RIB LAKE BASEBALL - After slow start, Redmen earn split with Athens in 19-9 win
RIB LAKE BASEBALL
After half an inning, it looked like Thursday’s Athens/Rib Lake Marawood North baseball rematch could be decided by 10-run rule.
It ultimately was, but it was not won by the team looking like it was on its way to the lopsided win.
Trailing 5-0 after a half-inning and 8-3 after an inning and a half, Rib Lake outscored the visiting Blue Jays 16-1 the rest of the way and ended the game in the fifth inning 19-9 before the night’s heavier rains arrived. With the win, the Redmen earned a split of two-game series with Athens, who beat Rib Lake 6-3 on April 15.
The strike zone eluded four Athens pitchers, who issued 12 walks and hit four batters in 4.2 innings. With Rib Lake’s offense taking advantage by collecting 10 hits when the Blue Jays did throw strikes, the runs quickly piled up for the home team.
Ethan Cook helped turn the tide, pitching well in three relief innings. He struck out four, walked one and worked around five hits to allow just one unearned run in the third. Two errors to start the game didn’t help starting pitcher Slade Scheithauer and Athens turned Dax Diethelm’s double, Alex Belter’s two-run single, Nick Pittman’s RBI groundout and Mason Belter’s RBI single into a five-run inning.
Brevin Brahmer got three of those runs back in the bottom half, clearing the bases with a double after Slade Scheithauer doubled and Ethan Cook and Talon Scheithauer walked. But Athens scored three more in the top of the second on three hits, two walks and a sacrifice fly.
Five straight second-inning walks got Rib Lake within 8-5. A seven-run third turned the momentum Rib Lake’s way for good.
The Redmen loaded the bases and got the first two runs when Ethan Cook and Talon Scheithauer were hit by pitches. Kamden Zarnke became Athens’ third pitcher of the day, relieving Diethelm, and got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but Brahmer drove in a run as Athens failed to record an out on a fielder’s choice. Seth Borchardt singled in a pair of runs. Blake Henderson singled and an error helped finish off the big inning.
Ethan Cook doubled and Talon Scheithauer singled with one out in the fourth. Brady Heiser’s grounder scored courtesy runner Briley Leonhard and Scheithauer scored on an error for a 14-9 lead.
Rib Lake finished it off with a five-run fifth-inning rally that included just two hits, both by Henderson to cap his threefor- four day out of the seventh spot in the order.
His leadoff single was followed by Tyler Matyka’s walk. Brayden Frahmann relieved Zarnke and walked Lucas Cook. Henderson scored on Slade Scheithauer’s fielder’s choice. Ethan Cook’s groundout scored pinch runner Aiden Stapleton. After Talon Scheithauer was hit by another pitch, two runs scored on wild pitches to make it 18-9. Walks to Heiser, Brahmer and Borchardt loaded the bases for Henderson, who sent a sharply-hit grounder up the middle to drive in the clinching run.
Slade Scheithauer had two hits in the win. He struck out one and walked three while allowing six hits in his two innings on the mound.
Rib Lake’s game at Prentice Monday was postponed due to wet grounds. The teams will try again today, Thursday, in Rib Lake, with a 4 p.m. doubleheader though the forecast is calling for more rain in the afternoon.
The schedule shows the Redmen hosting Lake Holcombe-Cornell in nonconference play Friday at 4:45 p.m. The Redmen meet Abbotsford-Colby in Marawood North action next week, hosting the Tuesday game and then going to Abbotsford on Thursday.
