Hodag baseball season ends at Ashland

The Rhinelander High School baseball team had upset aspirations Thursday as the WIAA playoffs began but were once again undone by one bad inning. 

Ashland scored three times with two outs in the fifth and that proved to be the difference as the Oredockers defeated the Hodags 3-1 in the opening round of the WIAA tournament.

Rhinelander plated a run in the first but gave starter Max Ratty no further support. The Hodags struck out 12 times as Ashland starter Michael Zunker went the distance, and Rhinelander stranded nine runners in the game — seven of which were left in scoring position.

“It just seemed like we ended those situations with strikeouts,” Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. “There were a bunch of strikeouts looking, a few strikeouts swinging but strikeouts with runners in scoring position. As a team, we struck out 12 times, walked once.”

The bases were clear with two out in the bottom of the fifth when Ashland made its rally. Wyatt Lund singled to left before Taylor Sechen worked a seven-pitch walk. Gavin Schutte then hit a bloop single to shallow right to tie the game before Brayden Connors hit a slow roller to the left side of the infield. The throw got away from first baseman Adrian Patrone, allowing two runs to score. 

Rhinelander’s lone run came in the top of the first as Dylan Vanderbunt bunted himself aboard and took second on an overthrow. Zunker then misfired on a slow roller back to the mound by Seth Nofftz, allowing Vanderbunt to score. 

From there, however, the Hodag offense sputtered in key situations. Rhinelander was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, striking out six times. 

Rhinelander’s best threats came in the fifth and the sixth. A walk by Barak Rappley and a single by Nofftz gave the Hodags two on with one out in the inning, but Kaden Vanney ground into a fielder’s choice and Patrone flew out to right. 

    Rhinelander’s Rowan Wiczek singles during a WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal baseball game at Ashland Thursday, May 23. The Hodags outhit the Oredorckers 5-4, but stranded seven runners in scoring position in a 3-1 loss. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Hodags had two on with nobody out after back-to-back singles by Ratty and Rowan Wiczek in the sixth, but James Heck struck out and — following a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Chariton — so did Rappley to end that threat.

Ratty took the tough-luck loss for the Hodags. He carried a one-hit shutout into the fifth before the Oredockers’ two-out rally. He struck out five, walked four and gave up one earned run. 

“Going into that inning, I think he was sitting at 72 pitches and looking strong,” Waksmonski noted.

Vanderbunt worked a scoreless sixth for Rhinelander, allowing one hit.

The loss ended Rhinelander’s season with a 1-19 record. The Hodags were either ahead, tied or within a run in the final two innings of seven of their losses.

It also ended the high school career for seven Hodag seniors — Ratty, Patrone, Heck, Vanney, Owen Kurtz, Conner Augustine and Oscar Hanson.

“We thanked them for their effort and their great attitude,” Waksmonski said. “We ended up 1-19 and they showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart and a lot of energy today. We thanked them for that just, unfortunately, we didn’t make enough plays in the end to win today.”

For the program, attention now turns to the American Legion season that will feature a number of players from this year’s team, plus a few who hope to be vying for playing time next spring. The season for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels will begin Monday, June 10 at home against Antigo.

“There are a lot of open spots. There’s going to be a lot of open competition,” Waksmonski said. “The message is we want to see who’s going to work hard, not only this summer but going into the offseason. We’re looking for committed baseball players, not guys who are just out to play baseball. We’re looking for guys who are committed to baseball.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].