By Hub City Times staff

GREENWOOD – The Greenwood Indians are the 2019 champions of the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference. The Indians wrapped up the title with three big wins in the final full week of the regular season.

On May 14, the Indians held off Marshfield Columbus 5-3. Jaeger Johnson got the win. He threw three innings, and gave up two earned runs on three hits while walking five and striking out four. Cooper Bredlau led the Indians with a single, a double, and an RBI.

Two days later, on May 16, the Indians won again, defeating Neillsville 8-4. Tragen Bogdonovich picked up the win. He gave up three earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out one. Bredlau and Jonah Hinker each drove in two runs. Johnson went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Sully Whitford drove in a run as well.

One of Greenwood’s most-impressive wins came on Friday, May 17. The Indians twice rallied from behind to beat Loyal 8-7 in eight innings. The Greyhounds grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Indians got two of their own in the first. Loyal kept the pressure on with three more runs in their half of the second inning. The Indians answered with a two-run second inning, to narrow the gap to two. Greenwood scored another run in the third, one more in the fourth and another in the fifth to take a 7-6 lead heading into the seventh inning.

The Greyhounds tied the game on an RBI base hit by Ethan Weinfurtner, and that sent the game into a deciding eighth inning. Loyal got only one person on base, but could not score. When Greenwood came up, Johnson ripped a one-out double down the left field line. Two batters later, and with two outs, Cooper Bredlau smacked a game-winning walk-off single to center field for the win.

Bredlau picked up the win in relief of Johnson on the mound. He also had two singles, two doubles, and four runs batted in. Jonah Hinker singled, doubled, and knocked in a pair of runs. Cole Zimbauer had a single, a double, and an RBI.

No. 1 Greenwood will host the winner of the Div. 4 Marshfield Columbus/Port Edwards matchup on May 28 in Greenwood, in a regional semifinal.