Northland Pines downs Hodag baseball in extra innings

Déjà vu struck the Rhinelander High School baseball team in a tight ball game on the road Friday night.

Brody Hoeft scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Northland Pines Eagles defeated the Hodags 2-1 in a Great Northern Conference matchup in Eagle River.

It was the second time in the week the Hodags lost on a walkoff mistake. Another passed ball led to a 7-6 loss at D.C. Everest last Monday. 

The Eagles scored both of their runs without the aid of an RBI and, ultimately, Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said his team was done in by too many mistakes. 

“Yeah, we just made one too many mistakes today that cost us,” he said. “And it was in all facets — offense, defense, pitching. We made a couple more mistakes than they did and it cost us in a tight ball game.”

Rhinelander wiggled out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, but was unable to repeat the Houdini act when faced with the same scenario in the 10th. Hoeft walked to lead off the inning, followed by a single from Dustin Beyer and a bunt single by Jason Linn to load the bases. 

Reliever Dylan Vanderbunt was able to fan Griffen Beyer, but his first offering to Jonathan Miller got by catcher Jackson Waydick and to the backstop, allowing Hoeft to score the winning run. 

Friday marked Rhinelander’s third one-run loss in eight days.

“We’re right there, obviously. We’ve just got to find a way to close these games out and really just make better plays, situationally,” Waksmonski said.

The Eagles forced Rhinelander into a mistake that led to the opening run of the game in the second inning. Jonah Will singled and, following back-to-back strikeouts, stole second and third before an error on the throw down allowed him to trot home. 

    Rhinelander’s Seth Nofftz swings at a pitch during a GNC baseball game in Eagle River Friday, May 9. Nofftz drove in the Hodags’ lone run in a 2-1 defeat. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rhinelander, meanwhile, had a hard time finding offense against Jonathan Miller, a lefty, who struck out eight batters and scattered six hits over eight innings. The Hodags finally tied it with two outs in the sixth as Vanderbunt singled, stole second and came around on a Seth Nofftz base hit. 

“It’s hard because you don’t get free passes. He had only two walks in eight innings. He’s around the zone. He’s got good movement on his fastball. It’s tough for our hitters to get a read on it,” Waksmonski said.

The Hodags had a chance to take the lead to start the seventh as Conner Rappley doubled to start the inning, but he was promptly doubled off second base when Sawyer Bishop’s bunt attempt was caught by Jonathan Miller. 

Pines had its own chance to win it in the seventh as a walk and an error gave the Eagles runners on second and third with nobody out. The Hodags intentionally walked Nolan Huelskamp to load the bases. Vanderbunt then struck out Ethan Miller before Alex Wethington was thrown out attempting to steal home. Hoeft then flew out to center to move the game to the eighth. 

Tyler Chariton walked to begin the eighth and pinch runner John Turek got to third with two outs, but Nofftz grounded out to third ending that threat. After going down in order in the ninth, Vince White reached on a one-out error in the 10th, but following a strikeout, White was picked off at first to end the inning. 

“We had a couple of chances. We had some base running miscues,” Waksmonski said. “Got picked at first, got thrown out at second and got doubled up on a bunt attempt. When we’ve got limited opportunities already, we can’t make mistakes on the bases.”

Rappley struck out nine, allowed one hit and walked three over six innings in a no-decision for the Hodags. Brody Hoeft worked two innings of hitless relief for the Eagles in the win. 

Rhinelander was back home Monday to face Wausau East in a game that concluded after press time for today’s edition. The Hodags are on the road this afternoon at Antigo before coming back home Thursday to face GNC-leading Mosinee. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].