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OSSEO – The Stratford Legion baseball team finished as the runner-up at the 2024 Wisconsin Class A American Legion Baseball State Tournament, losing in the championship game to Lomira 9-8 in 10 innings on Tuesday night.
Stratford reached the final with an 8-1 rout of Viroqua before dropping the championship game to Lomira, which finished the double-elimination tournament with a 5-0 record. Stratford ends its season with a 16-9 record.
Stratford pitcher Henry Zaleski tossed a complete game in the opener, giving up just one run – in the bottom of the seventh – and scattered six hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight.
Brady Berg had three hits, and he and Jaeger Ormond each had two RBI in the victory.
The championship game against Lomira was an up-and-down affair.
Stratford jumped out to a 5-1 lead after a three-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Riley Kroening.
Lomira scratched away and took a 7-6 lead with a four-run sixth before Stratford was able to tie it on an RBI single by Ormond. in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings.
After a scoreless eighth, both teams scored a run in the ninth as Stratford was able to extend the game on a bases-loaded walk by Riley Spindler.
In the 10th, Lomira scored on a two-out RBI single by Jack Luedtke. Stratford put two runners on in the bottom of the 10th with one out, but couldn’t find the magic again.
Viroqua 8, Stratford 1
Stratford 320 002 1 – 8 10 0
Viroqua 000 000 1 – 1 6 1
WP: Henry Zaleski. LP: Connor Mathison.
SO: Zaleski 8; Mathison (2/3 inn.) 0, Brayden Peterson (6 inn.) 9, Alex Hoyum (1/3 inn.) 0. BB: Zaleski 0; Mathison 0, Peterson 5, Hoyum 0.
Top hitters: S, Riley Spindler 2 runs; Brady Berg 3×4, 2 RBI; Jaeger Ormond 2 RBI; Riley Kroening 2 runs; Vance Kielman 2×3, 2B, RBI; Jack Tubbs 2B, RBI. V, Tyler Quackenbusch 2B, run.
Records: Stratford 16-8; Viroqua 32-12.
Lomira 9, Stratford 8 (10 inn.)
Lomira 100 114 001 1 – 9 14 6
Stratford 203 010 101 0 – 8 15 2
WP: Dalton Zingsheim. LP: Kielman.
SO: Matt Schelvan (7 inn.) 2, Zingsheim (3 inn.) 2; Brady Berg (6 inn.) 1, Kielman (4 inn.) 2. BB: Schelvan 2, Zingsheim 3; Berg 5, Kielman 0.
Top hitters: L, Jack Luedtke 3×5, 3 runs, 3 RBI; Josh Steger 2×5; Steers 3×3, 2B, 3 RBI; Talan Luedtke 2×4, RBI; Zingsheim 2×5. S, Spindler 2×5; Tubbs 4×6, 2B, 2 runs; Berg 2 RBI; Zaleski 2 runs; Brady Schmidt 2×4, 2 runs; Ormond 2 RBI; Kielman 3×6; Kroening 2 RBI.
Records: Lomira not reported; Stratford 16-9.
2024 Wisconsin Class A American Legion Baseball State Tournament
Aug. 2-6, at Osseo
Double Elimination
Friday, Aug. 2
Game 1: Lomira 2, Little Chute 1 (8 inn.)
Game 2: Viroqua 11, Westby 1
Game 3: Stratford 5, Baldwin 0
Game 4: Fond du Lac Springs 4, Osseo 1
Saturday, Aug. 3
Game 5: Little Chute 15, Baldwin 0
Game 6: Westby 17, Osseo 5
Game 7: Lomira 10, Stratford 0
Game 8: Viroqua 5, Fond du Lac Springs 2
Sunday, Aug. 4
Game 9: Stratford 2, Westby 1
Game 10: Fond du Lac Springs 1, Little Chute 0
Game 11: Lomira 12, Viroqua 2
Tuesday, Aug. 6
Game 12: Stratford 8, Viroqua 1
Game 13: Lomira 15, Fond du Lac Springs 1
Game 14: Lomira 9, Stratford 8 (10 inn.)