Wildcats lose in extra innings
Edgar gave itself a shot to win its first state semi
By Casey Krautkramer
The Edgar varsity baseball team’s magical postseason ended in Tuesday night’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinal in Grand Chute with an extra inning 4-3 loss to Ithaca. The start of this game was delayed by 8-1/2 hours because of rain and then it took two extra innings and 2-1/2 hours to decide the winner.
Ithaca loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. Sophomore Sammy Clary then hit Edgar freshman reliever Lucas Stahnke’s pitch into left field to score the winning run. It didn’t matter that Edgar junior left fielder Brett Baumgartner dropped the catch because even if he’d caught the ball, Clary’s deep fly ball would’ve still allowed freshman Hewsten Garcia-Boland to easily tag up from third base and score.
Bulldogs junior starting pitcher Micah Salisbury sent down the top of the Wildcats’ batting order 1-2-3 to start the game when Clary, while playing shortstop, made all three putouts. Wildcats sophomore starting pitcher Jase Apfelbeck, meanwhile, worked out of a jam in the bottom of the first inning by stranding Bulldogs runners on second and third base.
Edgar’s offense began churning in the top of the second inning by scoring three runs on two hits with no runners left on base. Stahnke, who was the starting third baseman to begin the game, walked to lead off the inning and became the first Wildcats baseball player in school history to reach base. Junior first baseman Marcus Huehnerfuss also walked to give the Wildcats runners on first and second base with nobody out. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch by Salisbury. Still in the second inning, Edgar senior second baseman Brady Stencil’s RBI groundout to the shortstop Clary scored Stanhnke from third base. Senior catcher Justin Davis smacked an RBI double to left field to score Huehnerfuss. Sophomore Brock Mauer pinch ran for Davis at second base and then he advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Baumgartner struck out swinging but then senior center fielder Keghan Hartway RBI single up the middle scored Brock Mauer to give the Wildcats an early 3-0 lead. Hartway was caught attempting to steal second base to end the inning.
Ithaca’s batting lineup also had a big second inning by scoring three runs on two hits, an error and not leaving any runners on base to tie the game at three runs for each team. Bulldogs senior first baseman Ethan Cockroft grounded out to second baseman Stencil for the first out. Sophomore left fielder Wesley Nelson then reached first base on an error by Edgar sophomore shortstop Leyton Schuett. Sophomore right fielder Mac Neefe singled to center field to give the Bulldogs runners on first and second base with only one out. Bolin followed with a two-RBI double to right field. One of the two runs was unearned off pitcher Apfelbeck.
Still in the second inning, Boland advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Apfelbeck. Freshman second baseman Lincoln Manning’s RBI groundout scored Bolan. Junior center fielder Matthew Kepler grounded out to the pitcher Apfelbeck to end the inning.
Ithaca head coach Danny Clary, who has an eight-year coaching record of 120 wins and 33 losses, made a switch in the top of the third inning. He brought in relief pitcher Clary and had Salisbury take his spot at shortstop. It was the right move for the Bulldogs because Clary pitched an almost flawless seven innings to earn the win. Apfelbeck tripled to right center with two outs in Edgar’s top of the third inning but Clary struck out Stahnke swinging to end the threat.
Apfelbeck also settled down on the mound with a 1-2-3 bottom of the third inning. Edgar hitters Stencil and Baumgartner reached base in the top of the fourth inning on errors by Ithaca, but Baumgartner was picked off first base to end the inning. Ithaca stranded a runner on second base in the bottom of the fourth inning against Apfelbeck.
Both pitchers worked quick fifth innings by sending down opposing batters 1-2-3 in the lineup. Stahnke led off Edgar’s top of the sixth inning with a single up the middle. Huehnerfuss sacrifice bunted Stahnke over to second base. Stencil popped up to the shortstop Salisbury and Davis struck out looking to end the inning.
Ithaca also got its leadoff hitter on base in the sixth inning when Salisbury singled through the left side in the bottom half of the frame. Junior third baseman Loegan Anderson sacrifi ce bunted Salisbury over to second base. Salisbury advanced to third base on Cockroft’s groundout to shortstop Schuett. Apfelbeck struck out Nelson swinging to end the threat.
Edgar head coach Connor Handrick had senior Dillan Yonker pinch hit for Baumgartner to leadoff the top of the seventh inning. Yonker struck out swinging but he reached first base on a wild pitch. Baumgartner then pinch ran for Yonker. Baumgartner advanced to second base on Hartway’s groundout to third base. Schuett flied out to left field and sophomore right fielder Dakota Ellenbecker flied out to right field to end the inning.
Baumgartner returned to playing left field in the bottom of the seventh inning. Neefe reached first base on an error by the shortstop Schuett and then freshman Devin Ihm pinch ran for him. Boland walked to give Ithaca runners on first and second base with nobody out.
Still in the seventh inning, coach Handrick made a pitching change by bringing in reliever Stahnke and sending Apfelbeck to third base. Stahnke did a masterful job of working out of the team’s seventh inning jam. He got Manning to hit into a fielder’s choice when Edgar got the lead runner Ihm out at third base. Stahnke struck out Kepler looking on a 3-2 count. Second baseman Stencil was given an error for dropping Clary’s foul ball. Clary reached base on a fielder’s choice when Manning was out at second base to end the inning.
The game now went into extra innings. Neefe returned to play right field for Ihm in the Bulldogs’ top of the eighth inning. Clary struck out Apfelbeck swinging before surrendering back-to-back walks to Stahnke and Huehnerfuss. Junior Corey Schilling pinch ran for Huehnerfuss. Stencil flied out to right field and Davis struck out swinging to end the inning. Huehnerfuss returned to playing first base in Ithaca’s bottom of the eighth inning. Salisbury walked and then stole second base against pitcher Stahnke. Anderson was hit by a pitch. Cockroft grounded into a fielder’s choice to third baseman Apfelbeck who stepped on the base to retire Salisbury. Nelson popped up to the second baseman Stencil and Stahnke struck out Neefe looking to end the threat.
Clary sent down Edgar batters 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth inning. Stahnke walked Boland to begin Ithaca’s bottom of the ninth inning. Manning’s single up the middle advanced Boland to third base. Manning then stole second base. Coach Handrick decided to have Stahnke intentionally walk Kepler on a 3-1 count to load the bases with nobody out, to allow Edgar’s defense to get the force out at home plate. The intentional walk didn’t matter, however, as Clary hit a deep fly ball to Baumgartner in left field to score the game winning run.
Clary was definitely the player of the game because not only did he have the game-winning hit to send Ithaca to the state championship game, but he also held Edgar’s offense scoreless during his seven innings of relief on the mound to close the game. Clary only surrendered two hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. Edgar starting pitcher Apfelbeck received a no decision and reliever Stahnke was charged with the pitching loss. Apfelbeck surrendered five hits and two hits with six strikeouts. Only one of the three runs Apfelbeck gave up were earned. Stahnke surrendered one hit and three walks while striking out two batters and surrendering the one earned run scored by Bolin in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win.
The final game box score has Edgar scoring three runs on four hits and it made four errors while Ithaca scored four runs on six hits and it made two errors.
This was the Edgar baseball team’s first ever trip to the state tournament while this was Ithaca’s fifth state appearance. The Bulldogs also played at state in the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 seasons. Ithaca won the WIAA Division 4 state championship in 2016 and was state runners-up in 2015.
Edgar concludes its season with a 13-8 record while Ithaca improves to 20-7. Ithaca will play in the WIAA Division 4 state championship at 9 a.m. this Thursday, June 15, against Pecatonica.
The state semifinal against Ithaca was Edgar’s eighth game this season it played that was decided by only one run. Edgar beat Stevens Point Pacelli, 2-1, in an extra inning in the sectional championship to earn a trip to its first state tournament in school history.
Graduating seniors
Edgar graduates three seniors who started in the state tournament semifi nal, including catcher Justin Davis, Keghan Hartway and Brady Stencil. The Wildcats also graduate senior reserve players Dillan Yonker and Colin Mellenberger.
Twins on historic teams
Justin Davis and his twin sister, Leah Davis, both were fortunate to play on Edgar spring sports teams that competed at the state tournament for the first time in school history. Last season, Davis was a junior first baseman on Edgar’s softball team when it qualified for its first state tournament in school history. This year, Justin Davis was the starting catcher on Edgar’s baseball squad that advanced to state for the first time in school history.
Bevy of talent returns
Edgar’s baseball team has its top three pitchers back next season including Jase Apfelbeck, Lucas Stahnke and Leyton Schuett. The Wildcats also return many other young talented players including Brock and Gavin Mauer, Dakota Ellenbecker, Preston Dahlke, Brett Baumgartner, Marcus Huehnerfuss, Corey Schilling, Harrison Graveen and Austin Schreiber.
EMOTIONAL OUT- Wildcats sophomore shortstop Leyton Schuett reacts to his team getting out of a tough jam in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra frames during Tuesday night’s state semifinal.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
STEADY STARTING PITCHER- Wildcats sophomore Jase Apfelbeck was the team’s ace starting pitcher in Tuesday night’s state tournament game against Ithaca.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
THROW TO FIRST FOR AN OUT- Edgar freshman third baseman Lucas Stahnke heaves the baseball toward first base for an out during Tuesday night’s WIAA Division 4 state tournament semifinal loss to Ithaca. STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
CLUTCH RBI DOUBLE- Edgar senior catcher Justin Davis smacks an RBI double to left field to score junior Marcus Huehnerfuss during the team’s three-run second inning against Ithaca during Tuesday night’s WIAA Division 4 state tournament semifinal in Grand Chute.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
FINAL WALK TOGETHER OFF THE FIELD- Edgar senior starting players Keghan Hartway, Justin Davis and Brady Stencil leave the state tournament field together on Tuesday night after the team’s 4-3 semifinal loss to Ithaca.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
