Chaps end season
By Hub City Times staff
MARSHFIELD – A Marshfield Chaparrals team that started out the season red hot by winning 13 of its first 14 games, including 11 in a row at one point, fizzled out pretty quickly as the playoffs started, and the boys of summer have put the bats and gloves away for another year.
The Chaps lost three straight games to end their season, including an opening-round playoff game versus Hudson Aug. 11 in Rib Lake.
The River Rats won the game 14-8, using a nine-run third inning to essentially end the game early, on a day the Marshfield bats were silenced by great pitching for most of the contest. Hudson starting pitcher Paul Johnson gave up just three hits in the first six innings, and retired the Chaps in order in four of the seven innings he was on the mound.
But, after Hudson grabbed an 11-0 lead, Marshfield fought back. The Chaparrals scored two runs in the seventh inning and three more in the eighth. However, the River Rats came right back with three runs of their own in the top half of the ninth inning to make it a 14-5 ball game. The Chaps weren’t finished though, as they tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth with their backs against the wall, but three runs in that final frame were too little too late, as the Chaps saw their season end.
Bobby Pilz took the loss for Marshfield, lasting just 2-2/3 innings. Hunter Korger took over from there, and didn’t do much better – giving up a grand slam before the third inning was over.
The late rally by the Chaparrals was sparked by a two-run hit by Jack Donahue in the seventh inning.
In the eighth, the Chaps greeted Hudson relief pitcher Dave Williams with a three-run eighth inning. The effort was led by Nate McDonald and Riley Erickson, who combined for six of Marshfield’s 11 hits, three doubles, and five runs batted in.
After Korger left the game, Kade Lancour and Ryan Metz pitched the final innings for Marshfield.
At the plate, McDonald was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in, and Erickson was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs driven in.
In their regular-season finale Aug. 8, the Chaps lost in Plover 3-1. Plover starting pitcher Jake Drewes held the Chaps to just one run in eight innings, striking out seven, walking two, while scattering five hits. Plover, meanwhile, scored a run in the second inning and two more in the fifth. Starter Bobby Pilz gave up a run over two innings of work, Ryan Metz threw two innings after that, Korger pitched two innings and gave up two earned runs while striking out four, and Sam Schwanebeck and Kade Lancour each pitched an inning.
Marshfield scored its only run of the game in the eighth inning, when Erickson collected his 29th RBI at the time. Riley was 2-for-3 on the day.
The Chaparrals ended their season 17-5, and outscored their opponents 166-78.
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