DAIRYLAND LEAGUE LARGE - Reds’ rally falls short in Rhinelander
DAIRYLAND LEAGUE LARGE
A late five-run rally was not enough Saturday for the Whittlesey Reds, who dropped their 2024 Dairyland League finale to host Rhinelander 9-6 to finish at 6-6 in the league’s Large Division.
A 1-0 lead quickly disappeared with Rhinelander’s six-run second inning. The River Monsters’ lead grew to 9-1 before the Reds made things interesting in the last two innings but couldn’t quite climb all the way back.
With this win and a 4-3 win at Minocqua Sunday, the River Monsters climbed over Whittlesey and finished 7-5 in league play, good for a third-place tie in the division with Everest. The Merchants went into the final week in prime position to win the division, but lost to Wisconsin Rapids 3-1 on Wednesday and to Marshfield 5-3 on Monday.
Marshfield finished the season on a tear with eight straight league wins and won the Large Division title at 9-3, a game ahead of 84 Rapids.
The Reds’ late rally started with a four-run eighth. Ryan Kraschnewski and Brandon Loertscher led off with singles and Logan Baumgartner added another with one out. Spike Alexander’s single scored a run as did a walk to Ben Meyer. Cade Alexander’s infield hit scored a run and a wild pitch eventually brought in the last run of the inning, making it 9-5.
In the ninth, Whittlesey loaded the bases with one out on singles by Kraschnewski and Cody Loertscher and a walk to Baumgartner. After Spike Alexander’s infield fly, Meyer singled in Kraschnewski, but Loertscher got caught in a rundown while trying to score on the play and was tagged out to end the game. Loertscher singled in Whittlesey’s first run of the game in the first inning.
The River Monsters did most of their second- inning damage with two outs. Kolby Ridderbusch’s two-run single and another by Josh Randolph were the key blows.
Randolph added an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run single in the sixth to finish four for five with five runs batted in out of the two-spot in Rhinelander’s order. He had half of the team’s eight hits.
Whittlesey actually outhit Rhinelander 128.
Martin Hoger was the winning pitcher, allowing eight hits, five runs and three walks while striking out one in 7.1 innings. Quinn Lamers got the last five outs.
Cade Alexander was charged with the loss, allowing six earned runs on just two hits in 1.2 innings. He walked three and struck out two. Spike Alexander covered the next 4.1 innings, allowing three runs, two of which were earned on five hits. He struck out six and walked two. Brandon Loertscher struck out one, walked one and allowed a hit in two scoreless frames.
Cade Alexander was three for three, Cody Loertscher was two for four and Ryan Kraschnewski was two for two.
