Redhawks get three in the 8th to break open pitchers’ duel

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE LARGE

The Whittlesey Reds dropped their second straight game in the Dairyland League’s Large Division Sunday, falling 5-1 in a good pitchers’ duel at division champion Wisconsin Rapids.

The Redhawks secured at least a share of the Large Division title with Sunday’s win while improving to 9-2 in league play. Rapids has one league game left at Rhinelander on July 29. The River Monsters sit at 6-3 following a 5-0 win over Everest on Sunday and are the only team that still has a chance of tying Rapids for the title.

Whittlesey slid to 5-4, good for a thirdplace tie with Everest and a half-game lead over fifth-place Marshfield (4-4).

Nick Retterath had another excellent start for the Reds, following up his shutout win over Minocqua on July 9. He went seven innings, struck out seven and walked just two Redhawks while scattering nine hits and allowing two runs.

Unfortunately, left-hander Ethan Peters was just a little better in his seven innings, striking out nine, walking one and giving up six hits and one run.

Whittlesey’s run came in the top of the sixth and made it a 2-1 game. With one out, Thomas Mildbrand drew the only walk Peters issued, Spike Alexander reached on an infield hit and Parker Lissner singled to shallow right to load the bases. Brent Mueller drove in Mildbrand with a groundout, but Peters also got Cade Alexander to ground out to end the threat.

The Reds stranded a runner on third in the seventh while still trailing by one. Then, in the bottom of the eighth, the Redhawks broke it open.

With Spike Alexander now pitching, Tyler Beyer opened the inning with a double to deep left. An error on the infield and a walk to Vinnie Fonti loaded the bases with no outs. Alexander nearly got the Reds out of the jam with two strikeouts. But Wisconsin Rapids High School’s All-State outfielder from this past spring Brennan Huber dumped a clutch two-out, two-run single into rightfield and a wild pitch brought in the third run of the inning.

Nathan Krommenakker picked up the two-inning save for Rapids, walking one and striking out one.

Lissner led Whittlesey offensively by going two for four. Huber was three for five for Rapids, while Krommenakker, Caden Sengbusch and Beyer had two hits apiece.

Rapids got hits from Krommenakker and Sengbusch in the first and got the opening run on an RBI groundout by Garrett Huber. Brennan Huber’s two-out infield hit and stolen base in the fifth led to the left-handed hitting Krommenakker dumping an RBI single to the opposite field to make it 2-0.

Whittlesey can end Rhinelander’s title hopes by beating the River Monsters Sunday at Mike Roiger Stadium. Game time is 1:30 p.m. The Reds will host Marshfield on July 29 and still have to make up a game at Merrill.