Rebels can’t overcome bad start in 11-2 loss to Northwoods

EAGLE RIVER — The Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels are struggling, and they’re going to have far fewer chances to right the ship before the postseason than originally scheduled.

Rhinelander stumbled out of the gate Monday night, allowing nine runs in the first inning, which proved to be the difference in an 11-2 loss to Northwoods in Eagle River. 

The loss dropped the Rebels to 5-7 on the season with now only one more game to play before regionals. 

The Rebels have been forced to cancel five of their last six regular season games. The team already had small roster that has been hindered by injury, and a pair of out-of-area showcase tournaments that are going to take away the majority of the team’s young core are going to render Rhinelander unable to field a squad for the majority of this week and next week. Games canceled included a trip to Crandon on Wednesday, a return date with Northwoods that would have been played this evening, a home date with Crandon next Wednesday and what were supposed to be a pair of five-inning games at Medford next Friday. 

“The majority of the guys are going to be playing baseball. So, you know, that doesn’t concern me,” Rebels manager Dan Huhnstock said. “It concerns me, but, they’re going to be playing ball. So that’s good. And I’m sure we’re going to fill in with some practices as soon as they get back from the second weekend.”

In order for the Rebels to compete in a six-team regional that will include Northwoods, Medford, Minocqua, Merrill and Antigo, they are going to need to be much sharper than their last two outings — both lopsided defeats to teams in the regional grouping in which Rhinelander has looked lethargic. 

“It’s been low,” Huhnstock conceded regarding his team’s energy of late. “You know, it’s been warm. They’ve got 100 different things going on during the day between jobs and other sports and stuff. So, you know, the energy was low. We got to get that addressed before games really count in regionals.” 

Momentum turned quickly Monday night. The Rebels thought they had gotten on the board first on a sacrifice fly by Vince White in the first but Jackson Waydick was called out on appeal — and the inning ended via a double play — after it was deemed Waydick left third base before the ball was caught. 

Northwoods then teed off on Rhinelander starter Dylan Vanderbunt. He struggled to find the zone, walking four batters over just two thirds of an inning, and the Eagles hit him hard when he did. Northwoods had five hits, including three doubles, off Vanderbunt — all with two strikes — and he left the mound trailing 6-0. 

Landyn Hoeft welcomed White’s relief appearance with a two-run single up the middle and Jonah Will scored on a throwing error by Waydick following a wild pitch to cap off the Eagles’ nine-run frame.

“It was very bad start, uncharacteristic for Dylan to get hit like that, and we played very bad baseball in the first inning,” Huhnstock said. “Let’s face it, (we) didn’t help him out to any at all. So, you know, it is what it is. We got to learn from it and grow from it.” 

Mistakes on the base paths have been a bugaboo for Rhinelander of late. The Rebels were on the wrong end of three double plays in Monday’s game. There was another flyout double play in the fourth with Sawyer Bishop was caught too far from second base on a flyout to center by Abe Gretzinger.

That followed last Tuesday’s game against Medford in which White was caught out twice on the base paths — once on a steal and once on a pop-up for a double play. The game before that, against Wittenberg-Birnamwood, both Waydick and Vanderbunt were picked off base in the same inning.

“You know, got a cleaned them up,” Huhnstock said when asked about the base running miscues.

    Rhinelander’s Rowan Wiczek hits a single during the fourth inning of an American Legion baseball game against Northwoods in Eagle River Monday, July 7. Wiczek had two hits and an RBI for the Rebels in an 11-2 loss. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

The Eagles turned a more traditional double play in the third when, with two on and nobody out, Charlie Johnson rolled a 2-1 pitch to short leading to a twin killing. Rhinelander did get one run that inning as Gretzinger reached on a dropped fly ball to center and scored on a two-out hit by Waydick. Bishop legged out an infield hit in the sixth and scored two batters later on a single by Rowan Wiczek. Down 9-2, the Rebels had a chance to make things interesting later that inning after Gretzinger bloop single loaded the bases with one out, but Tyler Chariton struck out swinging and Johnson flew out to center to end the threat. 

Northwoods restored the nine-run lead in the bottom of the sixth as Will and Brody Hoeft both singled and scored on pitches that got away. Will scored on a passed ball and Hoeft came across when Ethan Miller reached on a dropped third strike. 

The single to Landyn Hoeft was the only hit White allowed over 2 1/3 innings of relief as he walked one and struck out six. Johnson worked two scoreless innings with a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. Both runs against Bishop in the sixth were unearned. He allowed two hits and struck out three. 

“I thought the relievers did a real good job holding them at bay the rest of the game,” Huhnstock said. 

Rhinelander now has only one game remaining in the regular season. That will take place this coming Monday at Minocqua. Rhinelander defeated the 89ers 10-7 in a game at Merrill June 28. 

“It makes that game real important that we come out of the gate and play ball there.”

Legion regional begin July 24 in Minocqua. The schedule for the tournament has been announced. Rhinelander will face Merrill in the 5 p.m. game Thursday, July 24 — the last game of the opening day of the double-elimination tournament.  

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].