RIB LAKE 6, INTERWALD 5 - Osprey holds on to top spot in division
RIB LAKE 6, INTERWALD 5
Loading the bases often leads to big things for a baseball team, but on July 3, the Interwald Woodticks were cursed more than blessed in those situations.
The Woodticks loaded them up four times –– three times with no outs –– and only scored two runs in those innings which allowed the Rib Lake Osprey to escape with a 6-5 victory in the teams’ annual pre-fireworks Dairyland League matchup at Tannery Creek Park.
Rib Lake did most of its damage in the first three innings, building a 5-0 lead that shrunk to 5-4 by the seventh. The only run the Osprey got against Interwald reliever Jackson Blomberg came on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, which wound up being key as Interwald, again, loaded the bases in the bottom half but only pushed one run across.
Rib Lake improved to 5-0 in Small Division play, while Interwald slipped to 3-1 in the mid-season battle of league unbeatens played before the usual large holiday crowd on a perfect evening for baseball.
Austin Edwards worked around eight hits and seven walks while pitching one batter into the ninth inning to earn the pitching win for Rib Lake. Craig Scheithauer drew a walk to start the bottom of the ninth for Interwald, prompting Rib Lake to turn to Jeff Ziembo to try to close it out. Ziembo struck out Carter Scheithauer, but Nick Gerstberger singled and Logan Blomberg was hit by a pitch to load the bases. An errant throw to second in an attempt to pick off pinch runner Talon Scheithauer allowed another pinch runner, Sam Gumz, to score, making it 6-5.
Ziembo, though, made a nice play to catch a little infield looper hit by Michael Borchardt for the second out. Jackson Blomberg then flied out to his brother Luke Blomberg in rightfield to end it.
Jackson Blomberg settled things down for Interwald after the Osprey took their early lead. In six innings, Blomberg allowed just two hits and struck out nine batters while walking three.
The Osprey’s Bryant Konieczny led off the game by reaching on an error. He eventually scored on Steve Mann’s twoout single. Edwards led off the top of the second with a double, moved to third on a Scott Hueckman single and scored on Luke Blomberg’s fielder’s choice. Levi Ewan drew a walk from Interwald starter Carter Scheithauer to start the third. Ziembo singled and, after a wild pitch, Ewan scored on Mann’s sacrifice fly. Austin Ewan added another sacrifice fly and, after Edwards doubled again, Hueckman dropped in a run-scoring single.
Interwald, on the other hand, had no luck with its early chances. The Woodticks loaded the bases with no outs in the first, but Edwards got out of the jam, getting Craig Scheithauer to fly out to shallow left and Carter Scheithauer to hit into a double play.
The Woodticks loaded them again in the second with no outs. Ziembo, playing third base, moved to his left and snared a sharply-hit grounder by Jackson Blomberg and got a forceout at home plate. Edwards fielded a comebacker hit by Dalton Strebig to get another force at home and David Fliehs hit into a fielder’s choice to leave Interwald scoreless again.
Interwald finally broke through in the sixth. Gerstberger singled and Logan Blomberg doubled with one out. Gerstberger scored on Michael Borchardt’s groundout, then singles by Jackson Blomberg and Strebig scored runs to make it 5-3.
The Woodticks’ Matt Mohr reached on an error and the Scheithauers drew consecutive walks to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the only run scored on a Gerstberger grounder.
Ziembo and Hueckman both went two for four for Rib Lake, while Edwards was two for five with his two doubles. Jackson Blomberg, Logan Blomberg, Gerstberger and Strebig had two hits apiece for Interwald.
Rib Lake hosts the Tomahawk Titans Friday at 7:30 p.m. in its next league game, while Interwald is at Pittsville Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
