This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – A promising and successful season for the Columbus Catholic baseball team came to a screeching halt Wednesday at Safford Field.
Eleva-Strum scratched across the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning without hitting the ball out of the infield and held on for a 2-1 win over the Dons in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal.
The No. 5 seed Eleva-Strum (18-8) moves on to a D-4 regional final at No. 1 Bangor (18-0) on Thursday with a spot in next Tuesday’s sectional at Blair-Taylor on the line.
The No. 4 seed Columbus Catholic ends its season with a 16-4 record, which included a Cloverbelt Conference East Division title and one playoff win.
The Cardinals scored the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly Brady Zimple in the second inning against Columbus Catholic starter Mac Konieczny, who was unusually wild but effective as he left the game after four innings with eight strikeouts and six walks, but just one hit allowed.
The Dons tied it up in the third as Nathan Nemitz walked, went to second on a wild pitch, moved over to third on an infield single by Blake Jakobi, and scored on a sac fly by Mac Konieczny.
Emmitt Konieczny entered on the mound for Columbus and worked out of a jam in the fifth, but could not do the same in the sixth.
Tyler Webb led off the frame with a walk for the Cardinals. He later stole second and after a strikeout, a groundout moved him over to third. It looked like Konieczny might wiggle out of trouble again as Justin Becker hit a bouncer into no-man’s land between the mound and first base. Konieczny slid to gather the ball but couldn’t find a grip and Becker made it to first safely, allowing Webb to score, giving Eleva-Strum a 2-1 lead.
Carter Gunderson allowed just one more baserunner over the final two innings, finishing off the complete-game victory with his eighth strikeout to send the Cardinals to the regional final.
Jakobi had two of the Dons’ four hits.
Cardinals 2, Dons 1
Eleva-Strum 010 001 0 – 2 3 0
Columbus Catholic 001 000 0 – 1 4 1
WP: Carter Gunderson. LP: Emmitt Konieczny.
SO: Gunderson 8; Mac Konieczny (4 inn.) 8, E. Konieczny (3 inn.) 4. BB: Gunderson 2; M. Konieczny 6, E. Konieczny 3.
Top hitters: ES, Justin Becker 1×3, RBI; Brady Zimple RBI. CC, Blake Jakobi 2×3, 2B; M. Konieczny RBI.
Records: Eleva-Strum 18-8; Columbus Catholic 16-4.