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Medford can’t get the big inning it needed in 8-4 loss; Interwald, Westboro beaten

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE

The Medford Moondogs had several chances for big innings but didn’t make the most of them, leaving 13 runners on base Friday in an 8-4 home loss to Minocqua in Dairyland Baseball League play.

The loss was the first of the weekend for the Moondogs, who sit at 3-6 after Sunday’s loss to Whittlesey. Minocqua, meanwhile, continues to be the Dairyland’s surprise team of the season and improved to 6-2, good for second place behind 8-1 Everest.

Medford jumped ahead 2-0 and led until Minocqua got the game’s biggest rally by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth. That put the Wood Ducks up 5-2. Medford clawed back within one, but a three-run ninth put this one in Minocqua’s win column.

The Wood Ducks banged out 17 hits and had their share of base runners as well, stranding 11.

Seth Mudgett led off the Medford first with a base hit to right and took second on a throwing error after Trenton Woebbeking popped up his bunt attempt. Kole Karaba started his three-for-four night with an RBI single. Aiden Gardner reached on an infield single, then Karaba scored on a bad relay throw when Minocqua tried to turn a double play on Brett Paul’s fielder’s choice.

Dan Biertzer doubled in a run for Minocqua in the second. Sam Johnson started Minocqua’s big fifth inning with a single. Nate Hopkins followed with another and an errant throw on Willie Augustyne’s grounder tied the game. Peter Aerts singled in the go-ahead run and a successful double steal made it 4-2. Josh Randolph later singled in the final run of the inning.

Medford left the bases loaded in the bottom half but did get one in on Taylor Shaw’s sacrifice fly. Medford stranded two runners and had one thrown out at the plate in the sixth. Karaba’s RBI single in the eighth closed the gap to 5-4, but the Moondogs stranded two more runners.

Aerts doubled and scored on a base hit by Trevor Roszczewski to start the ninth. A passed ball with the bases loaded and an RBI single by Hopkins put the game out of reach for the Moondogs.

Austin Davies went two for three and walked twice, while Gardner was two for five for Medford. Paul was the losing pitcher. In six innings, he struck out nine, walked four and allowed 12 hits and five runs, four of which were earned. Karaba covered the last three innings, striking out four and walking one. He gave up five hits and three runs.

Roszczewski got the win. He went five innings and gave up just six hits and three runs, one of which was earned. He struck out five and walked four. Aerts got the four-inning save, allowing an unearned run, three hits, two walks and a hit batter. He struck out six.

Randolph went four for five out of the sixth spot in Minocqua’s batting order, while Hopkins was also four for five. Aerts was three for five.

Medford is at Interwald Sunday, while Minocqua is at Marshfield for a key game between teams in the upper half of the league standings.

In other action over the weekend:

_ The Interwald Woodticks played a close and a not-so-close one in a pair of road losses and fell to 1-7. Tomahawk edged Interwald 4-3 on Saturday night, while Everest rolled to a 13-2 win in seven innings in Sunday’s make-up date of a May 28 postponement.

_ The Westboro Trojans also slipped to 1-7 as they were blasted in seven innings 19-2 by host Everest on Friday night. A 14-run first inning by the home team put that game away early. Westboro hosts Pittsville Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in a matchup between two of the teams currently tied at the bottom of the Dairyland standings.

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