Hodag baseball rallies late to beat Antigo 11-8

After giving up five runs in the fifth inning Tuesday night, the Rhinelander High School baseball team faced the prospect of seeing another close game in the middle-to-late innings slip away.

That was until the Hodag offense decided to do something about it. 

Rhinelander’s bats came alive in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four times in each frame, as the Hodags rallied from behind to defeat the Antigo Red Robins 11-8 at Kretz Bros. Park.

Freshman Vince White went 2-for-3 on the day and tied the game on an RBI triple in the top of the seventh. He scored the go-ahead run on a double by Dylan Vanderbunt three batters later. The Hodags (7-9, 4-5 Great Northern) tacked on two more runs in the inning. Vanderbunt then mowed through the bottom of the Robins’ lineup in order in the bottom of the seventh. 

“Not only did they break out, they break out in the perfect opportune time, plating four runs in the sixth and seventh inning. It’s just great to see, up and down the lineup, contribute in some way,” Hodag coach Joe Waksmonski said. 

    Rhinelander’s Seth Nofftz prepares to throw to first base after fielding a ground ball during a non-conference baseball game against Wausau East at Stafford Field Monday, May 12. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Seth Nofftz went 2-for-5 at the plate and gave the Hodags some insurance on an RBI single in the seventh to score Tyler Chariton. He then allowed himself to get caught in a rundown between first and second that allowed Vanderbunt to steal home and add one more run to the lead. 

Antigo (4-8, 4-6) broke a 3-all tie with a five-run fifth inning and chased starter Jackson Waydick from the hill after a bloop single by Caleb Vandenlangenberg over a drawn in infield to make it 6-3. Antigo greeted Vanderbunt with a bunt single by Scott Hagerty, that turned into a run following a error. Gordy Lucht added an RBI single to make it 8-3 in favor of the Robins. 

The Hodags clawed their way back in the sixth as singles by Sawyer Bishop and Abe Gretzinger, and a walk to White, loaded the bases with nobody out. Chariton was hit by a pitch to force in a run, followed by a pinch-hit, two-run single by John Turek. Nofftz singled in one more run to trim Antigo’s lead to 8-7.

“Things were looking bleak. They had runners on second and third, and we had the infield pulled in, and they hit a cue shot that just lands around on the edge of the outfield grass to plate two. You just kind of feel like you’re snake-bitten in the moment. But our guys held firm and they were able to make a comeback,” Waksmonski said.

Vanderbunt went 2 2/3 innings in relief to earn the win, allowing a run on two hits with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts. After getting the Hodags out of the jam in the fifth he sat Antigo down in order in the sixth and the seventh.

“He came in cold. He didn’t get a chance to warmup. He had to come in mid-inning cold, and, you know, came in through strikes for the most part,” Waksmonski said. “Basically he did his job to hold him at bay so that we could make the comeback.”

Gretzinger added three hits as Rhinelander outslugged Antigo 13-11 in the contest. Waydick pitched 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision, giving up nine runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. 

Tuesday’s win gave the Hodags a regular season sweep over Antigo, something that hasn’t happened since the 2011 season. It was also Rhinelander’s first regular season road win at Antigo since an 8-0 shutout win April 12, 2011. The Hodags did beat Antigo in a WIAA playoff game at Kretz Bros. Park in 2023. 

“It definitely means a lot to the program to take two from Antigo in a season,” Waksmonski said. 

Wausau East 7, Rhinelander 2

Keyton Laszewski had a big day for the Lumberjacks, going 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs as the Lumberjacks got past Rhinelander 7-2 Monday at Stafford Field. 

The Hodags were tied with Wausau East 2-all going to the sixth, but Laszewski broke the tie with an RBI single in the sixth and then added a three-run homer for insurance with two out in the seventh. 

“They started swinging the bats. A couple plays that we could have made that we didn’t make, then they capitalized in some mistakes,” Waksmonski said. “A couple iffy calls in the strike zone as well to go along, and, you know, it’s kind of recipe for disaster for us in those last two innings.”

Jed Vander Sanden walked to lead off the sixth for Wausau East and then advanced to third as Karson Bauman reached on an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt to third. Laszewski singled home Vander Sanden to put the Lumberjacks in front and scored two batters later on an Iain Stahel base hit. 

The bases were clear with two out in the seventh when Rhinelander reliever Rowan Wiczek hit Vander Sanden with an 0-2 curveball. Bauman walked before Laszewski took the Hodag sophomore deep the left center. 

Rhinelander was not able to mount much offense down the stretch. East’s Ryan Rodemeier struck out 10 in a complete-game effort, including five over final two innings.

“It just seems like the third time through we expect a little bit more out of our hitters and we just aren’t getting it right now,” Waksmonski said.

Laszewski also had an RBI single in the second. A dropped third strike, an obstruction call and another passed ball put Maddox Hurtis to third base in the third inning. He scored to make it 2-0 Wausau East on an RBI groundout by Davis Winter. 

The Hodags got both of those runs back with a two-out rally in the fourth. Singles by Nofftz and Wiczek, and a walk to Conner Rappley loaded the bases for Bishop, who hit a game-tying single to left center. White flew out to left to end the rally.

“Everything was through two outs, I think. We had three hits in a row to score those two runs. You know, we just couldn’t quite get that third one or fourth one to falling for a bloop hit to get that third run,” Waksmonski said.

    Rhinelander’s Sawyer Bishop pitches during a non-conference baseball game against Wausau East at Stafford Field Monday, May 12. Bishop worked five innings in his first career varsity pitching start. The Hodags fell to the Lumberjacks, 7-2. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Neither Conner Rappley nor Vanderbunt were eligible to throw Monday following last Friday’s extra-inning loss at Northland Pines. That gave Bishop, a sophomore southpaw, his first career varsity start. Bishop lasted five-plus innings, allowing four runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Wiczek, in his first pitching appearance of the spring, allowed three runs on two hits over two innings with a walk and a strikeout. 

“It was good to see them pitch. That was Rowan’s first appearance this year, and then Sawyer obviously had the shorter appearance up down in Mauston,” Waksmonski said. “Sawyer, especially, has grown a lot, matured a lot. You know, he’s been throwing some bullpens on his own and thrown a little bit of practice to our hitters. The thing I really liked about Sawyer is his poise and his confidence. You know, the moment wasn’t too big for him, and he wasn’t afraid to pitch with runners on. It was just a good start for him.” 

Up next

Rhinelander was slated to take on Mosinee at home Thursday in a game scheduled to start after press time for today’s edition. Rhinelander hits the road Monday to take on Lakeland in hopes of avenging a 4-0 loss to the T-Birds at Stafford Field April 25. 

With only a game and a half separating second and last in the GNC entering Thursday’s play, Waksmonski said the Hodags hoped Tuesday’s win would build some momentum for the stretch run.

“I mean, it’s a great way to build some momentum, but, you know, we got to capitalize it on Thursday and keep building,” he said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].