A/C falls in opening Marawood-North action
By Nathaniel Underwood
The Abbotsford/Colby baseball team fell in a trio of Marawood-North contests over the past week, losing to Athens on Monday and dropping both games of a double-header against Chequamegon last Thursday.
Athens, 10-3
A six-run second inning gave the Athens Bluejays the cushion they needed on Monday evening as they defeated the Abby/Colby co-op 10-3 in a Marawood-North contest.
Errors plagued the Abby/Colby defense and the Bluejays made them pay for the miscues. The first two Athens batters of the inning reached base because of errors and the third was safe on a fielder’s choice that resulted in no outs for the co-op and a run for the Bluejays. Another run came in on a passed ball and a third scored on a ground out, giving Athens three runs with no hits.
The bats then came through for Abby/ Colby’s opponents as the Bluejays hammered three straight singles. Another error by the co-op prolonged the inning further and soon three more runs had crossed the plate, giving Athens a 6-0 advantage.
It was a similar story in the fourth when the Bluejays were able to add onto their lead by taking advantage of two more miscues by the Abby/Colby defense. While Athens only managed one hit in the inning, they still managed to score three runs.
The co-op lineup was kept in check until the sixth, when a little help from the Bluejays pitching allowed them to finally break through. After Grayson Totzke was able to work a leadoff walk, a pair of strikeouts for the co-op put them in a difficult position. However, three batters in a row were hit by pitches, driving in Totzke. Arturo Lopez then came through with a bases loaded single, driving in Fernando Perez and Chrisitan Fuentes to cut into the lead.
However, the Bluejays were able to get one run back and Abby/Colby was held scoreless in the final frame, leading to their 10-3 defeat.
Totzke reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 on the day and drawing a walk. Lopez was 1-for-3 with two RBIs, Payton Schreiber went 1-for-2 with an RBI after being hit by a pitch in the sixth inning and Fuentes was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Chequamegon, 6-5
Two unearned runs in the sixth inning turned out to be the deciding factor in the first game of Thursday’s double-header against the Screaming Eagles. While Abby/Colby had their scoring opportunities late, they could not come up with the clutch hit that they needed and ultimately fell 6-5.
The co-op outhit their opponents 12 to seven over the course of the contest, but Chequamegon was able to hold the Abby/ Colby lineup in check, holding 10 base runners from scoring. The Screaming Eagles also played solid defense behind their pitchers, their one error not costing them any runs. The co-op could not quite say the same, as their three defensive miscues resulted in four unearned runs coming in.
Starting pitcher Arturo Lopez cruised through the first two innings but ran into problems in the top of the third. After striking out the first batter he faced, the Screaming Eagles were able to collect three straight hits, scoring two runs in the process. A defensive error by the co-op allowed a third run to score before another single from Chequamegon gave them four runs in the inning.
However, the co-op was able to answer right back. After two outs to start the bottom half of the third, the co-op ripped off six straight singles. Christian Fuentes and Cutter Hamus started the rally and singles from Javier Rivera and Ayden Michlig drove in the first runs of the day for Abby/Colby. Carson Folz kept the line moving with a single of his own and Grayson Totzke delivered by driving in the tying and go-ahead runs on the next at-bat.
The five-run explosion gave the home team a small advantage over the next two innings. The co-op had an opportunity to expand on that lead in the fifth as Lopez started off the frame with a double and Michlig, Folz and Totzke followed up with singles of their own. However, an appeal kept the co-op off the board and the Eagles defense held, grabbing two more outs to leave the bases loaded.
The Abby/Colby defense could not do the same in the sixth. A pair of unearned runs came in to score, giving the visitors the lead once more. A leadoff double from Folz and a single from Totzke to follow gave Abby/ Colby a prime opportunity to tie the game in the bottom half of the seventh, but Chequamegon once again stood firm, holding Folz at third and securing the 6-5 victory.
Lopez went six innings on the mound for the co-op, giving up six runs on seven hits and two walks. Only two of those runs were earned and he struck out five batters. Payton Schreiber came on in relief and struck out the side in the seventh.
See CONFERENCE TILTS/ Page 14
STAYING HOT AT THE PLATE - Grayson Totzke collects one of his three hits in the first game of the co-op’s double-header against Chequamegon.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
MAKING THE PLAY - Carson Folz fires the ball over to first base after making a diving stop against the Screaming Eagles. He also collected three hits in the game.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD Conference tilts
Continued from page 12
Totzke and Folz were both 3-for-4 from the plate to lead Abby/Colby offensively. Totzke had two RBIs and Folz had a double and one run scored. Michlig was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored, Fuentes, Hamus, and Rivera both scored a run after getting hits and the co-op stole six total bases on the evening.
Chequamegon, 3-1
For the second time that evening, Abby/Colby outhit their conference rivals but still came out with fewer runs, falling 3-1 in the second game of their double-header against Chequamegon on Thursday.
Payton Schreiber had an impressive performance on the mound for the co-op striking out 13 batters over the course of his five-and-a-third innings, but did not get much in run support as the Screaming Eagles pitching staff were able to silence the Abby/Colby bats for much of the evening. The pair of Chequamegon pitchers struck out 15 batters and held the co-op to just one run.
That run gave the co-op a brief lead in the first inning. Schreiber hit a one-out double to give Abby/Colby their first base runner of the evening. Ayden Michlig then drove him home two at-bats later on a single to right, putting the co-op up 1-0.
The advantage did not last long, however, as Chequamegon was able to answer in the bottom half of the frame. A leadoff double and a runner allowed by a dropped third strike for the Screaming Eagles were eventually able to come around to score on an error by the Abby/Colby defense, putting them into a 2-1 hole.
Schreiber kept Chequamegon off the board for the next four innings, but the co-op could not come up with the clutch hit they needed. A first-and-third situation with no outs in the second resulted in no runs for Abby/Colby, a situation that would repeat itself over the course of the evening as they went on to leave 13 base runners stranded. A run in the bottom of the sixth gave the Screaming Eagles some more breathing room heading into the final inning and while Abby/ Colby managed two base runners in the seventh, neither were able to come around to score.
Schreiber took the tough luck loss, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk while striking out 13 batters. Only one run was earned. Grayson Totzke finished out the sixth inning on the mound for the co-op, allowing one hit and striking out one batter.
Six different batters came up with hits for Abby/Colby. Schreiber went 1-for-1 and had the only multi-base hit, his first inning double. He also walked twice and scored the coop’s only run. Michlig had one hit in three at-bats, driving in Schreiber and walking once. Owen Hanson was 1-for-1 as well and Totzke, Christian Fuentes and Irvin Aguilera each had hits as well. Fuentes, Totzke and Carson Folz all had one stolen base.
IN CONTROL - Arturo Lopez delivers a strike during the co-op’s game against Chequamegon last Thursday. The sophomore pitcher gave up just two earned runs and struck out five batters in his six innings of work.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
