State baseball

Continued from page 13

ning. Schuett came through in a clutch situation with a two RBI single to left field that scored Hackel and Apfelbeck. Gavin Mauer reached first base on a fielder’s choice with Ellenbecker the force out at third base. Sawyer Weiland then lined out to center field to end the inning.

Pacelli’s offense was back at it again by scoring four runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 14-2 advantage. Beduhn was hit by Stahnke’s pitch. Garski popped out to Stahnke for the first out. Beduhn then stole second base without a throw. Lucas Haemmerle had an RBI single to center field that scored Beduhn. Uemura smacked an RBI triple. It was his third triple of the game, which is a new record for most triples in a state tournament game among all divisions. Nate Haemmerle had an RBI ground out to first baseman Fletcher Weiland for the second out in the inning. Reincke doubled down the left field line. Senior Nathan Reimer pinch ran for Reincke and he scored on Schober’s single down the left field line. Bryce Flaker flied out to Edgar left fielder Brock Mauer to end the inning but damage had already been done.

Edgar’s Fletcher Weiland grounded out to shortstop to start the top of the fourth inning. Brock Mauer walked. Hackel struck out swinging for the second out of the inning. Stahnke and Apfelbeck both walked to load the bases. Ellenbecker fouled off two of Opper’s pitches before grounding into a fielder’s choice to get Apfelbeck out at second base to end the inning.

The Wildcats executed their first 1-2-3 inning of the game against the Cardinals in the bottom of the fourth. Stahnke struck out Braeden Flaker looking, Beduhn popped out to second baseman Apfelbeck and Garski grounded out to Stahnke.

Edgar, however, was sent down 1-2-3 by Opper in the top of the fifth inning to end the game. Schuett struck out swinging, Gavin Mauer grounded out to second base and Sawyer Weiland flied out to left field.

Coach Handrick reflected on Edgar’s baseball team reaching its goal of returning to the state tournament this season after losing in sectionals last year.

“I think it meant the world to them,” he said. “Now by no means is that all they wanted but it was like ‘hey we made it down once let’s make it down twice to solidify what we are building here,’ so they were proud to make it down but they definitely had all the aspirations of making some noise down here and we just came up on the short end today.”

SECURING THE CATCH IN THE SUN- Edgar senior second baseman Jase Apfelbeck catches a pop up by Stevens Point Pacelli senior Malise Bedhun in the Wildcats 1-2-3 top of the fourth inning against the Cardinals in Tuesday’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinal in Grand Chute.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER