Merchants can’t find way past Rib Lake
The Abbotsford Merchants ended their 2023 season with two tough losses. In a non-conference exhibition matchup with the Marshfield Chaparrals, the visiting Merchants were defeated 16-1 in seven innings. Then, with a chance to avenge their loss in their final conference game against Rib Lake, Abbotsford was once again bounced by double-digits, losing 14-2 in the first round of the Dairyland Small tournament.
There was no redemption for the Merchants in their second game of the season against Rib Lake. The Ospreys once again proved to be too much for Abbotsford to handle, defeating them 14-2 and knocking them out of the end-of-year tournament.
For the second game in a row, free passes given to opposing batters and a lack of offense proved to be the downfall of the sixth-seeded Merchants squad. Eleven walks were issued by Abbotsford pitching in the contest, which when coupled with some shaky play in the field, led to 14 runs for Rib Lake on only nine hits. A lack of production from the lineup only made matters worse and some borderline calls at the plate not going the Merchants way, all combined for a rough exit to Abbotsford’s first year back in the league after a three-year hiatus.
The Ospreys scored in all but one of the six innings in which they batted, taking a 5-0 lead after the two innings and then doubling their run total with a fiverun third inning.
The Merchants briefly gave themselves an opportunity in the top half of the third, during which they scored both of their runs. Mateo Lopez drew a walk to open the inning and Chance Clement delivered the first hit of the game for Abbotsford two at-bats later. JV Castillo then drew another walk to load the bases with one out. A ground ball hit by Blake Jakobi turned into a fielder’s choice, which allowed Lopez to come around to score. Clement soon followed his teammate, joining him at home plate after the ball slipped away from the Ospreys while trying to convert a double play on Jakobi’s grounder. Down only by three, it seemed that the Merchants had garnered some momentum, but Rib Lake’s big bottom half of the inning quickly swung the game back into the Ospreys’ favor. The Merchants offense could not build upon their scoring effort in the third and were held to just two hits over the next four innings.
Castillo started on the mound for Abbotsford and went two-and-twothirds innings, giving up 10 runs on five hits and eight walks. He also struck out five batters. Aaron Morrow entered in relief and tossed three-and-a-third innings, striking out three while surrendering four runs on four hits and three walks.
Payton Schreiber and Evan Reis were the only other Merchants who managed to get a hit off of Rib Lake pitching, both notching singles.
Interwald, who Abbotsford had beaten earlier in the summer, went on to win the tournament, defeating Tomahawk 8-1 in the championship game.
16-1
There was not much for the Abbotsford squad to hang their hats on after their game against Marshfield last Wednesday. The Chaparrals dominated the game both on the stat sheet and on the field, racking up 10 hits to the Merchants’ four and outscoring them 16-1.
Marshfield jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, leaving little margin for error for the Merchants if they were to climb back into the contest. After holding the Chapparals scoreless in the second, Abbotsford started to dig itself out of that early hole.
In the top of the third, Ryan Bargender reached on a single to start things off for the Merchants. Two at-bats later, Blake Bargender was able to drive him in on another single. The lead was cut to three, but that would be all the closer the Merchants would get.
Marshfield responded with a huge eight-run performance in the bottom half of the third, chasing starting pitcher Hunter Soyk and getting to replacement Payton Schreiber as well. The offensive explosion put the Chaparrals up by double-digits, a lead that essentially put the game out of reach. Abbotsford’s lineup struggled to find gaps in their opponents defense and was held scoreless for the rest of the contest.
While fielding errors have led to tough innings for the Merchants in the past, the defense played a clean game against Marshfield. Instead, 10 walks and a hit batsman gave the Chaparrals 11 free baserunners, which when coupled with their 10 hits, ultimately led to the lopsided final score.
Soyk, Schreiber and Aaron Morrow all pitched two innings each. Soyk was handed the loss, giving up five runs on one hit and five walks while striking out one. Schreiber surrendered nine runs on six hits and three walks and Morrow had two runs notched against him on two hits and two walks. Both Schreiber and Morrow struck out a pair of batters.
All four of Abbotsford’s hits were singles, with Morrow and Blake Jakobi providing the other two.
