DAIRYLAND LEAGUE LARGE DIVISION - Rapids wins in extras, gets a sweep
A bloop and two blasts accounted for all of the Wisconsin Rapids Redhawks’ offense in game one of Sunday’s doubleheader and one big inning did most of the damage in game two in their sweep of Whittlesey at Mike Roiger Stadium.
The Redhawks, who hold a comfortable lead atop the Dairyland League’s Large Division heading into the final weekend of league play, needed an extra inning but took game one 7-2 and used a nine-run third to take game two 12-2.
Whittlesey has lost six of its last seven games and fell to 5-8 in the division standings with one game remaining Sunday at Rhinelander, who is also 5-8.
Whittlesey got a well-pitched game from Nick Retterath in Sunday’s opener, but a couple of breaks went against the Reds in a pitcher’s duel between Retterath and Redhawk JD Schultz.
The Redhawks jumped ahead on Nathan Krommenakker’s perfectly-placed two-out, two-run bloop single down the leftfield line in the top of the first inning. From there, Retterath shut them out in what was supposed to be a seven-inning contest.
The Reds tied it in the controversial bottom of the fifth inning. Zach Haynes led off by reaching on a throwing error and Cody Loertscher walked. Jeff Kraschnewski attempted to bunt the runners into scoring position, but Schultz fielded it and got the force on Loertscher at second, who did not slide and collided with Krommekker, the Rapids shortstop. Loertscher was ejected, leaving the shorthanded Reds with just eight fielders for the rest of the game.
When play resumed, Cade Alexander laced a double to the leftfield corner to score Haynes. Parker Lissner singled in Kraschnewski with the tying run. Payton Nelson then relieved Schultz and got Darren Leonhard to hit a check-swing grounder to third. Rapids threw home to cut down Alexander for the second out of the inning. After a walk, Nelson got a strikeout to end the inning.
Rapids put the game away in the extra eighth inning with two big swings. Lefthanded hitting Kam Oliver pulled a threerun homer over the rightfield fence and Dylan Cunningham added a two-run shot to left.
Retterath went 7.2 innings, allowing seven hits and seven earned runs. He walked six and struck out six. Nelson got the relief win. In 3.2 scoreless innings, he struck out four, walked two and allowed two hits. Schultz struck out five, walked five and allowed two hits and an earned run in 4.1 innings.
Haynes was two for four for the Reds in game one.
Game two started well for Whittlesey. Lissner singled, moved to second on Leonhard’s bunt and scored on Logan Baumgartner’s single for a 1-0 first-inning lead. Baumgartner hit a solo homer with two outs in the third to make it 2-0.
But the roof caved in on Whittlesey in the bottom of the third when Rapids scored nine times. Cunningham hit the goahead two-out RBI double. Schultz added a two-run single and Andrew Chapman added a two-run double that knocked Baumgartner off the pitching mound after 2.2 innings. Only one of the nine runs was earned. He allowed eight hits.
Rapids scored twice in the fifth and Schultz homered on the first pitch of the bottom of the sixth to end the game via the 10-run rule.
Baumgartner, Alexander and Kraschnewski each went two for three for the Reds, while Lissner was two for four. Blaine Wahlen got the win for Rapids. Though he allowed 10 hits, he only gave up the two runs on three strikeouts and one walk.
With an 11-3 win and then a forfeit loss against Rhinelander Saturday, followed by a 12-8 loss at Marshfield Monday, the Redhawks are 9-2 in the Large Division. They’re still in good shape to win the division title. Everest is closing in at 9-4 and hosts Rapids tonight, Thursday. Minocqua is in third place at 6-5.
Whittlesey’s game at Rhinelander Sunday is set to start at 1:30 p.m.
