Four Spring Baseball Champions Crowned
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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Four Spring Baseball Champions Crowned

DIVISION 1

Sun Prairie (25-2) won its second consecutive Division 1 championship with a 5-4 win over Stevens Point (27-5) in eight innings. It is the Cardinals seventh title overall to tie Appleton West with the most titles among all schools.

Conner Funnell drilled a two-out double to score Brett Yoder with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, Yoder singled and was sacrificed to second when Funnell delivered.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Panthers rallied to load the bases and Sterling King hit a clutch two-out, two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. 

Sun Prairie got on the board in top of the first inning with an unearned run on an RBI single by Carter Brekke, but the Panthers responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. A pair of walks came around to score on an RBI double by Sterling King and a run-scoring single by Andrew Ruzek.

The Cardinals regained the lead at 3-2 in the third inning on back-to-back RBI singles by Brekke and Ryan Curran. They added an unearned run in the fifth on an errant throw to third base to allow a baserunner to score. The Panthers were hurt by five errors. Defensive miscues were a factor in each of the innings the Cardinals scored runs except in the eighth inning.

Brett Yoder pitched the final six inning to pick up the victory. Brekke had three hits and Funnell add a pair of hits to lead the Cardinals offense. Eric Zelhofer and King led the Panthers with two hits apiece.


DIVISION 2

The Division 2 crown belongs to Lodi (22-3) after the Blue Devils downed Notre Dame (14-11) 5-2 in the championship final.

Lodi trailed 2-1 until the fifth inning when the Blue Devils scored four runs. Donnie Manke belted a two-run double to score Chance Browning and Fred Manke, who had both singled earlier in the inning. A successful suicide squeeze by Kyle Clapper scored Donnie Manke, and Garret Wegner added an RBI single.

The Blue Devils scored first with a sacrifice fly by Zach Steuck in the second inning, but the Tritons took a 2-1 lead in the third inning with run scoring singles by Riley Christensen and Charlie Rotherham. 

Lodi added an insurance run in the seventh inning with bases-loaded walk to Steuck. Matt Byars went 4-for-4 in the game, while Wegner and Fred Manke each collected two hits. Donnie Manke is credited with the win, allowing three hits in seven innings with five strikeouts.


DIVISION 3

Oconto (16-4) overcame eight errors to capture its first State Spring Baseball championship, winning the Division 3 title with a 4-3 decision over Westby (21-5). 

Westby grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning, thanks in large part to four Oconto errors.Tyler Ihrcke singled in Alex Robson who reached on an error, and Ihrcke scored later in the inning on a throwing error. Nick Neely advanced to third on the error that scored Ihrcke and scored on a sacrifice fly by Mitchell Larson. 

The Blue Devils got a run back in their half of the third on an RBI single by Grant Frazer, and scored three unearned runs in the fifth inning to complete the comeback. After the first two batters were retired in the inning, Frazer got on with an infield hit and scored on a throwing error following a Trent Mehlberg single. Kyle Krueger and Blake Campshure added RBI singles.

The Norsemen put the tying run on base on a Blue Devils’ error with one out in the seventh; however, the game ended on a lineout to shortstop and doubling the runner off first.

Tyler Trepanier got the win and Kyle Krueger recorded the save for the Blue Devils. Frazer, Mehlberg, Campshure and Tanner Pillsbury each had two hits for Oconto. Neely collected a pair of hits and was hit by a pitch to lead Westby offense.


DIVISION 4

Greenwood (16-3) came back from a 4-1 deficit to win the Division 3 championship with a 6-4 triumph over Lake Country Lutheran (24-5) in the tournament final. It was the third State baseball championship won by the Indians.

Greenwood scored in the first inning on an RBI single by Tyler Johnson, but Lake Country Lutheran responded with four runs in the second inning on a pair of hits to go with two Lightning errors. BJ Sabol delivered one of his three hits in the game to drive in two runs and two more runs scored on an error and a wild pitch.

A pair of walks led to two runs for the Indians in the third inning. Booker Bedlau lined a two-run single to left to narrow the Lighting lead to one at 4-3. Greenwood squandered a chance to tie the game in their half of the fifth inning on a failed suicide squeeze attempt and a strikeout with the bases loaded and one out. 

The squeeze worked in the sixth inning to tie the game. Alexander Velovsek successfully executed the bunt and reached base. He later scored the go-ahead run on a two-run single Johnson, who had two hits and three RBIs in the game. 

Westin Wuethrich was credited with the victory, striking out 11 in six innings. He helped his cause at the plate with a pair of hits and two runs scored. James Hlavac pitched the seventh to pick up the save.

Lake Country Lutheran finishes runner-up in its first-ever State appearance.

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