Strong pitching, two key rallies give Redmen regional title

WIAA DIV. 4 BASEBALL REGIONAL FINAL

Michael Borchardt used almost every available pitch he had to get through seven strong innings and Jordan Yanko and Logan Blomberg both hit run-scoring triples in the Rib Lake baseball team’s 7-3 win over top-seeded Thorp in a June 1 WIAA Division 4 regional final.

The third-seeded Redmen won their third straight post-season game and second straight on the road to secure the program’s first regional championship since the state runner-up run of 2016.

Borchardt threw 99 pitches to get the complete-game victory. The junior struck out three batters, walked four and allowed seven hits and three runs, two of which were earned. Offensively, the Redmen got key contributions at some point from nearly everyone in the lineup to eliminate the Cardinals (9-9), who had used their top pitcher, Aiden Rosemeyer, in a 5-0 win over fourth-seeded Owen-Withee in a regional semifinal the previous night.

The Redmen built a 7-0 lead by scoring in the third, fifth and sixth innings.

In the third, Logan Blomberg drew a one-out walk from Thorp starter Gavin Boie, stole second and scored on Yanko’s triple. Jake Matyka’s sacrifice fly scored Yanko and made it 2-0.

Sam Gumz walked to lead off the fifth, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Blomberg’s one-out triple. The Redmen eventually loaded the bases in that inning, but did not do any more damage.

They did do some big damage, however in the top of the sixth, breaking the game open.

Dominic Quednow started the inning with a double off reliever Ashton Kroeplin. With one out, Gumz walked. Borchardt’s single scored Quednow. After Blomberg walked, Yanko drove in a run with a base hit, Matyka’s fielder’s choice scored Gumz and, after Andrew Wudi walked to load the bases, Jackson Blomberg was hit by a pitch to force in a run.

Yanko was two for three, scored twice and drove in two runs. Matyka was hitless in two at-bats but had a walk, a sacrifi ce and two RBIs. In all, Rib Lake had six hits.

The Redmen survived a couple of midgame threats, involving Rosemeyer, who is also Thorp’s top offensive threat. With the game still tight at 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth, he came up with the bases loaded and hit a drive to deep center that Gumz pulled in. In the sixth, the Cardinals strung some hits and walks together to score three runs and, again, load the bases for Rosemeyer with two outs. Representing the tying run, he hit another fly ball that was caught this time by Quednow in right.

Borchardt allowed two base runners in the ninth before striking out Brady Stewart on his 99th pitch to end the game.