Wildcats fall short in wild M&O baseball game

Miscues hurt Lena against Wausaukee
By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Lena High School baseball team suffered a tough 13-12 loss to Marinette & Oconto Conference foe Wausaukee on May 6 in Lena.

The contest looked to be a pitcher’s duel through three innings before turning into a slugfest in the final three frames. The lead switched hands several times over the final couple innings, and Lena eventually came up a run short.

“We just got to take out of it to make the plays we can and get better every day,” said Logan Shallow who started on the mound and pitched the first five innings. “We fought hard and we were in it the whole time, we just couldn’t pull it out.”

After Shallow worked a 1-2-3 first inning, Lena took advantage of some Wausaukee miscues to go ahead 3-0 in the bottom of the first. Logan Graef singled before Shallow walked, and both scored after a Lane Whiting sacrifice bunt turned into an error. Whiting stole third base and then scampered home after a throwing error for the third run.

Wausaukee was able to scratch across a run in the third frame, but Lena still appeared to be in control.

Things changed in a hurry in the fourth, when Wausaukee plated five runs to go ahead 6-3. A couple of errors and misplays in the field aided the big inning, with every run scoring with two outs.

“We just made too many mistakes, bad throws. We just gotta throw the ball,” said Whiting, referencing a couple times fielders hesitated before making a throw, which cost the team a couple potential outs.

“We just have to think about what we’re gonna do before the play happens. We just have to keep practicing hard and learn from our mistakes.”

Lena wasn’t going to go down without a fight though, rattling off six runs in its half of the fourth to take a 9-6 lead.

Logan Shallow drove in Bryce Kittredge and Tyler Shallow before Whiting put another ball in play that was misplayed by Wausaukee, allowing Graef and Shallow to score. Anthony Seefeldt plated Whiting on a double, and then came around to score when Luke Misco tripled on a flyball to right.

The wild contest continued with Wausaukee tallying two runs in the fifth off some more Lena miscues. Logan Shallow capped his day with a couple strikeouts and a groundout to escape with a lead still.

Tyler Shallow pitched next for Lena and worked into the seventh inning. He surrendered a run in the sixth, but the Wildcats got the lead back with a run of their own in the sixth.

Sam Marquardt singled in Whiting with two outs to make it a 10-9 game.

Wausaukee was able to capitalize on a couple more Lena misplays in the seventh and scored four times. Tyler Shallow pitched to two batters before Graef came on and worked the rest of the inning.

Down three, Lena continued to fight until the end.

Kittredge walked before Tyler Shallow and Graef singled to load the bases. With two outs and two strikes on him, Whiting kept the Wildcats’ hopes alive with a two-RBI single, scoring Kittredge and Shallow. Seefeldt then walked to load the bases again.

Marquardt was the next batter, and ripped what looked to be the game-winning hit to center, only to have the ball hang up long enough in the air for the Wausaukee center fielder to make the catch and end the contest.

“The fact that the guys kept their fight was very impressive,” said Logan Shallow. “It shows a lot to how much it means to them that they stayed in it and didn’t get discouraged.”

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