This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Chaparrals amateur baseball team hasn’t had many close games this season, nor have they been part of many pitching duels. They encountered both Wednesday night at Marshfield’s Jack Hackman Field before prevailing 3-1 over the Plover Pterodactyls.
The usually potent Chaparrals (13-1), winners of 11 straight games, got all the runs they needed in the second inning, but not much else the rest of the night,
Jack Donahue was hit by a pitch to lead off the second for Marshfield. Bobby Pilz and Luciuis Messerschmidt then drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. After an out, Austin Littman lifted a sacrifice fly to left to score Donahue. Justin Rayburn followed that with a ball that the third baseman misplayed allowing Pilz to score and the Chaps were up 2-0.
After that the pitchers took over.
Chaparrals starter Hunter Korger and Pterodactyls hurler Zach Hintz both put plenty of zeroes on the board as the two teams combined for just nine hits.
The Chaps got their last run in the sixth when Pilz led off with a single to right. Messerschmidt sacrificed Pilz to second, and following a fly out, Littman singled to plate Pilz for his second RBI.
Plover got their only run in the eighth when leadoff man Andy Tepp reached on an error. Ryan Makuski walked, and after a groundout, Derek Lemmens hit a sacrifice fly to right to score the unearned run, ending Korger’s night.
With a 3-1 lead, the Chaps went to closer Kade Lancour, who promptly struck out the first two men he faced. Hintz then dribbled an infield safety giving the Pterodactyls a much-needed baserunner. Walks to Tepp and Makuski loaded the bases, bringing John Jazz to the plate. With the tying run at second, Jazz hit a 3-2 pitch to Littman at short, who ended the game with an accurate throw.
“Hunter stayed around the zone and really pitched a good game, despite one of our worst defensive nights” said Rayburn, the Chaparrals player/manager. “(Thursday’s) game will be a good test for us. Eau Claire always has a solid ball team.”
The Chaps will play at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night against the Eau Claire Cavaliers at Carson Park in Eau Claire.
Chaparrals 3, Pterodactyls 1
Plover 000 000 010 – 1 4 2
Marshfield 020 000 00x – 3 5 3
WP: Hunter Korger. LP: Zach Hintz. SV: Kade Lancour.
SO: Hintz (8 inn.) 6; Korger (8 inn.) 4, Lancour (1 inn.) 2. BB: Hintz 5; Korger 2, Lancour 2.
Top hitters: P, Derek Lemmens 1×3, RBI. M, Jack Donahue 1×2; Austin Littman 1×3, 2 RBIs; Riley Erickson 1×3, 2B; Bobby Pilz 1×3, 2 runs.
Records: Marshfield 13-1; Plover not reported.