Regis turns to its sophomore ace to shut down Thorp-Gilman

WIAA DIV. 3 BASEBALL

Thorp-Gilman got an early lead, but Eau Claire Regis quickly countered and their sophomore standout Cole Selvig kept the Ramblers in control from there in Tuesday’s WIAA Division 3 baseball sectional semifinal in Cumberland.

Regis outhit Thorp-Gilman 7-3 and outscored the co-op 5-2 in the third meeting of the season between Western Cloverbelt Conference rivals. The Ramblers (16-6), who finished a game behind Thorp-Gilman in the conference standings won the rubber match and the most important game of the three and didn’t stop there, upsetting second-ranked St. Croix Falls 5-4 in Tuesday’s sectional final to advance to the June 29 Division 3 state tournament at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Thorp-Gilman also finished 15-7 to end what co-head Cory Drost said was an incredible experience for the co-op that was formed late this winter under the WIAA’s relaxed COVID guidelines for this school year.

“Our boys played really good, we just fell a bit short,” Drost said Tuesday night. “I wouldn’t change this season for the world.”

Selvig, who has already committed to play baseball at the University of Texas in a couple of years, was tough, striking out 11 and allowing just three singles and Thorp-Gilman’s two runs before he hit his pitch count limit in six innings. Patrick Callaghan walked one while closing things out in a scoreless bottom of the seventh.

Selvig did walk four batters, including Charlie Hauser to start the bottom of the first inning. Hauser was out at second on Kade Kroeplin’s fielder’s choice, but Kroeplin stole second and scored on a base hit by clean-up hitter Brayden Boie to give Thorp-Gilman a 1-0 lead.

Regis, though, came back with two runs in the top of the second and added single runs in the next three innings to build a 5-1 lead.

“We definitely got to (Selvig) on several occasions,” Drost said. “We just didn’t get that clutch rip that we’ve relied on in so many other games. Regis played lockdown defense and, of course, Selvig was throwing well. They had some very timely hits.”

Selvig was one of those clutch hitters for the Ramblers, going two for three with two RBIs. Ben Boda was two for four.

Aiden Rosemeyer got the start for Thorp-Gilman and lasted three innings. He struck out three, walked four and allowed three hits. Just one run of the Thorp-Gilman

four he allowed was earned. Gavin Boie covered the final four innings, allowing an earned run, four hits and two walks while striking out four.

Thorp-Gilman got its last run in the bottom of the sixth with an Ashton Kroeplin sacrifice fly that drove in Gavin Boie, who had singled. Logan Kroeplin had a hit in the loss. Hauser drew two walks.

Regional champs

Thankful to have survived their extrainning win over Whitehall the previous night, Thorp-Gilman’s momentum continued into the regional final June 16 at Fall Creek, where the bats pummeled the top-seeded Crickets 11-5.

While the teams shared second place in the Western Cloverbelt Conference with 10-4 league records, Thorp-Gilman made its statement by winning all three matchups with the Crickets, who finished the year 15-6.

Thorp-Gilman chipped away at three Fall Creek pitchers, banging out 14 hits –– all singles –– and scoring in the first six innings. The Crickets made one run, scoring four runs in the bottom of the third to pull within 6-4. But the visitors responded immediately with three runs in the top of the fourth and rode the solid relief pitching of Gavin Boie from there to finish off the victory.

Boie got the last out of the third to shut down Fall Creek’s rally and covered the last 4.1 innings, allowing four hits, one earned run and five walks. He struck out seven to offset the walks.

Logan Kroeplin pitched two scoreless innings before running into trouble in the third, which included key hits by Fall Creek’s Jack Riemenschneider and Luke Olson. Kroeplin allowed three hits and four runs in 2.2 innings, while walking four and striking out one.

Offensively, every starter but one had at least one hit. Number-nine hitter Jack Syryczuk led the way by going three for three with a walk. He scored three times and drove in one. Brayden Boie was two for three with two runs driven in and two scored. Kade Kroeplin, Rosemeyer and Logan Kroeplin all went two for four. Rosemeyer drove in two, scored two and stole two bases.

Fall Creek starter Nolan Martzke took the loss and lasted just 1.1 innings after allowing two runs in the first and three more in the second, though it wasn’t all his fault as three of the runs were unearned. Olson went 3.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs, three of which were earned.

Thorp-Gilman’s Brayden Boie follows through on a swing that produces an RBI single in Tuesday’s first inning.TARA WISNIEWSKI PHOTO