Prep Baseball: South Subsection 8AA Playoffs: Rangers upset Wolverines 7-5 (REPOSTED)
Wolverine Ryan Redfield snags the pickoff attempt while a Crosby-Ironton baserunner gets a faceful of dirt sliding headfirst into second on a steal. The Rangers took advantage of five errors to upset the third-seeded Wolverines 7-5 on Thursday.
Photos by Mike Isola/Beyond the Bleachers
Crosby-Ironton pitcher Mark Hoge limited Wadena-Deer Creek to just four hits as the sixth-seeded Rangers upset the third-seeded Wolverines 7-5 in the South Subsection 8AA quarterfinals Thursday.
Hoge also did some damage at the plate, going 3-for-4 with three doubles and drove in four runs to lead the Rangers 10 hit attack.
The Wolverines booted five errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.
“Those errors ended up hurting us, since they came on routine plays,” Wolverine head coach Kyle Dykhoff said. “I think the guys were just really tense today. Instead of playing to win, they were playing not to lose.”
After an fielding error led to a Ranger run in the opening inning, the Wolverines got it back in their bottom half on Cody Redfield’s RBI single that plated Jake Rude.
Hoge’s one-out RBI double in the third and back-to-back Wolverines in the fifth pushed the Rangers back up front 3-1.
Crosby-Ironton then erupted for four runs in the top of the sixth to further increase their lead to 7-1. Wolverine starter Kevin Tumberg opened the frame with a strikeout, and then walked the next batter in the order. The Rangers drove the senior from the mound with back-to-back singles that plated a pair of runs.
Derrick Rude came in relief and surrendered a double and a single that tacked on two more Ranger runs before escaping further damage with a pair of fly outs.
Dykhoff gave his troops a pep talk before their at-bat in the bottom of the inning and they responded to score two runs. Jake Rude scored on a Ranger error and Colter Pettit drove in a run with a one-out single. Hoge killed the rally by picking off Pettit at first and then got Tyler Wohlwend looking at the third strike.
Wolverine shortstop Colter Pettit applies the tag after this Ranger was caught in the hot box during a failed steal attempt in the late innings of Crosby-Ironton's 7-5 win.
The Wolverines had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Derrick Rude drew a one-out walk and Ryan Redfield followed with a blast deep into center that was caught at the warning track.
Down 7-3 with two outs, Ryan Nelson parked the 0-1 pitch over the left-center fence to trim the deficit to 7-5. Unfortunately, Hoge got the next batter in the order to harmlessly pop out to the catcher to end the Wolverines season.
“It’s a tough way to go out,” Dykhoff said. “Especially for our seniors, who have worked so hard to help turn this program around. I’m still proud of the way we’ve played all year.”
Wadena-Deer Creek finished the season at 10-9.
South Subsection 8AA Playoffs
Quarterfinals
No. 3 Wadena-Deer Creek vs. No. 6 Crosby-Ironton on June 3
Rangers 7, Wolverines 5
Crosby-Ironton 1 0 1 0 1 4 0—7 10 2
Wadena-Deer Creek 1 0 0 0 0 2 2—5 4 5
WP: Mark Hoge (CI) (7IP, 4H, 5R, 4ER, 4BB, 4K)
LP: Kevin Tumberg (WDC) (5.1IP, 7H, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 8K)
Crosby-Ironton—Reed Olander 1-5, R; Mark Hoge 3-4, (3)2B, R, 3RBI; Michael Hoge 2-4, 3R, RBI; Brett Arneson 2-3, R, 2RBI; Justin Edmundson 1-3; Alex Bundy 1-4
Wadena-Deer Creek—Ryan Nelson 1-4, HR, R, 2RBI; Jake Rude 1-4, 2R; Cody Redfield 1-2, R, RBI; Colter Pettit 1-2, RBI
