GILMAN BASEBALL - Pirates hang tough at Columbus, fall in extra innings at Spencer

GILMAN BASEBALL

The Gilman Pirates hung tough with Eastern Cloverbelt Conference leading Columbus Catholic into the fifth inning Tuesday, but that’s where a three-run rally by the Dons broke a 2-2 tie and that was followed by another two-rally in the sixth, giving the home team a 7-3 win.

An error started the bottom of the fifth, but Gilman pitcher Dawson Grunseth got Don Blake Jakobi to line a ball right at first baseman Brayden Olynick, who turned an unassisted double play to get the Pirates one out away from getting into the sixth with the tie still intact.

But a walk to Mac Konieczny, a single by Emmitt Konieczny and then an error on a ball hit by Cy Becker, allowed the goahead runs to score. Nate Nemitz added an RBI single.

The Dons again struck with two outs in the sixth, getting Jakobi’s RBI single and an RBI double from Mac Konieczny.

The Pirates outhit the Dons 8-7, but six errors did them in as just one of Columbus Catholic’s runs was earned.

The Dons stayed atop the conference at 5-0 with the win. They are 9-1 overall. Gilman fell to 1-4, 2-5. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Gilman today, Thursday.

Gilman took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings. Dalton Wisocky opened the game by doubling off Jakobi and scoring on a one-out single by Joey Syryczuk, who led Gilman’s offense by going three for four. In the third, Adam Draeger and Troy Duellman singled and Wisocky walked to load the bases with no outs. Grunseth then walked to force in a run, but the rally died with three straight strikeouts and the momentum swung to the other dugout.

The Dons tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. The first run scored on an error, while the second scored on a sacrifice fly by Becker, though Gilman wound up getting two outs on the play and ended the inning when Syryczuk, Gilman’s catcher, took the throw from the outfielder and fired to third to nab Emmitt Konieczny as he tried to advance.

Gilman put up one last threat, loading the bases with one out in the seventh. Beau Pockat drove in one with a sacrifice fly, but Dawson Robinson’s hard-hit ball was caught by Nemitz in left to end it.

Draeger was two for three for the Pirates. Grunseth pitched five innings, allowing four hits and five unearned runs. He struck out five and walked two. Robinson pitched the sixth, allowing two hits and two unearned run.

The Konieczny brothers had two hits apiece for Columbus Catholic.

After today’s rematch, Gilman is scheduled to travel to Greenwood Friday, host Alma Center Lincoln in non-conference play Monday at 5 p.m., host Neillsville-Granton Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. and then head to Neillsville for the rematch on May 9 at 5 p.m.

Spencer 6, Gilman 5

The Pirates put up another good fight Friday but couldn’t quite complete a regular- season sweep of Spencer, falling 6-5 in nine innings.

The Rockets’ number-nine hitter Kayden Dietsche hit the walk-off RBI single with one out in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Weston Nieman, who had singled and stolen second. Wisocky struck out Austin Lalicata before Dietsche got the game-ender.

Gilman once led the game 4-0. The Pirates got three of those runs right away in the top of the first.

Wisocky singled, stole second and went to third on Grunseth’s groundout. After Syryczuk walked and stole second, both scored on a base hit by Connor Nichols. Nichols went to third on a hit by Talyn Podolak and scored on Pockat’s groundout.

Grunseth tripled and courtesy runner Lucas Halida scored on a Nichols single in the third.

But the offense went quiet after that and Spencer chipped away, scoring twice in the bottom of the third and twice more in the sixth to tie it at 4-4 on run-scoring singles by Dalton Post and reigning ECC Player of the Year Reed Knecht.

Gilman loaded the bases in the seventh, but Nieman got two big strikeouts to get out of the jam. The Pirate defense turned a double play to get out of a twoon, no-out jam in the bottom half.

The Pirates took a 5-4 lead in the eighth. Wisocky reached on a two-out error, he stole second and went to third on Grunseth’s single. Syryczuk then singled him in.

But Spencer came right back in its half with an unearned run to tie it and sent the game to the ninth.

Nichols went three for four with three RBIs for Gilman, while Grunseth was three for five. They accounted for six of the team’s 10 hits.

Grunseth went 4.2 innings, struck out 10, walked four and allowed four hits and two runs, one of which was earned. Wisocky struck out five and walked four in 3.2 innings. He allowed six hits and four runs, two of which were earned.

Nieman got the win, striking out eight and walking one in four relief innings. He allowed five hits but only one unearned run. Post struck out five, walked one in four innings.

Knecht was three for four with two RBIs.