This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield built a big lead, saw Wausau pull even in the seventh inning, and then pulled out an extra-inning win, beating the Bulldogs 8-6 in a Class AAA American Legion baseball first-round regional game Wednesday night at Jack Hackman Field.
Marshfield (12-9) moves into a winners’ bracket game against Plover (15-8) at 7 p.m. Thursday. Wausau (13-13) will play an elimination game at 1 p.m. against Wisconsin Rapids (9-3).
Marshfield built a 5-0 lead, scoring on an RBI double by Logan Homolka in the first, an RBI single by Parker Weik in the third, and on a pair of RBI singles by Nick Urban and Riley Bauman, and an error in the fourth.
Greg Glovinski had an RBI single to get Wausau on the board in the fourth, only to be matched by Marshfield in the fifth. Homolka led off with his second double of the game, and after two walks, Dayne Diethelm had an RBI single to make it 6-1 in favor of the Blue Devils. Chandler Schmidt was thrown out on the play as he was caught between third and home, and Wausau pitcher Lane Juedes was able to get out the jam with a groundout and a strikeout.
The Bulldogs chased Marshfield starter Kale Weisenberger in the sixth after Wes Schneider delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit to 6-3.
Noah Grimm got the final out of the inning but ran into trouble in the seventh as Wausau rallied.
Cole Osness singled, and after a strikeout, Jack Napgezek had another single. Glovinski walked to load the bases and Schmidt entered to try to save it. The Bulldogs had other ideas.
J.T. Gorski hit a flare of the head of Homolka at first to score one run, and after another strikeout, Jacob Hamann cracked a single to center to score two more and tie the game at 6-6. Schmidt struck out Schneider to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, Marshfield quickly got to work.
Urban was hit by a pitch, Carsten Jirschele walked, and Bauman beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a single to load the bases. Peter Earll hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Urban, and Wausau pitcher Evan Graff uncorked a wild pitch to plate another run, putting the Blue Devils up 8-6.
Schmidt hit a batter with one out, but coaxed a fly ball and struck out the final hitter to finish off the victory and send Marshfield into a winners’ bracket game Thursday night.
Each team finished with 12 hits as all nine of the Marshfield starters, and eight of the nine Wausau hitters had at least one hit.
Weik, Bauman and Homolka each had two hits for Marshfield, with Schneider, Osness, Glovinski and Gorski finishing with two hits each for the Bulldogs.
All three games on Thursday in the double-elimination tournament, which includes 1-0 Stevens Point against 0-1 D.C. Everest at 4 p.m., will be broadcast live at zaleskisports.com.
Blue Devils 8, Bulldogs 6 (8 inn.)
Marshfield 101 310 02 – 8 12 3
Wausau 000 102 30 – 6 12 1
WP: Chandler Schmidt. LP: Evan Graff.
SO: Kale Weisenberger (5 2/3 inn.) 3, Noah Grimm (2/3 inn.) 0, Schmidt (1 2/3 inn.) 4; Dylan Ackermann (3 1/3 inn.) 4, Lane Juedes (3 2/3 inn.) 1, Graff (1 inn.) 2. BB: Weisenberger 4, Grimm 1, Schmidt 0; Ackermann 0, Juedes 2, Graff 1.
Top hitters: M, Parker Weik 2×5, RBI; Logan Homolka 2×5, 2 2Bs, RBI; Nick Urban 2 runs; Riley Bauman 2×4, 2B. W, Wes Schneider 2×5, 2 RBIs; Cole Osness 2×5, 2 runs; Greg Glovinski 2×3, RBI; J.T. Gorski 2×3, RBI; Jacob Hamann 1×3, 2 RBIs.
Records: Marshfield 12-9; Wausau 13-13.
Class AAA American Legion Baseball Tournament
Double-elimination, at Jack Hackman Field, Marshfield
Wednesday, July 21
Game 1 – Stevens Point (12-6) 10, Wisconsin Rapids (9-3) 5
Game 3 – Plover (15-8) 3, D.C. Everest 2
Game 2 – Marshfield (12-9) 8, Wausau (13-13) 6 (8 inn.)
Thursday, July 22
Game 4 – Wisconsin Rapids (9-3) vs. Wausau (13-13), 1 p.m.
*Game 5 – Stevens Point (12-6) vs. D.C. Everest, 4 p.m.
Game 6 – Marshfield (12-9) vs. Plover (15-8), 7 p.m.
Friday, July 23
Game 7 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 9 – Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 24
Game 10 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
If Game 10 loser suffered first loss: Game 11 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4 p.m.
*Note: If Game 3 loser wins Game 5, the following schedule will be followed for the final two days
Friday, July 23
Game 7 – Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 9 – Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 24
Game 10 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
If Game 10 loser suffered first loss: Game 11 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4 p.m.