Redmen rout Rockets 12-1; Iverson hits the 500 milestone
RIB LAKE BASEBALL
The Rib Lake Redmen used a trio of four-run innings Monday to put an early end to their regular-season finale, a five-inning 12-1 non-conference victory at Spencer.
Rib Lake collected 11 hits, controlled the game from outset with a big first inning and two pitchers combined to allow just three hits as the Redmen improved to 9-7 overall.
“We hit the ball hard all day. We played really well,” head coach Dick Iverson said. Monday marked a milestone for Iverson, who recorded his 500th career win. He ranks fifth in wins among the state’s active coaches. Royall’s Joe Vitcenda, Fond du Lac’s Marty Paulsen and Pecatonica’s Jim Strommen all have surpassed 600 wins and Rosholt’s Jack Brooks is over 560.
With the 500th win, Iverson cracked the top 10 alltime in state history, tying Bruce Erickson who had 500 wins at Appleton West and North before retiring in 2005.
Rib Lake’s teams under Iverson are 500-231 since he took over in the program in 1984.
“It means a few things,” Iverson said Wednesday. “Number one, you better have a wife (Teri) who supports you because it’s a lot of games. If you don’t have that, you’re never going to make it. You have to be in the game awhile and you have to have guys who believe in what you’re doing. Those three things will get you there.”
Monday’s game got off to a fast start. Sam Gumz hit a leadoff single and Michael Borchardt and Logan Blomberg were hit by pitches from Spencer starter Andrew Sieracki to load the bases. Jordan Yanko’s fly ball to left was misplayed, scoring Gumz. Jake Matyka drove in Borchardt with a groundout, Andrew Wudi singled in Blomberg and Dominic Quednow’s sacrifice fly scored Yanko to make it 4-0.
The next four-run rally came in the fourth. Walks to Brady Heiser, Gumz and Borchardt loaded the bases for Blomberg, who knocked in two with a base hit. Yanko’s double scored two more.
After the Rockets (6-14) got an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth, the Redmen put it away in the fifth. Dalen Gebauer and Gumz singled to set the table for Borchardt, who singled in Gebauer. Blomberg’s double knocked in two and capped his three for three day at the plate that included four RBIs. Tyler Matyka’s groundout drove in the 12th run of the game.
Borchardt struck out three, walked two and allowed two hits in four innings. Blomberg struck out two and allowed a hit in the fifth. Gumz and Jake Matyka both went two for three.
Thursday’s non-conference game with Columbus Catholic was canceled due to the day’s stormy weather.
The Redmen now head into WIAA Division 4 postseason play, which starts today, Thursday, with regional quarterfinal play. Rib Lake drew the third seed in its six-team regional bracket and will host sixth-seeded Prentice at 4:45 p.m. The Redmen had no trouble with their Marawood North rivals in the regular season, winning games 11-1 and 16-1.
The winner earns a trip to second-seeded Athens (9-7) on Tuesday for the regional semifinal. The Redmen and Blue Jays split an April 19 doubleheader in league play. The other side of the bracket has fifth-seeded Butternut-Mercer (4-11) visiting fourth-seeded Owen-Withee (3-10) today. The winner goes to top-seeded Thorp (8-7) on Tuesday.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Iverson said. “We’re playing really good ball. We’ve got guys healthy, knock on wood. We’ve been kind of banged up or sick for a lot of the year. We’ve had kids miss games because of illness and injury. But I think it’s been a really good year. We’ve been in most of the games. Right now we’ve finally got most of the guys in our lineup hitting the ball pretty well. The pitchers are throwing strikes. If you can do that, you’ve got a good shot going into the tournament.”
