This story is sponsored by: All Insurance of Marshfield
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
RIB LAKE- The Marshfield Chaparrals amateur baseball team had one of those rare days in this highly-successful season, where very little went right.
The Chaps bowed out in their opening Wisconsin Baseball Association playoff game, losing to the Hudson River Rats 14-8 and ending their season with a 17-5 record.
The usually potent Chaps’ bats had little luck against Hudson starter Paul Johnson, managing just three hits through the first six innings. In fact, Johnson mowed down the Chaps 1-2-3 in four of the seven innings he pitched.
Similarly, the usually dependable pitching staff was equally missing in action. When starter Bobby Pilz ran into trouble with two outs in the third, Hunter Korger replaced him only to be greeted by a grand slam off the bat of Luke LeMay. That nine-spot in the third effectively ended the Chaparrals’ season.
Trailing 11-0 in the seventh, Sam Schwanebeck walked and Nate McDonald singled. After an out, Jack Donahue drove them both in to stave off the 10-run rule, and finally chased Johnson.
The Chaps took a little frustration out on River Rats reliever Dave Williams when they bashed him around to the tune of six runs in the last two innings, with the highlights being a pair of two-run singles off the bats of McDonald and Riley Erickson. Those two combined for six hits, including three doubles, and five RBIs.
Korger, Kade Lancour and Ryan Metz finished up on the hill and kept the Rats at bay for the most part. but the damage was done and it was still 14-8 when the smoke cleared.
“Hudson outplayed us in every aspect of the game,” Chaparrals player/manager Justin Rayburn said. “We didn’t play very well today but that’s baseball.”
“Although the season didn’t end the way we had hoped, we really put together a successful summer. I’m proud of our guys for their efforts. It was a fun team with a good mix of veterans and younger guys that meshed well.”
River Rats 14, Chaparrals 8
Hudson 009 011 003 – 14 11 2
Marshfield 000 000 233 – 8 11 2
WP: Paul Johnson. LP: Bobby Pilz.
SO: Johnson (7 inn.) 5, Dave Williams (2 inn.) 3; Pilz (2 2/3 inn.) 2, Hunter Korger (2 1/3 inn.) 2, Kade Lancour (3 1/3 inn.), Ryan Metz (1/3 inn.) 0. BB: Johnson 2, Williams 2; Pilz 5, Korger 1, Lancour 5.
Top hitters: H, Alex Barnard 3×4, 2 RBIs; Luke LeMay 2×5, HR, 5 RBIs; Brady Gunderson 2×5, RBI; Jason Hollar 1×3, 3 RBIs. M- Riley Erickson 3×5, 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs; Nate McDonald 3×5, 2B, 2 RBIs; Jack Donahue 1×2, 2 RBIs.
Records: Marshfield 17-5; Hudson 11-11.