Rebels roll to second win over Medford in three days

A nine-run second inning put Medford’s American Legion Post 147 baseball team in a hole it wasn’t going to dig out of June 29 in a 12-2, six-inning loss at Rhinelander.

The loss was Medford’s second in three days to the Post 7 Rebels, who quite likely locked up the championship in this year’s shrinking Great Northern Legion Conference.

The loss was Medford’s third straight overall and second to Rhinelander in three days. The 8-3 squad was scheduled to play a doubleheader at Park Falls Wednesday. Post 147 is back at home tomorrow, Friday, with a GNLC contest against Tomahawk at 6 p.m. at JC Field. Medford is at Tomahawk Monday for a 7 p.m. first pitch.

The first inning went well at Rhinelander, especially defensively. Catcher Braxton Weissmiller threw out Isaac Bixby attempting to steal second base after his leadoff single. After Ryan Jamison walked, centerfielder Alex Dittrich made a diving catch in the left-center gap to rob Rebel Joe Schneider of extra bases. It turned into an inning-ending double play as Jamison had taken off from first base.

Medford wasn’t as fortunate in the bottom of the second. Walks issued by Medford pitcher Gavin Fuchs loaded the bases with no outs and Devin Orth made Post 147 pay by smacking a three-run double. Cody Everson singled in Orth to make it 4-0. The Rebels loaded the bases again and scored two runs on wild pitches. A run scored on an error, another scored on a walk and Everson finished the nine-run inning with his second RBI single of the inning.

Medford loaded the bases in the third but did not score, while the Rebels made it 10-0 in the bottom half on a run-scoring single by Seth Nofftz.

Post 147 got its two runs in the fourth. Dittrich singled and scored on a double to left by Fuchs. Jacob Eckert dropped a single into rightfield to push Fuchs to third. Fuchs scored on a fielder’s choice by Carson Carbaugh. The inning ended when Jamison got Lissner to ground into a double play.

The Rebels ended it in the sixth on a two-run single by Bixby.

The early finish gave Jamison a complete- game victory. He struck out six Medford batters, walked two and allowed six hits and two earned runs. Fuchs was charged with eight runs, five earned, in 1.1 innings. Tanner Hraby covered the next 3.2 innings and struck out three. He walked one while allowing five hits and two runs, one of which was earned. Nick Steliga was charged with two unearned runs and a hit allowed while getting the first two outs in the sixth.

Fuchs led Medford’s offense, going two for three. Hraby, Lissner, Dittrich and Eckert had a hit apiece.

Bixby was three for five with two RBIs for Rhinelander, who improved to 4-0 in the GNLC and 10-1 overall. Medford is 4-2 in league play.

The league is down to five teams for the summer after Mosinee’s withdrawal last week. With travel ball schedule confl icts with many of its players, Mosinee does not have enough available dates to complete a conference schedule.

Mosinee is scheduled to host Medford on July 14 and play at JC Field July 18.