Wausau East holds off seventh-inning rally, hands Stratford baseball its first loss

Stratford's Vance Kielman. (MarshfieldAreaSports.com file photo/Paul Lecker)

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WAUSAU – Wausau East held off a seventh-inning rally to defeat Stratford 5-4 in a nonconference baseball game at East High School on Friday.

Wausau East led 5-0 after four innings following an RBI single by Jed Vander Sanden, an RBI double by Ryan Rodemeier, an RBI single by Zach Pagel and a run-scoring double from Iain Stahel.

The score held until the seventh when it took three East relievers to get through the inning.

Two walks and a single by Jack Tubbs loaded the bases for Stratford. Braden Bloom scored on a wild pitch, Alec Chapel came home on a throwing error, Brady Berg knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly, and Ryan Spindler scored on a groundout to cut East’s lead to 5-4.

After a walk and a hit batter, East brought in R.J. Stroming and on a 2-0 pitch he picked off a runner at first base to end the game and earn the save, handing Stratford (3-1) its first loss of the 2024 season.

Stahel had two doubles to finish with two of East’s seven hits.

Stratford will host Marathon in its Marawood Conference South Division opener Monday at 4:45 p.m. at the Tiger Stadium Baseball Field.

Lumberjacks 5, Tigers 4
Stratford 000 000 4 – 4 4 0
Wausau East 013 100 x – 5 7 2
WP:
Ryan Rodemeier. LP: Brady Schmidt. SV: R.J. Stroming.
SO: Schmidt (2 inn.) 3, Henry Zaleski (2 inn.) 0, Vance Kielman (1 inn.) 1, Landon Zawislan (1 inn.) 1; Rodemeier (5 inn.) 4, Zach Pagel (1 inn.) 0, Karson Baumann (0 inn.) 0, Collin Mielke (2/3 inn.) 0, Stroming (1/3 inn.) 0. BB: Schmidt 1, Zaleski 0, Kielman 1, Zawislan 0; Rodemeier 3, Pagel 1, Baumann 2, Mielke 2, Stroming 0.
Top hitters: S, Brady Berg RBI; Kielman RBI. WE, Iain Stahel 2×4, 2 2Bs, RBI; Rodemier 2B, RBI; Pagel RBI; Jed Vander Sanden RBI.
Records: Stratford 3-1; Wausau East 2-1.