DAIRYLAND LEAGUE SMALL - Borchardt’s hit wins it for Ticks; Trojans’ loss seals Osprey’s title

DAIRYLAND LEAGUE SMALL

The Interwald Woodticks left the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning Sunday while trailing visiting Tomahawk 8-4.

They didn’t fail when opportunity struck again in the ninth.

The Woodticks loaded the bases with one out against Tomahawk reliever Tyler Jablonski, got runs on a walk by Logan Blomberg and Sam Gumz’s infield single and then won it 9-8 on Michael Borchardt’s three-run triple to the rightfield corner.

The rally started with a misplayed fly ball that put Nick Gerstberger on second base. Carter Scheithauer was hit in the helmet by a pitch and Talon Scheithauer singled to load the bases. Borchardt’s hard-hit drive to the corner not only scored Talon Scheithauer and Blomberg easily, but Gumz, the team’s fastest runner, happened to be on first base and sprinted around the bases to score the walkoff run uncontested.

With the win, Interwald improved to 4-2 in the Small Division within the Dairyland Baseball League. The Woodticks enter the final weekend of league play in a four-way tie for second place in the division.

The Titans had fought back from an early 3-0 deficit and took the lead with a five-run eighth inning. Four straight walks issued by Interwald reliever Jackson Blomberg tied it. Walter Horabik greeted the new pitcher, Carter Scheithauer, with a two-run double. Jablonski singled in a run and Mason Beatie walked in a run before the long inning finally ended. Beatie walked three straight batters with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but he got a strikeout to escape that threat.

Dalton Strebig walked and worked his way around the bases to score in the bottom of the first. David Fliehs reached on an error, Logan Blomberg doubled and Gumz and Randy Raasch singled to produce two runs and the 3-0 Interwald lead in the second.

Tomahawk scored twice in the fourth, Gerstberger hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth and the Titans got an unearned run in the sixth to make it 4-3.

Gumz was three for four out of the eighth spot in Interwald’s batting order. Seven Woodticks had one hit apiece.

The Woodticks are scheduled to play at Westboro Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to close out the league season.

Pittsville 7, Westboro 1

Ryan Schwanebeck’s three-run, third-inning homer was the key hit in Pittsville’s 7-1 win over visiting Westboro.

The loss knocked the Trojans into the four-way tie for second place at 4-2 and assured 6-0 Rib Lake, who did not play over the weekend, of this summer’s outright championship in the Small Division.

River Bandits Ben Friday and Justin Rayburn combined to limit Westboro to seven hits. They got out of two key jams with minimal damage. Friday threw 5.2 innings, striking out seven, walking four and allowing a run and five hits.

After allowing leadoff singles to James Holliday and Brant Johnson in the top of the second, Friday struck out three straight batters to get out of that jam.

In the sixth, with Pittsville leading 6-0, Westboro had a chance to get back into it, loading the bases with Connor Westfall’s leadoff walk, a two-out single by Jesus Ontiveros and a walk to Clayton Lyons. Jose Ontiveros walked to force in a run, but Rayburn relieved Friday and got Tucker Kraemer to line out to second to end the inning.

Pittsville’s big third inning started with a Ben Buettner single. Evan Haley doubled him in. Dylan Luther drew a one-out walk and Schwanebeck then drilled his three-run homer to make it 4-0. The River Bandits scored twice in the fifth and once in the eighth to put it away.

Jesus Ontiveros went the distance for Westboro. He struck out eight, walked three, hit one and allowed 10 hits. Brant Johnson had two hits including a double.

Haley had three hits for Pittsville, who also is 4-2. Schwanebeck, Rayburn and Grant Rademan had two hits apiece.

Other finals

Also in Small Division play, Abbotsford moved to 4-2 with its 12-6 win at 0-6 Spirit. Payton Schreiber struck out 12 batters in 5.2 innings, though he also hit six in 5.2 innings, for the Merchants to get the win. Aaron Morrow struck out five in 3.1 relief innings. Trevor Stuttgen had three hits for Abbotsford.

Abbotsford is at Rib Lake Friday at 7:30 p.m. to close out the league season.

In Medford Saturday, the Tomahawk Titans won a rain-shortened five-inning game 15-1 over the Moondogs. Both teams stood at 1-5 at the end of the weekend.

Medford is at Pittsville Saturday at 7 p.m. to close out the year, while Spirit is at Tomahawk Saturday at 6 p.m.