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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WAUSAU – Down to its final out, the Marshfield American Legion Post 54 baseball team wasn’t going to give up during its Class AAA U-19 regional opener against Wisconsin Rapids on Wednesday afternoon at Athletic Park.
Riley Baumann banged a double off the center field wall to score two runs, and following an intentional walk and a wild pitch, Ben Dietsche knocked in two more to give the Blue Devils an improbable 4-3 win.
Marshfield (19-12) will play the loser of Wednesday night’s game between D.C. Everest and Wausau at 4 p.m. Thursday. Wisconsin Rapids (14-8) will take on the loser of Wednesday’s game between Plover and Stevens Point at 1 p.m. Thursday in the double-elimination tournament.
Marshfield pitcher Kale Weisenberger allowed at least one hit in each inning but was able to wiggle out of trouble, with the exception of one inning.
After striking out Marcos Simonsen with the bases loaded for his third punchout of the third inning, the ball skipped away as Simonsen was able to reach first and Carson Gunderson scored the game’s first run for Wisconsin Rapids.
Ashton Potter immediately cracked a single to score two more runs and the Rangers led 3-0.
Weisenberger settled in the rest of the way, picking off a runner in the fourth inning at first base and coaxing inning-ending groundouts in the fifth and sixth with Rapids runners in scoring position. He went the distance, striking out four and walking two while scattering 10 hits.
Marshfield, which had been held to just four hits through six innings by Wisconsin Rapids pitcher Braden Lewis, finally got to him in the seventh.
Bennett Lang smacked a one-out single up the middle and Brock Bennington followed with a walk. After a fly out, Bauman pounded a hanging off-speed pitch off the wall in center to start the game-winning rally for Marshfield.
Nick Urban finished 3-for-3 and Bauman had two hits, including the two-RBI double, to lead the Marshfield offense.
Blue Devils 4, Rangers 3
Wisconsin Rapids 003 000 0 – 3 10 0
Marshfield 000 000 4 – 4 7 2
WP: Kale Weisenberger. LP: Braden Lewis.
SO: Lewis 0; Weisenberger 4. BB: Lewis 5; Weisenberger 2.
Top hitters: WR, Ryan Sering 2×4; Caden Sengbusch 2×4, run; Austin Junemann 2×4; Ashton Potter 2×4, 2 RBI. M, Riley Bauman 2×4, 2B, 2 RBI, run; Nick Urban 3×3, run; Ben Dietsche 1×4, 2 RBI; Bennett Lang 1×2, run.
Records: Wisconsin Rapids 14-8; Marshfield 19-12.
2022 Class AAA Regional 2 American Legion Baseball Tournament
July 20-23, at Athletic Park, Wausau
Wednesday, July 20
Game 1: Marshfield (19-12) 4, Wisconsin Rapids (14-8) 3
Game 2: Plover (26-11) vs. Stevens Point (12-16), 4 p.m.
Game 3: D.C. Everest vs. Wausau (21-16), 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 21
Game 4: Wisconsin Rapids (14-8) vs. Game 2 loser, 1 p.m.
*Game 5: Marshfield (19-12) vs. Game 3 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Friday, July 22
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 23
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 11: Game 10 winner vs. Game 10 loser, 4 p.m. (if necessary)
*Note, if Game 3 loser wins Game 5, the following schedule will be followed
Friday, July 22
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 loser vs. Game 6 loser, 4 p.m.
Game 9: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 23
Game 10: TBD, 1 p.m.