This story is sponsored by: Sternweis & Sons
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
GILLETT – The Auburndale baseball team rode its pitching to capture a regional title and move into Tuesday’s WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal against No. 1 seed Bonduel.
After a pair of shutouts over Marawood Conference rivals Marathon and Stratford, the Eagles turned to Aden Cherney on Tuesday and he pitched another gem, however, one key hit by Bonduel was enough to end Auburndale’s season.
Brodie Hartmann smacked a single to right field to send home both of the Bears’ runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and Bonduel was able to escape with a 2-1 win.
Cherney was cruising along through five innings, working around baserunners in three of the frames before a three-up three-down fifth.
Auburndale was able to give him a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Kaden Anderson led off the inning with a triple and scored on a single by Asa Soppe.
The 1-0 lead remained until Bonduel threatened in the sixth. Cade Johnson led off with a single and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out allowed Johnson to take third, Cherney worked around Noah Weier and eventually gave him an intentional walk on a 3-1 count, and he promptly stole second without a throw. Hartmann followed with a ringing single to right to score both runners and suddenly give the Bears the lead.
“I really didn’t know if we were going to get any more runs off them,” Auburndale coach Jay Anderson said. “I know you don’t want the winning run at second, but we had to win it 1-0. Kaden had the big hit and Asa’s was a big hit, but other than that we didn’t get much.
“(Hartmann) didn’t have very good at-bats against Aden. We had to get out of that inning and finish it 1-0. We had to play for that one inning.”
After a wild pitch, Cherney earned his fifth strikeout to get out of the inning with no further damage.
Johnson, who relieved Weier in the fifth inning, set down all eight batters he faced, which included sending the Eagles (14-6) down in order in the seventh to end their season in the sectional semifinals for the second-straight year.
“It’s a tough one,” Anderson said. “We were right there. Trying to win another one with a shutout is obviously tough, but it seems to be the only shot we had. It’s tough to take right now.”
Bonduel (23-3) went on to defeat Neenah St. Mary Catholic 6-0 in the sectional championship game Tuesday afternoon to qualify for the WIAA state tournament for the first time in program history.
Bears 2, Eagles 1
Auburndale 000 100 0 – 1 3 0
Bonduel 000 002 x – 2 4 2
WP: Cade Johnson. LP: Aden Cherney.
SO: Cherney 5; Noah Weier (4 inn.) 4, Cade Johnson (3 inn.) 1. BB: Cherney 2; Weier 3, Johnson 0.
Top hitters: A, Kaden Anderson 3B, run; Asa Soppe 1×2, RBI; Peyton Weinfurter 1×2. B, Johnson 1×3, run; Weier 1×2, run; Brodie Hartmann 1×2, 2 RBI.
Records: Auburndale 14-6; Bonduel 22-3.