By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield baseball team stood three outs away from taking over the top spot in the Wisconsin Valley Conference standings, but Rhinelander failed to go away quietly.
After the Tigers scored twice in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead, Rhinelander put four on the board in the top of the seventh and went on to a 6-3 victory Tuesday at Jack Hackman Field.
The victory leaves the Hodags (7-2, 3-0 WVC) as the lone undefeated team in the Valley. Marshfield (2-7, 2-1 WVC) falls into a tie for second place.
“This was a good game, a good high school baseball game,” Marshfield coach Mark Zee said. “There were comebacks and take your hats off to Rhinelander, they came back at the end.”
Rhinelander pitcher Sam Huebner was cruising after a shaky first inning. Marshfield took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Brett Baur in the bottom of the first, then Huebner was unhittable.
Kyle Comer had a two-run double off Marshfield pitcher Sully Luepke in the third to put the Hodags ahead as Huebner was mowing down the Tigers.
The Hodags’ right-hander sent down 14 straight Tigers – including nine by strikeout – and took the 2-1 lead into the sixth when Marshfield caught a break.
Luepke and Elliot Ashbeck started the inning with singles – the first hits off Huebner since the first. Josh Lutz sacrificed and Baur was intentionally walked to load the bases for Austin Littman.
Littman, who delivered a walk-off game-winner last Tuesday against Wausau West, came up big again, but with a little help.
Rhinelander first baseman Alex Henkel dropped a pop-up in foul territory to give Littman another chance and connected for an infield single that scored Luepke with the tying run.
After a strikeout, Brian Brost ripped a single to left to plate Ashbeck and give Marshfield a 3-2 lead.
“He (Huebner) was hitting his spots. He has a real sharp fastball,” Zee said. “He was really working his location. We were patient and had a chance.”
Luepke was cruising along as well, but the Tigers’ defense fell on hard times in the seventh. Luepke walked his first of the game to lead off the inning and an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt, putting runners on second and third. Another error loaded the bases and Dan Kellan smacked a two-run single to give Rhinelander the lead.
The Hodags added two more runs – on an RBI groundout by Huebner and a run-scoring single by Comer – and Huebner did the rest, retiring the Tigers in order in the bottom of the seventh. He finished with 12 strikeouts and gave up just five hits and two walks.
Luepke finished with eight strikeouts and one walk, allowing nine hits and three earned runs.
“Both teams played pretty well defensively, we just didn’t cover the bunt at the end,” Zee said. “Sully pitched really well. He’s a horse. He’s doing what he always does, keeps us in it right until the end.”
Marshfield hosts Wausau East at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Jack Hackman Field.
Hodags 6, Tigers 3
Rhinelander 002 000 4 – 6 9 2
Marshfield 100 002 0 – 3 5 2
WP: Sam Huebner. LP: Sully Luepke.
SO: Huebner 12; Luepke 8. BB: Huebner 2; Luepke 1.
Top hitters: R, Kyle Comer 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBIs; Dan Kellen 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Nate Schmidt 2 runs. M, Luepke 2 runs.
Records: Rhinelander 7-2, 3-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Marshfield 2-7, 2-1 WVC.
