Tuesday Baseball; Hawks Walk Off Bluejays

Shawano 5, Menasha 4

Shawano earned a dramatic 5-4 walk-off win over Menasha on Tuesday at Memorial Park, rallying in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the victory.

Shawano trailed 4-3 entering its final at-bat before capitalizing on patience at the plate and a costly error. With the bases loaded, Ayden Bystol and Brody Schutt each drew walks to force in runs, and a Menasha error brought home two more to end the game.

Shawano delivered a dramatic finish Tuesday, scoring twice on a late error to defeat Menasha 5-4 at Memorial Park.

Menasha grabbed a 4-3 lead in the top of the seventh, but Shawano answered with a patient, bases-loaded rally in the bottom half to walk it off.

“Conference is not going so hot and I told the boys that we needed to use that victory on Friday and carry it over. I told them we needed something special and they did that,” Coach Dustin Beyer said.

Seventh-inning comeback

The inning started quietly when T.J. Johnson flew out to right for the first out. From there, Shawano’s comeback began to build through patience at the plate.

“I just told the kids we are not swinging until we get a strike and just put the ball in play. You have to get all 21 outs and sometimes that is tough to do.”

Dane Hodkiewicz worked a walk to start the rally, followed by a ground-ball single from Anderson Schmidt that put two runners aboard. Kody Popelka then drew a walk to load the bases, and Ayden Bystol followed with another walk that forced in Hodkiewicz to cut the deficit to 4-2.

The Hawks kept the pressure on when Brody Schutt walked, bringing home Schmidt to make it 4-3 and moving Popelka and Bystol into scoring position.

With the bases still loaded, Brayden Carpenter lifted a fly ball to right field. A throwing error by Menasha catcher Jack Olszewski allowed both Popelka and Bystol to race home, completing the walk-off comeback and sealing the 5-4 victory.

“I told Kody you are staying here, but he faked it and they threw the ball and it got away from them. It’s unbelievable, but that’s baseball and anything can happen.”

Shawano entered the bottom of the seventh trailing after Menasha pushed across the go-ahead run in the top half. Pitcher Anderson Schmidt helped keep the deficit at one by striking out Paul Schmolinske and retiring the side.

Schmidt earned the win in relief for Shawano, tossing 1⅔ hitless innings with one strikeout and no walks. Valley took the loss for Menasha after allowing four runs (two earned) in two innings. Bystol started for Shawano, giving up three runs (two earned) over five innings with five strikeouts, while Bilke started for Menasha and allowed one unearned run over four innings, striking out six.

“We got two in row now, and we call that a winning streak.”

Schutt and Bystol each drove in a run to lead the Hawks offensively, while Schmidt, Schutt and Carpenter recorded one hit apiece. Shawano showed strong plate discipline with eight walks and played error-free defense, with Carpenter leading the team with nine defensive plays.

“It was an ugly win, but when you are three and seven, you take them anyway you can get them,” Beyer said.

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Oconto Falls 10, Clintonville 0

Oconto Falls used a steady offensive attack and strong pitching to shut out Clintonville 10-0 on Tuesday. The Panthers broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the second inning and continued to build their lead with runs in each of the next three innings, pulling away early. Clintonville struggled to generate offense and was held scoreless throughout the game.

Oconto Falls took advantage of patience at the plate, drawing multiple walks and capitalizing on scoring opportunities. Landon Delfosse led the way with a hit, two runs scored, and an RBI. On the mound, Teagan Tate was dominant, striking out seven to keep the Truckers off balance all game.

Oconto Falls improves to 5-3 on the season, while Clintonville remains winless at 0-7.

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Crivitz 11, Coleman 3

Crivitz jumped out early and never looked back, defeating Coleman 11-3 on Tuesday behind a strong start at the plate. The Wolverines put up three runs in the first and added four more in the second to quickly take control of the game. Coleman responded with a run in each of the first three innings, but couldn’t keep pace as Crivitz continued to add on late.

JJ Brand led the way offensively for Crivitz, going a perfect day at the plate with two hits, four runs scored, and an RBI, while Jaxon Kroll drove in two runs. On the mound, Jackson Schramm delivered a solid outing, striking out six over five innings to keep Coleman in check.

Crivitz improves to 10-1 on the season, while Coleman falls back to .500 at 4-4.

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Denmark 4, Freedom 1

Denmark broke open a scoreless game late, scoring three runs over the final two innings to defeat Freedom 4-1 on Tuesday. The Vikings were held in check through five innings before plating two runs in the sixth and adding another in the seventh to take control. Freedom managed just one run in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t complete the comeback.

Denmark’s pitching was the difference, led by freshman Daxton Kraschnewski who struck out six over 4 and two-thirds innings without allowing a run. Offensively, Ozzie Enz drove in two runs to lead the Vikings, while Caden Peterson added a hit in the win. Denmark improves to 9-2 on the season, while Freedom drops to 1-9.

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Almond-Bancroft 9, Port Edwards 8

Almond-Bancroft edged Port Edwards in a back-and-forth battle on Tuesday, holding on for a 9-8 victory. Both teams combined for 17 runs in what turned into a high-scoring contest. The Eagles totaled nine hits and took advantage of key opportunities late to secure the win.

Freshman Dwight Nigh led Almond-Bancroft at the plate with two hits and three RBIs, playing a major role in the offensive effort. On the mound, Ashton Czapnski struck out six over four and two-thirds innings, while Nigh added four strikeouts in relief to help close things out.

Almond-Bancroft improves to 3-3 on the season, while Port Edwards falls to 2-4.

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Local Scoreboard:

Pittsville 27, Wild Rose 2

Gillett/Suring 11, Wausaukee 10

Lourdes Academy 10, Tri-County 4

Brillion 14, Bonduel 8

Tigerton 5, Marion 4

Fox Valley Lutheran 25, Green Bay East/West 1

Little Chute 11, Marinette 5

Hortonville 7, Oshkosh West 0

Iola-Scandinavia 14, Rosholt 9