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 #5 Seed: CEL 8
#4 Seed: WLB 9
8 innings
The WLB boys baseball team played cross-town rival CEL in the first
game of the IESA 1A Boys Baseball Regional on Tuesday evening at
WLB's Miller Field. WLB entered the game as the #4 seed and earned
the home team status against the #5 seeded CEL Panthers.
The game went scoreless the first three innings of play as both
pitchers were in control of the game. WLB's Lucas Konczyk threw four
scoreless innings before CEL finally got to him in the fifth inning.
CEL's Sean Raffa was equal to the task until he ran into trouble in
the Wolverine half of the fourth inning. Patrick McCraith led off
with a single followed by an RBI single by Konczyk got the
Wolverines on the board to start the scoring. A walk and another
single by Drew Eimer led to the first pitching change in the game.
CEL's Kaden Klopp took over for Raffa and gave up a 2-run single to
Sam Gleason giving the Wolverines a 4-0 lead. Klopp then induced a
strikeout on the next hitter but a dropped third strike and an
errant throw allowed Daulton Miller to reach and Gleason to score
from third. Trey Schilling followed with an RBI single to left field
scoring Miller. A double play ball ended the inning for the
Wolverines.
 The Panthers would strike back immediately in their half of the
fifth inning. Aiden Nemeth led off with a single followed by a walk
to Griffen Turner. An RBI single by Jay Howard plated Nemeth for
CEL's first run. Raffa reached on an error before Klopp belted a
2-run double to deep center field cutting the lead in half at 6-3.
Tanner Strampp walked loading the bases for the Panthers. Konczyk
then fielded a comebacker for a quick 1-2-3 double play (pitcher to
home to first). CEL plated two more run in the inning on an error to
cut the lead to 6-5.
Tanner Strampp took to the hill to begin the Wolverine half of the
fifth inning and threw two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth.
Sam Gleason (WP) came on in the top of the sixth inning giving up
one earned run on a game-tying RBI groundout by Raffa. With the
score tied at 6 apiece heading into the seventh inning, CEL's
Brendan Wurth reached on an error and would later score the go-ahead
run for the Panthers. Nemeth also scored after he reached on an
error on another RBI by Raffa, this time on a single, putting the
Panthers up 7-5 heading into WLB's half of the inning.
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After a strikeout to begin the inning, McCraith kept the inning
alive with a single. Konczyk then reached on a fielder's choice and
error as the forceout at second wasn't handled properly giving WLB
runners at 1st and 2nd with one out. Jacob Langley walked to load
the bases. An RBI fielder's choice groundout by Drew Eimer scored
Konczyk and an errant throw plated Konczyk to tie the game at 8-8.
A leadoff single by Strampp started the eighth inning but the
pinch-runner was quickly erased by a pick-off by the slick,
left-handed Gleason. A tough at-bat by Wurth earned him first base
on a base on balls and a single by Tyler Sasse gave the Panthers
runners at 1st and 2nd. Gleason hung tough on the bump and got the
final out with a swinging strikeout.
WLB's Miller led off the bottom of the eight inning with a single
and gave way to pinch runner Luke Jones. Schilling moved him to 2nd
base with a sacrifice bunt. Camden Nelson grounded back to the
pitcher for the 2nd out in the inning with Jones still at 2nd base.
Scotty Battin walked to put runners at 1st and 2nd setting the table
for McCraith. A wild pitch moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd before
McCraith lined a ball toward left field that dropped in safely to
end the game.
This was the second time the Wolverines faced the Panthers with both
games going into extra innings. Congratulations to the very
well-coached CEL Panthers for a great season. Coach Randy Ely and
his assistant do an outstanding job coaching and teaching the game
of baseball to his team. The Wolverines will move on to play
Springfield Blessed Sacrament on Saturday, September 17 at 9:30am at
WLB's Miller Field. Mt. Pulaski will take on Springfield Calvary at
11:30am. The winners will face each other in the Regional
championship game on Monday, September 19 at 4:15pm at WLB's Miller
Field.
[Jeff Nelson]
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