Abbotsford’s win at Westboro tightens things in Small Division

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE SMALL

The baseball standings in the Dairyland League’s Small Division tightened up Sunday, thanks to Abbotsford’s 8-4 win over the host Westboro Trojans in one of three rescheduled games played that afternoon.

With their road win, the Merchants created a three-way with Westboro and Tomahawk atop the division as all of them now have 3-1 records. Interwald, a 9-0 winner over Pittsville, is a half-game back at 2-1 and Pittsville is a game behind at 2-2.

Abbotsford outhit Westboro 16-4 but this was a game of missed opportunities for both teams. Abbotsford had 11 of its hits in the first four innings and had chances to build a big lead in that time. Westboro threw out two Merchant runners at home plate in the first two innings and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the third to keep the game close.

Westboro loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings in spots where a big hit would’ve gotten the Trojans right back in it, but that hit didn’t come.

Trevor Stuttgen went four for six with four runs batted in for Abbotsford. Dillon Kramas was three for five out of the ninth spot in the order.

Abbotsford turned a misplayed fly ball hit by Payton Schreiber into two runs and a third run scored on an errant throw on a stolen base attempt in the top of the first. The inning ended on a Neal Hogden single up the middle where Westboro centerfielder Klay Ellenbecker threw out Stuttgen at home plate as he tried to score from second base.

The Merchants tacked on two in the second on RBI singles by Schreiber and Stuttgen, but Schreiber ended the inning by getting thrown out at the plate by Westboro third baseman Dustin Freeman, who recovered an off-target throw in just enough time to make the play.

Dakota Willemssen singled and scored on Butch Wiegel’s triple to get Westboro on the board in the bottom of the second and Wiegel later scored on Connor Westfall’s hit to make it 5-2.

Abbotsford left the bases loaded in the third when Wiegel got Evan Reis to fly out to center. Stuttgen drove in a run with a hit in the fourth but Abbotsford left the bases loaded again. Stuttgen’s RBI double made it 7-2 in the fifth.

Westboro capitalized somewhat on its bases-loaded opportunity in the sixth, getting RBI walks from Connor Westfall and Brant Johnson, but Schreiber, on in relief of starter and winning pitcher JV Castillo, got a big strikeout to limit the damage.

Abbotsford catcher Blake Bargender hit a solo homer to close the scoring in the top of the seventh. Westboro’s big threat in the bottom half ended when Schreiber fielded a comebacker hit by Marshall Westfall to start a double play. Another double play killed a potential uprising in the ninth.

Wiegel had two of Westboro’s hits. Wiegel pitched into the fifth, allowing 12 hits and seven runs, five of which were earned. Marshall Westfall struck out five and allowed a run in three innings. Ellenbecker struck out three in two scoreless innings.

Castillo allowed three hits and four runs, two of which were earned, while striking out eight and walking three in 5.1 innings. Schreiber worked in and out of trouble, going 3.2 innings, walking four, hitting one and allowing a hit while striking out three.

Westboro is at winless Spirit Sunday at 1:30 p.m., while Abbotsford is at Pittsville at the same time.

Interwald 9, Pittsville 0

Peter Devine was brilliant on the pitching mound and the offense finally put the game out of reach with a sevenrun rally in the eighth in Interwald’s 9-0 home win over Pittsville in the make-up date of a June 25 postponement.

Devine went the distance in the shutout win, working around eight hits and one hit batter. The River Bandits stranded seven runners, had one of its runners picked off in the sixth and had another wiped out on a double play in the eighth. Devine struck out three.

Interwald left five runners on base in the first four innings before breaking through in the fifth with a two-out rally. David Fliehs singled and Matt Mohr and Craig Scheithauer smacked back-to-back doubles to make it 2-0.

That would wind up being enough to win, but the Woodticks made sure in the eighth. They loaded the bases with one out and a costly error by Pittsville scored two. Logan Blomberg’s three-run triple was the capper to the big inning.

Sam Gumz and Scheithauer both went two for four for Interwald in the win. The Woodticks had seven hits and drew 10 walks, finally cashing in on some of those in the eighth.

With the three make-up games getting played Sunday, Interwald’s suspended game with Rib Lake is now the only Small Division game that has not been finished so far. The Woodticks are at Tomahawk Saturday for a 6 p.m. first pitch.

Medford 20, Spirit 0

The Medford Moondogs got into the win column in a big way Sunday afternoon, scoring nine runs in the third and six more in the fourth en route to a 20-0 blowout win over the host Spirit Twins.

A two-run single by Roy Stinson and a two-run double by Peyton Gilles were the big hits in the third. Gavin Fuchs hit a run-scoring double to highlight the big fourth inning.

Medford (1-3) closed things out with a four-run seventh that included an RBI double by Jacob Eckert and run-scoring singles by Trent Klemm, Trenton Woebbeking and Joey Bartolone.

Brett Paul got the win for Medford, going six innings. Andy Fuchs and Matt Jensen had hits for Spirit.

Medford hosts the Rib Lake Osprey (12) Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Medford’s Jake Eckert follows through on a swing that produces an RBI double during the Moondogs’ four-run seventh inning rally that caps a 20-0 win at Spirit Sunday in Dairyland League Small Division play.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS

Interwald centerfielder Sam Gumz tracks down a fly to the gap in right-center hit by Pittsville’s Jameson Krueger during the ninth inning of the Woodticks’ 9-0 win Sunday.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS

Spirit centerfielder Ashton Keiser squeezes a fly ball hit by Medford’s Trenton Woebbeking for the first out of Sunday’s sixth inning.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS