Walk-off win for Tigers

By Casey Krautkramer

Stratford senior Kale Weisenberger’s ground ball to Marathon junior third baseman Nathan Hanke was good enough for a Tigers’ walkoff home win against the Red Raiders on Friday. Tigers sophomore pinch runner Johnny Seitz beat Hanke’s throw home to score the game-winning run.

The Tigers 3-2 victory on Friday completed regular-season sweep against the Red Raiders; Stratford also downed Marathon 3-0 on May 25.

Stratford senior Colten Schillinger tackled Weisenberger to the ground and the other Tiger players jumped on top of him to celebrate his walk-off hit, which was the first in Weisenberger’s high school playing career.

“It feels great; it wasn’t an ideal hit but it worked,” Kale, the son of Jamie and Carrie Weisenberger, said. “I was really hoping Johnny would make it home and I was also worried about getting to first base in time.”

Friday’s matchup was a back-andforth game between the Tigers and Red Raiders. With Marathon leading 1-0, Stratford rallied to take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Stratford sophomore Jackson Ormond and junior Dillion Kirsch both singled, followed by Schillinger’s RBI double. Dillon Kirsch scored on junior Cam Daul’s fielder’s choice.

Daul pitched a scoreless top of the sixth inning for Stratford in relief of senior starter Riley Bauman. Marathon senior starting pitcher Brock Warren, meanwhile, also held Stratford’s hitters at bay in the bottom of the inning.

The Red Raiders fought back to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning. Marathon junior Jaden Koeller took the first two pitches for strikes from Daul, but he battled to a 3-2 count before drawing a walk. Senior Jake Sweno laid down a bunt and he reached first base on a Stratford throwing error. Later in the inning, Koeller tagged up at third base and scored on Brock Warren’s sacrifice fly caught by sophomore centerfielder Braeden Schueller after he dived for the ball.

Experienced catcher Schillinger threw out Sweno attempting to steal second base, and then senior Mike Hahn walked with two outs. Red Raiders freshmen second baseman Tyler Underwood grounded out to Bauman at third base to end the top of the seventh inning.

Stratford began its game-winning rally in the bottom of the seventh inning when Ormond singled up the middle, despite shortstop Koeller’s great effort in fielding the baseball. After two failed bunt attempts, Dillion Kirsch swung through Brock Warren’s pitch for a strike out. While Schillinger was up to bat, Ormond advanced to second base on a wild pitch.

Tigers head coach Marshall Lehman made a great decision to replace the lumbering Ormond with speedy sophomore Johnny Seitz, whose quickness proved to be influential in helping Stratford beat Marathon. Schillinger grounded out to Hanke at third base for the second out in the inning, before Seitz outran Koeller to third base on Daul’s ground ball single. Marathon head coach Steve Warren intentionally walked Stratford senior hitter Riley Bauman to take his chances on getting Weisenberger out to end the inning. Hanke hesitated when fielding Weisenberger’s ground ball on whether he should throw to first base to attempt to get Weisenberger out or throw home to try to get Seitz out. He decided to throw the ball home but Seitz beat the tag from catcher Hahn for the game-winning run.

Coach Lehman stressed to his team in the postgame pep talk that it needs to be ready to play another close game against Marathon in the WIAA Division 3 playoffs this season. Stratford split its regular-season series against Marathon in its 2019 state championship season. The Tigers lost, 8-7, at Marathon before beating the Red Raiders, 1-0, at home in the regular season. Stratford then downed Marathon, 5-1, in the regional title game. Stratford’s only other loss was to St. Mary’s Springs in the regular season of its journey to winning the Division 3 state championship.

For now, Stratford’s regular-season sweep against Marathon keeps the Tigers tied with the Edgar Wildcats for first place in the Marawood South Conference this season.

“Our main goal is to go to state but first we need to battle for the conference championship,” Kale Weisenberger said. Stratford beat Auburndale, 6-0, on Tuesday at home. Kale Weisenberger earned the pitching win and Daul got the save. Stratford now has a 14-1 record this season.

Edgar baseball victorious

Senior Brayden Baumgartner and junior Ashton Schuett belted home runs in the Edgar baseball team’s 14-4 road win against Wausau Newman on Tuesday.

Wildcats senior Kyle Brewster earned the pitching win and senior Drew Guden got the save. Brewster struck out six Cardinal hitters.

Edgar improves its record to 6-1 in the Marawood South Conference and 12-2 overall this season.

Red Raiders softball wins

Marathon’s softball team beat Stratford, 8-2, at home on Friday. Senior Lydsay Pintor earned the complete game pitching win by striking out six batters and only giving up one earned run.

Jada Prihoda led Marathon in hitting by going three for five with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Pintor batted two for three with a double and Sofia Tylinski had two RBIs. Allison Wokatsch hit three for four with two runs scored.

Stratford softball lost, 15-2, to Auburndale on Tuesday.

‘Jays baseball and softball

The Athens baseball team easily won a pair of game against Chequamegon, 6-0 and 10-0, last week.

Senior Dayne Diethelm earned the 6-0 win on the mound, after striking out 10 Screaming Eagles in six-andtwo- thirds innings. Junior Cooper Diedrich pitched the final one third inning to get the save.

Connor Sheahan led the Bluejays in batting by going two for three with a pair of RBIs. Jake Denzine hit two for four with a double and he scored twice. Kyle Ellenbecker doubled twice and Cobie Ellenbecker scored two runs.

Diedrich gained the 10-0 pitching win in five innings against Chequamegon. Denzine batted two for three with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Kody Lepak, Kyler Ellenbecker and Diethelm collected two RBIs each, while Kaden Redmann added an RBI.

Athens baseball lost, 6-5, to Rib Lake on Tuesday. The Bluejays are now tied with Abbotsford and Rib Lake for first place in the Marawood North Conference with 7-2 records. Athens has an 11-5 overall record this season, and plays against Rib Lake this Thursday, June 3, at home.

The Athens softball team dismantled Chequamegon, 13-1 on Thursday to complete the regular-season sweep. Siarra Hart earned the pitching win in five innings while Shauna Belter and Elle Gauerke both smacked doubles. Sophia Coker and Belter collected a pair of RBIs apiece, while Addison Lavicka, Grace Johnson and Gauerke had one RBI each.

Athens softball downed Rib Lake, 145, on Tuesday. Hart earned the pitching win. Belter batted two for four with five RBIs and two runs scored. Athens remains tied with Phillips for first place in the Marawood North Conference with 6-1 records each. The Bluejays are 12-7 overall this season.

SENSATIONAL ENDING FOR SEITZ- Stratford sophomore Johnny Seitz (13) celebrates scoring the game-winning run with his teammate, Noah Barrett (6) against Marathon on Friday at home. The Tigers edged the Red Raiders, 3-2.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

LA QUA LIFTS THE BALL- Marathon sophomore Daniel La Qua flies out to the Stratford centerfielder to end the top of the sixth inning on Friday.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER