POST 147 LEGION BASEBALL - Chippewa Falls holds off Medford’s late rally in Legion home opener

POST 147 LEGION BASEBALL

Medford’s defensive miscues played a key role in allowing Chippewa Falls Post 77 to build a 6-1 lead going into the last half-inning of the teams’ nine-inning American Legion baseball contest June 12 in Whittlesey.

The Post 147 Senior Legion team rallied in that last half-inning, scoring three times while still having the bases loaded, but it came up one clutch hit short in a 6-4 loss.

Starting pitchers Tanner Hraby and Brayden Hagmann were outstanding, almost putting up all zeros through six innings. The only exception was an unearned run for Chippewa Falls in the second inning.

Nick Steliga relieved Hraby in the top of the seventh. Hagmann hit a leadoff single, but his courtesy runner, Carter Berg was easily thrown out attempting to steal second by catcher Blake Bargender. But a single by Ian Denning, an error on a fly ball hit by Brady Smith, an RBI single by Carter Stelter and a sacrifice fly by Lucas Logslett pushed the visitors’ lead to 3-0.

Post 147 finally got something on the board in the eighth. Hraby bunted for a one-out hit, JV Castillo doubled to deep right and Braxton Weissmiller’s ground ball scored Hraby. A walk to Bargender ended Hagmann’s outing, but reliever Brecken Boisvert got Carson Carbaugh to fly out to center to end the inning.

A three-run top of the ninth wound up saving the win for Chippewa Falls. The inning included four hits and three errors.

With one out in the bottom half, Max Dietzman’s single started Medford’s last rally. He went to second on a wild pitch. Steliga, Hayden Strebig and Hraby drew consecutive walks, forcing in a run and forcing a pitching change. Berg took over and promptly hit Castillo to make it 6-3. Weissmiller’s single to right got Medford one run closer, but Berg struck out Bargender and got Carbaugh to ground out to end it.

Medford had one other bases-loaded chance in the fifth. But, with one out, Hraby’s sharply-hit grounder went right to third baseman Preston Alger, who stepped on the bag and threw to first for a rally-killing double play.

Hraby allowed just three hits, struck out two and walked one in six innings. Steliga allowed seven hits, struck out three and walked one.

Hagmann struck out five, walked two and allowed six hits and one earned run in 7.2 innings to get the win.

Hraby and Dietzman were both two for four for Medford. Alger and Stelter each had two of Post 77’s 10 hits.

Medford’s home doubleheader with Tomahawk Monday was rained out. Post 147 is scheduled to visit Marshfield Friday in a 5 p.m. doubleheader. Medford hosts Rhinelander Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Marshfield Wednesday for a single game at 6 p.m.