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Chaparrals use late offense to fly away from Osprey

Chaparrals use late offense to fly away from Osprey Chaparrals use late offense to fly away from Osprey

4TH PLACE: MARSHFIELD 9, RIB LAKE 3

Bryant Konieczny pitched seven solid innings to keep Rib Lake close, but the Marshfield Chaparrals broke through against the bullpen in the last two innings and took Saturday night’s fourthplace game 9-3 in the final Dairyland League crossover game of the weekend.

What was a 2-1 game went to 6-1 in the top of the eighth and the Chaps sealed it with three more runs in the top of the ninth after Rib Lake had closed the gap to 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth.

Marshfield got the victory in what was likely a must-win situation for the team to qualify for the Wisconsin Baseball Association tournament. The Chaps finished 6-7 in league play and got a spot in regional play at Jack Hackman Field in Marshfield. They will play the Eau Claire Bears and Washburn Sharptails in pool play Aug. 12-- 14. The Osprey finished 7-6 in league play and was awarded a spot in the Tilden regional tournament Aug. 12-14. They will play the Tilden Tigers and Viroqua Sox in pool play at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls with the pool champion advancing to the WBA Finals. The Finals are being hosted by the Mississippi Valley League Aug. 19-21 at four different diamonds.

Konieczny scattered seven hits and did not allow an earned run in his start. He struck out six, walked four and hit two batters. But Chase Higgins was just as good for Marshfi eld. He got the win, going eight innings. He gave up 11 hits but nine strikeouts got him out of trouble for the most part. He walked two and hit one while allowing three runs, two of which were earned.

Both teams stranded four base runners through the scoreless first three innings. Marshfield broke the tie in the fourth on Brent Ystad’s groundout with the bases loaded, but the inning could’ve been worse for Rib Lake. Isaiah Baierl’s two-out rocket up the middle would’ve scored at least one more run had it not hit base umpire Elmer Allen’s leg and kept the baseball on the infield.

The Osprey tied the game right back up in the bottom half when Mateo Lopez reached on an infield single and scored all the way from first base when Austin Zondlo’s opposite-field hit got by Marshfi eld leftfielder Caden Schillinger. The Chaps regained the lead in the sixth when they loaded the bases again but only got one run out of it on Schillinger’s walk.

Jeff Ziembo took over the pitching duties for Rib Lake in the eighth and was immediately greeted by a triple from Higgins. An error and a hit batter loaded the bases for Luke Wirtz, who singled to left. Two runs scored on the play, which included a throwing error. Jason Kurth drove in a run with a ground out and the third run of the inning scored on a strikeout on a pitch on the dirt where the out had to be recorded at first.

Rib Lake’s youngest players sparked its last-gasp rally in the bottom half. Gavin Phillips led off by pulling a double down the leftfield line. Zondlo hit a twoout single and took second on the throw back to the infield. Tucker Phillips drove in his twin brother by beating out an infi eld hit to deep short. Ziembo’s base hit scored Zondlo, but Ziembo wound up getting caught in a rundown to unfortunately end the rally. The Chaps got three runs off Jon Dallmann in the ninth on three hits, two walks and a hit batter.

Ziembo had three of Rib Lake’s 11 hits, while Lopez and Zondlo added two apiece. Higgins went three for six for Marshfield and Wirtz was three for five.

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