Witt-Birn baseball team eliminated by Auburndale

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School baseball team surrendered five seventh-inning runs in an 8-5 Division 3 regional title game loss to Auburndale on May 31 in Wittenberg.

Fourth-seeded Witt-Birn built a 5-0 lead after four innings.

Nathan Waupekenay doubled home Zandyr Barke for the game's first run in the second inning. Keegan Benbo scored on an Owen Dickman sacrifice flyout in the third. Bryson Schmid scored the first run in the fourth before Braeden Groshek and Benbo scored on a Mason Meverden double.

Eighth-seeded Auburndale clawed back into the game with three runs in the top of the fifth. The score remained 5-3 until the seventh. The visitors had six straight batters reach base with one out, and Witt-Birn used three pitchers to get the final two outs.

Waupekenay got the first out of the seventh inning and then had to be replaced after going over 100 pitches for the game. He finished with a pitching line of 6⅓ innings and four strikeouts.

Chris Sippl walked the next two batters before Hayden Miller came in and had the four batters he faced all reach. Schmid retired the two batters he faced, but by that point, the damage had already been done.

Benbo led Witt-Birn at the plate with three hits. Meverden and Dickman chipped in two hits each.