STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The Rhinelander High School varsity boys baseball team headed to Wisconsin Rapids for a non-conference doubleheader Saturday when the Hodags won both games.

RHS defeated Rapids in the first game, 8-4.

The Hodags took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first after Jacob DeMeyer singled and scored on a two-run homer by Tyler Blomdahl.

RHS rallied with two outs in the top of the third when 10 batters went to the plate and six runs scored. Rapids starting pitcher Donovan Brandl was one out away from retiring the side when he gave up five consecutive free passes on base with a hit batter and four walks before leaving the mound. Only the Hodags’ final two batters recorded hits that inning with Matthew Rudolph picking up an RBI single and Senoraske doubling with Rudolph being called out at home trying to score on the play.

Rudolph, who pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for the Hodags and recorded the victory, had kept Rapids scoreless through four innings. His hopes for a shutout ended with two outs in the bottom of the fifth when Rapids put together three consecutive singles by Ryan Brock, Nick Campbell and Caleb Krommenakker to score Brock.

After the first two batters for Rapids in the sixth inning reached base on an error, Josh Zwicke doubled to bring in two runs before Zwicke scored on a single by Brock to cut the Hodags’ lead to 8-4.

RHS reliever Tait Spencer recorded the final out of the sixth inning and retired all three batters he faced in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game.

HODAGS 7, RAPIDS 2

RHS trailed by a run early in game two before defeating Rapids, 7-2.

The first Rapids run came in the first inning when Krommenakker led off with a single, advanced to second on a groundout, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Nate Jackson.

The Hodags tied the game in the second inning when Brad Quade led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by Liam Stevens and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rudolph.

RHS took the lead in the third inning when Blomdahl tripled and stole home.

The Hodags extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning when Easton Senoraske and DeMeyer each singled and scored on a double by Blomdahl.

After Rapids got run back in the top of the sixth when Zwicke singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double by Jacob Mancl, RHS scored its final three runs in the bottom of the inning on a three-run homer by DeMeyer.

The Hodags’ Brad Comer recorded the complete-game pitching victory, giving up two earned runs on six hits with four walks while striking out two.

With the doubleheader sweep, RHS’s season record stands at 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the Great Northern Conference going into Tuesday’s conference game at league-leading Antigo.

Game one

Hodags 8, Rapids 4

Hodags 2-0-6 0-0-0 0 – 8 8 2

Rapids  0-0-0 0-1-3 0 – 4 7 3

WP–Matthew Rudolph; LP–Donovan Brandl

Game two

Hodags 7, Rapids 2

Rapids  1-0-0 0-0-1 0 – 2 6 0

Hodags 0-1-1 0-2-3 X – 7 9 2

WP–Brad Comer; LP–Ryan Brock