Moondogs win, Reds fall in 11; teams meet in Medford Friday

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE BASEBALL

Six runs in the last two innings broke open what had been a tight contest and sent the Medford Moondogs to their first Dairyland League win of the shortened season Sunday, a 7-3 victory over the Minocqua Wood Ducks. The Moondogs scored three runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to build a 7-1 lead and then had to hold on as the home team scored twice in the bottom of the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs. But pitcher Trenton Woebbeking was able to finish what he started by inducing a comebacker from Minocqua’s Brad Slowinski and getting a force out at home plate.

Medford improved to 1-2 in league play while Minocqua slipped to 0-2.

Woebbeking pitched all nine innings, striking out six, walking five and hitting four while allowing just six hits. Two hits and two hit batters came in the ninth.

Woebbeking also went three for five at the plate with two runs batted in and two runs scored. Taylor Shaw went two for four out of the ninth spot in the order. Through seven innings, the game’s only run was scored in the third. Woebbeking singled, moved to second on a ground ball hit by Brayden Boie, stole third and scored on a ground ball by Brent Mueller.

Defensively, Medford got out of a bases-loaded jam in the first when first baseman Austin Davies made a diving stab of a liner hit by Caleb Menzia and doubled the runner off first and perfectly executed a double rundown to get out of a one-out jam in the fifth.

Shaw, Lindgren and Woebbeking all singled to start the eighth and came around to score. Minocqua got on the board with a single run in the bottom half, but catcher Judd Hraby threw to his son Tanner Hraby, who played second base, to nab a pinch-running base stealer Zach Peterson to end the inning.

Judd Hraby and Davies walked to start Medford’s ninth-inning rally and Shaw singled. Lindgren was hit by a pitch to drive in a run and Woebbeking followed with a two-run single.

Two of Minocqua’s first three hitters in the bottom of the ninth were retired, but things got interesting after that with a walk, a hit batter, a single by Nate Hopkins and another hit batter before the Moondogs got the final out.

Peter Aerts started for Minocqua and pitched well, getting into the eighth inning before tiring. Aerts and Hopkins both went two for four.

On Friday, Medford lost a non-league home game with Pittsville 17-8.

Medford is back at home this Friday, July 3, with a big pre-fireworks matchup with Whittlesey. The neighborhood rivalry game gets started at 6 p.m. at Jaycee Field.

Reds fall in extras

Speaking of the Whittlesey Reds, they dropped a 4-2 heartbreaker in 11 innings Sunday to the visiting Everest Merchants.

The game had some unusual twists and turns. The Reds only had four hits but left nine runners on base in the first four innings alone due to walks. They got two runs in the first on sacrifice flies by Jeff Kraschnewski and Taylor Reinhardt but wound up leaving the bases loaded. They left two on in each of the next three frames.

Everest got single runs in the third and fifth innings to tie it at 2-2. Whittlesey had a great chance to win it in the 10th when Kraschnewski singled and went to third on an errant pickoff throw. After a strikeout, Everest intentionally walked two hitters to load the bases. Spike Alexander hit a liner to center that should have been deep enough to win the game. But as Kraschnewski dashed toward home plate, the turf monster got him and, after stumbling, he was tagged out to end the rally.

Everest then loaded the bases in the 11th and scored two unearned runs on an errant throw to home plate on a fielder’s choice ground ball.

The Reds fell to 1-1 in league play, while Everest improved to 3-0. The Merchants are tied for first place with Marshfi eld, who moved to 3-0 with a 9-1 win over Pittsville Sunday.