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By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPARTA – The Marshfield Chaparrals amateur baseball team hammered out 14 hits on Friday night at Sparta’s Memorial Park, but it still wasn’t enough as the Chaps dropped just their third game of the season, losing to the Miller 5-4.
“Sparta was a good tune-up game before the playoffs,” said Chaparrals player/manager Justin Rayburn. “It’s good to play strong teams like that to prepare for the postseason. It’s also beneficial for us to play in a close game like that. You can’t simulate playing in a tight game with a little pressure.”
Playing without starting left fielder Nate McDonald, who didn’t make the trip, and resting usual starters Sam Schwanebeck and Lucius Messerschmidt, meant all the Chaparrals got a chance to play as the season winds down. Schwanebeck and starting pitcher Hunter Korger were the only Chaps to not get an at-bat.
The Miller drew first blood in the bottom of the first when Korger walked a couple batters and Brayton Ghelfi drove one of them in with an RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
The Chaps took the lead in the fifth when Jared Klein and Austin Littman led off with singles. Littman was erased on a double play, but Riley Erickson stroked an RBI single to score Klein. Erickson got to third on a wild pitch and Luke Wirtz drove him in for a 2-1 lead.
The Miller came right back to tie it up on Clay Langan’s RBI single.
It stayed that way until the eighth.
Jason Kurth had a one-out single. After another out, Messerschmidt delievered a pinch-hit single and Littmann drove in Kurth. When Rayburn’s grounder got misplayed by the shortstop, Messerschmidt scored, making it 4-2.
Korger had left the game after five strong innings giving up four hits with four strikeouts and four walks, surrendering two runs.
And then, whether it was the Miller batters, fatigue, a year between appearances for Wirtz, or a combination of the aforementioned, Sparta battled back.
A Texas-leaguer got Sparta their first base runner, followed by a walk and a line-out. An RBI single , a walk and a bases-loaded walk tied the game. A sacrifice fly to center got the winning run home for the Miller.
Littman went 3-for-4, making him 7-for-9 the past two games. Rayburn’s two singles give him 10 hits in 16 at bats in his last five games.
The Chaps (17-3) conclude their regular season Wednesday night at Plover and start the playoffs next Saturday, Aug. 11, against Hudson at 3 p.m. in Rib Lake.
Miller 5, Chaparrals 4
Marshfield 000 020 020 – 4 14 1
Sparta 100 010 003 – 5 8 1
WP: No. 31 (name not provided). LP: Luke Wirtz.
SO: Hunter Korger (5 inn.) 4, Luke Wirtz (4 inn.) 3; Alex Jeranek (6 inn.) 4, No. 31 (3 inn.) 1. BB: Korger 4, Wirtz 6; Jeranek 2.
Top hitters: M, Austin Littmann 3×4; Justin Rayburn 2×4, RBI; Jason Kurth 2×4; Jack Donahue 2×5. S, Clay Langan 2×2, RBI; Zack Earll 2×4, RBI.
Records: Marshfield 17-3; Sparta not reported.