Local teams split close games in their summer Legion openers

LEGION BASEBALL

Cancellations by their originallyscheduled opponents allowed the Rib Lake and Medford Legion baseball teams to meet up in a season-opening doubleheader Thursday at Medford’s Jaycee Field with both five-inning games going right down to the final at-bat.

Rib Lake held on to win game one 3-2 by getting out of a two-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the fifth. Dominic Quednow’s first-inning grand slam gave the visitors a chance at a doubleheader sweep, but Medford chipped away and rallied to win it in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the fifth 5-4.

A four-run first inning for Rib Lake in game two seemed unlikely when Medford pitcher Nick Steliga quickly retired the first two hitters. But he suddenly lost his command and walked three straight hitters to bring up the left-handed hitting Quednow, who got a strike and didn’t miss it, sending it over the fence in rightfield for his grand slam and a 4-0 lead.

That hit wound up being Rib Lake’s only one of the game. Steliga pitched a 1-2-3 second and then gave way to Tanner Hraby, who pitched three scoreless and hitless innings for Medford, allowing just one walk and striking out four, including all three batters he faced in the fifth.

Medford responded to Quednow’s slam by scoring two runs against him in the bottom of the first. Hraby led off with a double and Parker Lissner and Braxton Weissmiller walked to load the bases with no outs. Quednow gave Rib Lake a shot to get out of the jam with a strikeout and a pop-up, but Jack Wojcik lined a single up the middle to drive in two and cut Rib Lake’s lead in half.

Medford got another run in the third on Max Dietzman’s sacrifice fly, but stranded two runners to still trail 4-3. In the fifth, Medford’s top of the order came through with Hraby singling, Lissner walking and then Weissmiller hit a hard single to right, that was misplayed, allowing both runners to score and end the game.

While getting the win, Hraby went two for two with a walk at the plate. Wojcik, Lissner, Steliga and Weissmiller had a hit apiece. Quednow pitched the first 3.1 innings for Rib Lake, striking out two, walking four and allowing four hits and three runs. Andrew Wudi got a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning, walked one and allowed two hits.

After falling into a 2-0 first-inning hole in game one, Rib Lake got shutdown pitching from Jackson Blomberg and put together a three-run rally in the third inning to get its 3-2 win.

Blomberg struck out seven hitters including the last three he faced after Hraby and Lissner singled, putting runners at the corners and, eventually, second and third when Lissner stole second.

Medford didn’t have trouble putting runners on base, collecting eight hits and drawing three walks and a hit by pitch. But after the first inning, when Medford got a single and stolen base from Hraby, an RBI single from Lissner, a double from Weissmiller and a run on a two-out error, Rib Lake’s defense and Blomberg’s pitching got the guests out of trouble.

Medford stranded two runners in the first, popped up a bunt for a double play in the second and had a third-inning threat short-circuited when Wudi, playing third, made an excellent stop on a hardhit grounder by Weissmiller and turning it into a 5-4-3 double play. Dietzman tripled and Charlie Gierl walked after that, but were stranded.

Rib Lake’s third-inning rally started with a Talon Scheithauer walk. Blomberg hit a one-out double and Ethan Cook walked to load the bases. An error on what could have been an inning-ending double play scored two runs and the goahead run scored on a Quednow double.

Hayden Strebig went 3.2 innings for Medford, striking out five, walking three, hitting one and allowing six hits. Steliga got the last four outs with two strikeouts and a walk. Blomberg and Quednow both went two for three. Lissner had three hits for Medford.

Medford is scheduled to host Chequamegon at 6 p.m. today, Thursday, for two five-inning games, and then go to Marathon Monday for a seven-inning game followed by a five-inning contest.

Rib Lake is at Ladysmith tonight, Thursday, for two five-inning games at 6 p.m., goes to Tomahawk Monday for a 6 p.m. doubleheader and hosts Park Falls for two at 6 p.m. on June 22.