Rosholt silences Greenwood bats in state semi-final

Rosholt senior pitcher Isaac Cychosz wasted very little time in setting the tone for Monday’s Division 4 state baseball semi-final game against Greenwood. Not only did he strike out the first two hitters he faced, but he also led off the bottom of the first inning with a sharp first-pitch single to ignite a rally that sent the Hornets onto the state title game with a 6-1 win over the Indians.

A Greenwood team that scored 22 runs in last week’s sectional wins over St. Thomas Academy/ Lena and Edgar was stifled this time, with no runner reaching third base until the top of the seventh inning. Rosholt’s bats were effective from the first pitch of the afternoon, as the Hornets collected 10 hits in the game and had already built a 5-0 lead after two innings. The 6-1 final score was similar to the 7-3 win that Rosholt posted over Greenwood in a May tournament.

Xander Hinker and Westen Schmitz both went down swinging in the Indian first inning, and Cooper Bredlau bounced out to shortstop. Cychosz then led off for Rosholt by driving Greenwood starter Sully Whitford’s first toss sharply into left field, and moved up to second base on a sacrifice bunt. After Blade Niewiadomski drew a walk, Sam Trzebiatowski drove in the first run of the game with another line-drive single to left. Whitford avoided more trouble by striking out the next two hitters. Greenwood couldn’t put the ball in play in the second, with Austen Humke, Fletcher Bredlau and Whitford all striking out swinging. Rosholt carried that momentum into the bottom of the frame, scoring four times on a combination of solid hitting and some good fortune on the basepaths. Rosholt’s Brock Lyshik started the inning by lining a pitch over Dakota Clark’s head in deep left field. After Whitford recorded a strikeout, #9 hitter Nathan Kropidlowski poked a soft liner over the Greenwood infield to put runners at the corners. Cychosz was up next, and hit a bouncer to Hinker at shortstop. He fired home to cut down the runner trying to score, but catcher Jonah Hinker couldn’t come up with, allowing Lyshik to slide in safely. Rosholt got another break minutes later when Tyler Hintz ripped a liner to Humke at first base. Humke dove to his right and got his glove on the ball, but couldn’t hang on for the catch. Hintz then beat him to the bag to reach safely, with the third run coming home. Niewiadomski followed by driving a pitch off the base of the wall in left field for a long RBI single. After Trzebiatowski blooped yet another hit to right center field, Nathan Lemanczyk delivered the fifth run with a sacrifice fly to left. Whitford got a strikeout to end the threat there.

Clark got Greenwood’s first hit in the top of the third, lining a 1-out pitch down the right field line. Mason Learman popped up the first pitch he saw for the second out, and Cychosz ended the inning himself by picking Clark off first base.

A wacky play on the bases kept Rosholt from scoring again in the third. Lyshik started the inning with a base hit. Whitford threw to first to keep him close to the bag, but his throw was high and Lyshik scooted all the way to third base as Humke chased down the ball. Still with no outs and the runner at third, Rosholt tried a suicide squeeze play. Lyshik stopped halfway between the bases, and a long Greenwood rundown finally caught up to him. Meanwhile, Bo Niewiadomski, who had laid down the squeze bunt, was moving around the bases, and the Indians caught him trying to make it to third. A ground ball ended the inning with no damage.

Rosholt’s lone error in the game allowed Xander Hinker to reach to lead off the Indian fourth inning, but Cychosz quickly picked him off, too. Schmitz and Cooper Bredlau followed, but were two of Cychosz’ 13 strikeout victims.

Rosholt loaded the bases with two outs in the fourth on a pair of walks and an infield hit. Jonah Hinker snuffed that rally by picking up a tapper in front of the plate and stepping on it for the third out.

Cychosz got two more Ks and a Whitford line-out to right field in the Indian sixth.

Cooper Bredlau came on to pitch in the Rosholt sixth, and gave up singles to Lyshik and Bo Niewiadomski. After a strikeout, Cychosz hit a grounder to Mason Learman at third base, but Learman couldn’t get a handle on it to tag Lyshik as he ran by. Bredlau got a strikeout for the second out, but on the third strike, Jonah Hinker threw to third base for a pick-off attempt and the throw went past Learman to let the sixth run score.

Greenwood still wasn’t able to break through in the sixth. Jonah Hinker’s last high school at-bat ended with a lead-off walk. Cody Johnson came on to pinch-run and coach Kent Hinker put on a sacrifice play. Clark’s bunt attempt popped in the air, though, and Cychosz caught it on the fly and threw to first to get Johnson, who had broken for second base.

Cooper Bredlau retired Rosholt in order in the sixth, and the Indians were finally able to muster some offense in their last chance.

Xander Hinker led off with a walk. Schmitz followed with a chopper to Cychosz for an out, but Cooper Bredlau came through with a rocket double to the leftcenter field gap to send Hinker home. Bredlau then stole third, but Cychosz ended the game like he started it, fanning Humke and Fletcher Bredlau to finish it.

In his four innings on the mound, Whitford allowed eight hits and three walks and struck out six.

Greenwood’s season ends with 17-7 overall record.

Rosholt finished at 21-4 after losing 4-0 to undefeated Boyceville in Monday evening’s state title game.

DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO

DEAN LESAR/STAFF PHOTO