LEGION BASEBALL: Rebels’ comeback comes up short in regional championship
Antigo advances to state
STAR JOURNAL REPORT
After trailing by nine runs after five innings Saturday night, the Rhinelander Rebels Legion baseball team was able to tie its AA Regional Tournament championship game in the top of the seventh before giving up the winning run in the bottom of the inning in a 14-13 loss to Antigo at Stafford Field.
Antigo’s Garrett Held capped off a five-hit game in the final inning with a one-out, walk-off single to drive home Hunter Kirsch.
Rebels starting pitcher Brandon Hess worked three-plus innings when he was charged for 10 runs on 12 hits with three walks and a hit batter. Josh Randolph pitched the final 3 1/3 innings in relief, giving up four runs on six hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Antigo jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the opening inning and added a run in the bottom of the second before the Rebels got on the scoreboard in the third inning with two runs on two hits that included singles by Brad Comer and Kurt Zuiker.
Antigo added another run in the bottom of the third and scored three more times in the fourth inning when Hess gave up four consecutive singles and then left the mound with Randolph pitching in relief.
The Rebels got two runs back in the top of the fifth when Zuiker doubled, Tyler Blomdahl singled and both scored. Antigo then added three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 13-4 lead.
Ten batters went to the plate in the sixth inning for the Rebels when they scored six runs on four hits that included a double by Easton Senoraske and singles by Zuiker, Randolph and Tait Spencer.
After Antigo didn’t score in the bottom of the sixth, the only frame of the game for the Typhoon without a run, the Rebels tied the game at 13-13 with three runs in the seventh inning when Brad Quade, Zuiker, Randolph, Blomdahl and Senoraske each tallied a single.
The Rebels left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh when Comer struck out for the third out.
Antigo set up the winning run in the seventh inning on a one-out single by Kirsch, who advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Held’s single.
Antigo advances to the AA State Tournament that begins Wednesday at Athletic Park in Merrill. The Rebels close out their season at home Wednesday evening when they make up a Great Northern Legion Conference doubleheader against Medford.
Antigo 14, Rebels 13
Rebels 0-0-2 0-2-6 3 – 13
Antigo 5-1-1 3-3-0 1 – 14
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