This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Chaparrals amateur baseball team took a while to get rolling Wednesday night against the Medford Moon Dogs, but when it was all said and done they had their seventh win of the season, a 7-3 decision at Marshfield’s Jack Hackman Field.
Chaparrals starting pitchers Jack Donahue and his counterpart from Medford, Brett Paul, were locked in a pitcher’s duel into the sixth inning.
Neither were seriously threatened until Marshfield’s Nate McDonald lifted a high fly to the pitcher’s mound that quickly turned into a circus. Several Moon Dogs laid claim to the ball, but in the end, McDonald stood on second base with the ball on the ground.
After a couple outs, the Moon Dogs appeared to have dodged a bullet only to have Paul walk Austin Palacek and Ryan Metz. Austin Littman lashed a single to left for only the sixth hit off Paul and the Chaps finally led 1-0.
“Jack pitched well,” said Chaparral player/manager Justin Rayburn, “but we just couldn’t string anything together offensively until the seventh. It took one big inning tonight.”
Riley Erickson led off the decisive seventh by getting hit by a pitch. Sam Schwanebeck ended Paul’s night with a single to left. Marshal Westphal replaced Paul on the mound.
McDonald’s speed disrupted the Moon Dogs yet again when a routine ground-out turned into an infield error and McDonald was on to load the bases. Luke Wirtz walked to drive in a run, Bobby Pilz got one over the second baseman’s head to score Schwanebeck, and Palacek was hit by Westphal, ending his stint on the mound, while also driving in another run.
Trenton Webbeking got a strikeout before Littman drove in a run with a walk. Rayburn ended the scoring with a ball down the third base line that Pilz evaded, as did the third baseman, allowing two more runs to score and the Chaps led 7-0.
That was more than enough for Donahue. The Moon Dogs scored three in the ninth to provide the final score. Donahue went the distance allowing nine hits while striking out two and walking one. Just two of the three runs allowed were earned.
Rayburn, Pilz and Schwanebeck all had two hits for the Chaps. Rayburn had two RBIs, Pilz had one, and Littman drove in a pair with his single and a walk.
The Chaps (7-1) play a league game Sunday at Abbotsford at 1:30 p.m.
Chaparrals 7, Moon Dogs 3
Medford 000 000 003 – 3 9 2
Marshfield 000 001 60x – 7 9 2
WP: Jack Donahue. LP: Brett Paul.
SO: Paul (6 inn.) 3, Marshall Westphal (0 inn.) 0, Trenton Webbeking (2 inn.) 2; Donahue (9 inn.) 2. BB: Paul 5, Westphal 1; Donahue 1.
Top hitters: MED, Ben Lindgren 3×4, RBI, Westphal 2×4. MAR, Justin Rayburn 2×5, 2 RBIs; Bobby Pilz 2×5, RBI; Sam Schwanebeck 2×5; Austin Littman 1×3, 2 RBIs.
Records: Marshfield 7-1. Medford: not reported.