For the Tomahawk Leader
TOMAHAWK – The Tomahawk Hatchet baseball team earned two wins – one in the regular season and another in the playoffs – before their season came to an end in Phillips last week.
Tigerton
The Hatchets put one in the win column ahead of the playoffs on Monday, May 22, defeating visiting Tigerton, 15-5 in five innings on senior night.
Sophomore Brody Rigney started on the mound for the Hatchets, and Tigerton was able to push across two runs with two hits and two Hatchet errors in the top of the first. Tomahawk would answer in a big way, however, as they doubled the Tigers’ output with four in the bottom of the first. Addison Peissig, Drew Tollefson, Tyler Jablonski and Zack Friske all reached base and scored in the inning, and Cooper Hetzel capped the inning with a run-scoring sacrifice fly.
Tigerton would tie the game in the top of the second, plating two runs after the first two outs were recorded. The Hatchets would answer again with another four-spot to retake the lead, as Brayden Larson and Ethan Ihn reached base to start the inning – they would both score, as would Tollefson and Jablonski, aided by two Tiger errors, a walk and hit batsman.
The Hatchets would tally six in the third to break the game open. Larson, Ihn, Tollefson, Jablonski, Rigney and Hetzel all reached and scored in the frame. Monty Framke, Friske and Peissig also reached base in the inning.
After a solo home run by the Tigers in the fourth and a quiet bottom of the fourth by Tomahawk, the Hatchets ended the game by run rule in the fifth. Jablonski and Friske reached consecutively to open the inning and ended up on third and second, respectively, with no one out.
Back-to-back strikeouts left the game to Landon Hoff, who entered in the top of the fifth in the outfield – he punched a ball through a drawn-in infield to end the game.
Clayton/Turtle Lake
Tomahawk kept their season alive heading into the Memorial Day weekend with a road playoff win against three-seed Clayton/Turtle Lake, 6-5 on Thursday, May 25.
Having just won their first game of the season on Monday, May 22, the Hatchets led wire-to-wire against Clayton/Turtle Lake, jumping on starter Matt Brendenmuchl for four runs in the top of the first inning. Addison Peissig led off with a hit, stole second and went to third on a one-out single by Tyler Jablonski. After Zack Friske popped out for the second out, four consecutive hits plated all four runs – Brody Rigney, Cooper Hetzel, Monty Framke and Brayden Larson combined to stake Tomahawk to a lead they never relinquished.
The Hatchets would extend the lead to 6-0 on a two-run home run by Jablonski in the second, a tally that proved to be just enough offense for Tomahawk to secure a playoff win for the first time since 2016.
Larson started on the mound for the Hatchets, covering five and two-thirds innings, walking three and striking out eight and helping the Tomahawk defense avoid the big inning, something that had challenged the Hatchets all season.
Hetzel closed out the sixth with the tying and go-ahead runners on base with a strikeout, and Jablonski saved it in the seventh, recording two strikeouts while stranding the tying run at second base as Friske ran down a deep fly ball in centerfield for the final out.
Phillips
The Tomahawk baseball season came to an end on the road Tuesday, May 30, falling in a WIAA Regional Semifinal, 6-2 at Phillips.
The Hatchets were unable to generate consistent offense – that, coupled with a three-run Loggers fourth inning were the difference in the game.
Phillips would tally first against Hatchet starting pitcher Brayden Larson in the third – a misplayed fly ball with one out followed by a squeeze bunt brought home the Loggers’ first run.
Tomahawk would answer in the top of the fourth, but missed out on more. Tyler Jablonski and Brody Rigney singled to open the inning. Following a force out and strikeout, Jacob Towle walked and Monty Framke singled home Rigney and moved to second when Zack Friske escaped a rundown, ending up at third base. Friske would be thrown out at home to end the inning attempting to score on a wild pitch, leaving the score tied at one.
The Loggers quickly broke the tie with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Two soft singles around an error loaded the bases and all three would score before Tomahawk ended the inning on a strikeout-caught stealing double play.
The score remained 4-1 until Phillips added two more in the bottom of the sixth. A pair of hits leading off the inning and a stolen base put runners at second and third. The first run scored on a sacrifice fly while the other scored on a double steal.
Tomahawk would mount a rally in the seventh. Addison Peissig and Jablonski had hits, reaching third and first, respectively, before Brody Rigney singled in Peissig, leaving runners at first and second and the tying run out of the dugout. That was as close as the Hatchets would get, however, seeing their season end with a record of 2-18.
Larson took the loss, allowing three earned runs over five and two-thirds, walking two and striking out seven. Jablonski, Framke and Rigney each had two hits. Peissig, Towle, Friske and Larson added the other hits.
Legion baseball
The season recently transitioned to the summer Legion schedule. American Legion Post 93 is fielding 16-under and 19-under teams this season.
The 16-U team (freshmen and sophomores) opened their season on Friday, June 2, hosting Wittenberg, while the 19-U team (primarily high school varsity) will open on Tuesday, June 6 at home against Edgar.