By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD — The Pittsville Panthers earned the right to compete for a sectional championship this week, with a Division 4 Regional title in back-to-back wins May 29 and 30.

After getting a first-round bye, The Panthers knocked off Greenwood May 29 by a score of 8-3, after the Indians had defeated Marshfield Columbus in round one of playoff competition. On May 30, Pittsville beat Wisconsin Rapids Assumption 8-5.

Pittsville played defending Division 4 state champion Athens on Tuesday in a sectional semifinal at White Lake.

Both Stratford and Auburndale were eliminated in the regional round of baseball competition last week.

Pittsville pitcher, Dakota Landphier, takes a swing at a pitch from the Greenwood Indians on May 29. The Panthers advance to sectionals following back-to-back wins. Hub City Times staff photo

The Tigers beat the Apaches in a regional semifinal on May 29 by a score of 2-0. The Tigers scored a run in the first inning, and another in the fourth. Chandler Schmidt earned the win. Schmidt, Eli Drexler and Lance Heidmann combined on a four-hit shutout of the Apaches, who ended their season 9-8.

Stratford could not celebrate long, however, as the Tigers were bounced from the tournament the following day by Marathon 3-2, in a regional final that went eight innings in Marathon. The Tigers took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Mitchell Kurtz blasted a home run in the bottom of that inning to tie the game. Stratford took the lead again the fifth, on an RBI base hit by Matt Handrick.

The Red Raiders tied the game again in the sixth inning, on a sacrifice fly by Carter Hanke that scored Kurtz. Marathon won the game on a walkoff RBI base hit by Hunter Seubert in the eighth inning, the second time in as many days the Raiders won in the eighth inning. The previous day, Marathon needed an extra inning to beat Neillsville 3-2 in their regional semifinal.

Matt Handrick went 3-for-4. Mark Handrick was 2-for-4.

Stratford ended its season with a record of 13-6.

The Marshfield Tigers lost their Division 1 regional semifinal game with Chippewa Falls on May 29 by a 6-5 score. Chippewa Falls scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win that game in walkoff fashion. Antonio Anaya singled, doubled and drove in three runs for the Tigers, who ended their season 4-16. Marshfield led the game 5-3, but the Cardinals scored three runs in the final two innings to come from behind.