Win over Wausau puts Rib Lake in three-way for 2nd in division

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE DIVISION A

The Rib Lake Osprey clinched a winning record in divisional play by shutting down the Wausau River Hawks 9-2 in the second of two Dairyland League baseball games played Sunday afternoon at Tannery Creek Parkway.

Both involved Wausau, who also lost 18-9 to Interwald to drop to 7-4 in divisional play.

Rib Lake, meanwhile, finished at 7-5 which could eventually put the Osprey in a three-way tie for second place in Division A behind undefeated Everest. Wausau and Everest (11-0) have planned to make up an early-season rainout this week. Minocqua also finished 7-5.

Run differential tiebreakers, however, have put Rib Lake in the fourth position in the Division A standings for this coming weekend’s Dairyland League crossovers. The Osprey will host the Marshfield Chaparrals (5-7) in that contest Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Rib Lake never trailed in Sunday’s game, using a two-run third to take a 3-0 lead and a two-run fifth to go back up by three at 5-2. The Osprey coasted from there, getting eight strong innings from pitcher Bryant Konieczny, who struck out 10 batters, walked only one and allowed just four hits. Both Wausau runs scored on an error in the fourth inning.

Jeff Ziembo went three for four at the plate for Rib Lake, while Austin Ewan, Levi Ewan and Jon Dallmann all went two for four as the Osprey avenged an 8-1 loss suffered at Wausau one week earlier.

Austin Ewan tripled and scored on Levi Ewan’s hit while Dallmann added a sacrifice fly to extend Rib Lake’s lead to 3-0 in the third. Ziembo’s single started the two-run fifth. He stole second base, advanced on a throwing error and scored on Dallmann’s hit. Joe Frombach later walked with the bases loaded.

Ziembo’s RBI single was the key hit in a two-run sixth. Dallmann drove in another run with a hit and Austin Edwards knocked in the final run with a ground ball in the eighth.

Levi Ewan pitched a scoreless ninth. Jordan Huehnerfuss took the loss for Wausau. In six innings, he allowed nine hits and seven runs, six of which were earned. He struck out four and walked two.

Everest wins easily

Rib Lake hosted division champion Everest on Friday and was soundly defeated 17-3 in seven innings.

The Merchants banged out 18 hits against three Rib Lake pitchers, two of whom –– Edwards and Mateo Lopez –– didn’t get the strongest help from their defense at times.

Everest scored twice in the top of the first and added four in the second, highlighted by RBI singles from Logan Langbehn, Tanner Graham and Ryan Hubacek to go up 6-0. Langbehn added an RBI double in the third and Everest scored three more in the fourth to go up 10-1. An 11-3 game really got out of hand with a six-run sixth that included an RBI double by Wade Farmer and three Rib Lake errors.

Austin Ewan got Rib Lake on the board with an RBI double in the bottom of the third. Lopez and Hueckman hit back-to-back doubles to start Rib Lake’s fourth inning and Gavin Phillips singled in Hueckman to make it 10-3.

Hubacek and Brock Warren had three hits apiece for Everest, who got four innings out of starter Heinrich Walder. Josh Nielsen finished up. Rib Lake got one hit apiece from Austin Ewan, Lopez, Hueckman, Austin Zondlo and Phillips.