Stratford baseball blanks Auburndale in WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal

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MarshfieldAreaSports.com

AUBURNDALE – Three Stratford pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout as the Tigers down Marawood Conference-rival Auburndale 2-0 in a WIAA Division 3 baseball regional semifinal Tuesday at Auburndale High School.

Eli Drexler allowed three hits in three innings, Chandler Schmidt pitched a perfect three innings, and Lance Heidmann earned the save with a shut out inning in the seventh for the Tigers.

Stratford (13-5) will play a Division 3 regional final at Marathon (16-1) at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Stratford scored single runs in the first and fourth innings against Auburndale pitcher Cam Ertl, who struck out three in a complete-game effort.

Dawson Moen had an RBI double and Matt Handrick also drove in a run for the Tigers. Mark Handrick had two of Stratford’s five hits.

Auburndale ends its season with a 9-8 record.

Tigers 2, Apaches 0
Stratford 100 100 0 – 2 5 1
Auburndale 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
WP:
Chandler Schmidt. LP: Cam Ertl. SV: Lance Heidmann.
SO: Eli Drexler (3 inn.) 5, Schmidt (3 inn.) 3, Heidmann (1 inn.) 0; Ertl 3. BB: Drexler 3, Schmidt 0, Heidmann 0; Ertl 1.
Top hitters: S, Heidmann 1×3, run; Mark Handrick 2×3; Matt Handrick 1×2, RBI; Dawson Moen 2B, RBI.
Records: Stratford 13-5; Auburndale 9-8.