allowing an unearned run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. Lueder closed out the game pitching three perfect innings, striking out eight. 

Rhinelander lost despite outhitting Tomahawk 7-6 in the contest. Hull finished the game with two hits, Bauer was 1 for 2 with a pair of RBIs. McCone, Willoughby, Eades and Johnson also had hits in the contest. 

The loss dropped Rhinelander to 3-2 in Senior League play halfway through the season. The Hodags hit the road this week, traveling to Lakeland tonight before a rematch at tomahawk on Thursday.

In Prep League play, Rhinelander lost at Tomahawk 13-6 last Wednesday in a battle of unbeaten teams. Further details from that game were not reported as of press time. The Hodag Prep team (3-1-1) also has two games on the road this week. They traveled to Lakeland last night and will face Tomahawk again on the road Wednesday. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].