GILMAN BASEBALL - Pirates, Redhawks split final ECC games; 5-0 lead lost Tuesday

GILMAN BASEBALL

The Owen-Withee/Thorp Redhawks wiped out a 5-0 lead, scoring four runs in the fourth and three in the sixth to defeat Gilman 7-5 Tuesday and earn a split of the teams’ final two Eastern Cloverbelt Conference baseball games of the season.

Playing in Thorp, the Pirates were one out away from getting out of the sixth inning with a 5-4 lead. But with two on, Cooper Rosemeyer drove both runners in with a double and then he scored on Cameron Abramczak’s double to give the Redhawks the lead.

Evan Penterman finished off a complete game, working around a one-out single by Trevin Duellman in the seventh as the Redhawks got their third win of the season. They finished 3-9 in league play and are 311 overall.

Gilman had a chance to secure third place outright in the league standings. Instead, they fell to 6-6 and into a threeway tie for third with Columbus Catholic and Spencer. The Pirates closed the regular season at 10-10 overall.

Gilman built its 5-0 lead through three and a half innings. Talyn Podolak doubled and scored on a Duellman fielder’s choice in the second. Duellman later scored on a wild pitch.

Connor Nichols was hit by a one-out pitch in the third and Dawson Grunseth singled. Nichols scored on a Podolak hit. The Pirates eventually loaded the bases and Dawson Robinson was hit by a pitch to force in a run to make it 4-0.

Grunseth’s single drove in Gilman’s last run in the top of the fourth.

Owen-Withee/Thorp loaded the bases against reliever Max Pockat in the bottom half and got back into the game with Alex Walters getting hit by a pitch to force in a run, Caleb Ciolkosz singling in a run and Landon Penk walking to force in another.

Grunseth and Podolak each had two of Gilman’s six hits.

Grunseth struck out five hitters in three scoreless innings and allowed four hits. Robinson pitched a scoreless fifth but was tagged with two hits and two hit batters while striking out two in the sixth.

The Pirates start WIAA Division 4 tournament play today, Thursday. They are the sixth seed in the sectional halfbracket and host 11th-seeded Spencer at 5 p.m. The winner earns a trip to secondseeded Rib Lake (15-5) on Tuesday. The regional final is set for Wednesday.

Pirates 8, Redhawks 2

Grunseth struck out 10 hitters over six innings and Beau Pockat struck out two more in the seventh as the Pirates led throughout in an 8-2 home victory over Owen-Withee/Thorp.

Grunseth pounded the strike zone, walking just one batter. He allowed only three hits. The Redhawks’ runs were earned and came in the sixth inning. By then, Gilman led 6-2 and the offense got those two runs right back in the bottom half.

A three-run bottom of the first put the Pirates in early control. Beau Pockat drilled a one-out triple to rightfield and scored on a base hit by Nichols, who advanced to second on the throw home. He then scored on a single by Podolak, who would later score on a wild pitch thrown by Redhawk starter Rak Werner.

In the fourth, Grunseth singled with one out and went to second on a balk. Robinson was hit by a pitch and Tate Krizan walked to load the bases for Lucas Halida, who also walked to drive in a run. Beau Pockat’s single up the middle drove in a pair to make it 6-0.

Grunseth lost his no-hit bid when Werner singled with one out in the fifth. Winston Poehler’s two-run triple got the visitors on the board in the sixth. Robinson got hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom half and Krizan and Halida singled. A balk scored Robinson and Krizan scored on a groundout by Nichols.

Gilman outhit Owen-Withee/Thorp 73. Pockat was two for four to lead the way. Werner went 3.1 innings for the Redhawks. He allowed six earned runs on four hits, four walks and three strikeouts. Penterman covered the last 2.2 innings. He struck out one and allowed three hits and two earned runs.