Story By Jeremy Mayo
Nate Schmidt throws to second for an out in the first game of an American Legion doubleheader with Plover on Thursday at Stafford Field. The Rebels picked up their first win of the summer, earning a split with the Black Sox (Jeremy Mayo photo).
RHINELANDER – Nate Schmidt led off with a homer and Kyle Comer hit a grand slam as part of a 12-run first inning for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels on Thursday as they split a doubleheader with defending Wisconsin Valley Legion League champ Plover 16-13 and 0-8 at Stafford Field.
The Rebels had to hang on though as Plover scored in every inning of game one and got the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh before Sam Huebner came in to get a two-pitch save.
“Anytime you can split with one of the better teams in the Valley Conference, you're happy about it,” said Rhinelander manager Dan Huhnstock. “We're not happy about the way the second game went. We let the pitcher take control of the game on us and loss our aggressiveness.”
The Rebels were held to three hits in game two after notching 14 in game one, eight of which came in the big inning.
Schmidt led off with a solo shot to right. Micah Baumgartner hit a bases-loaded two-run single. Joe Zuiker had an RBI ground out. Schmidt then added a two-run single and Alex Henkel and Sam Huebner each had RBI singles then Dan Kellen walked, loading the bases for Comer who took a pitch out on a line drive over the fence in straightaway center.
“We had some real good at bats there,” Huhnstock said. “Everybody hustled hard and beat a couple throws out. We got a couple infield hits, a few walks and a couple of bombs there. We'll take a 12-run inning any time we can get one.”
But Plover would not go away, scoring four times in the second and twice in the third to cut the lead to 12-7. Rhinelander made it 15-7 in the bottom of the third with a two-run double by Huebner and an RBI single by Baumgartner and 16-8 in the fourth after Troy White hit a one-out triple and scored on a Schmidt single.
Plover got home runs off releiver Dan Kellen in the fifth and sixth to trim the lead to 16-11. Kellen got a line-drive double play in the seventh to clear the bases with two out, but four consecutive hits after that trimmed the lead to three and put the tying run on base. Huebner was called upon to secure the final out.
But all the offense was out of the Rebels by game two as lefty Kelvin Stroik fanned 10 batters. Rhinelander only got two runners in the scoring position in the game as Stroik worked a three-hit shut out.
Comer had two of the three hits in the second game but took the loss after starting and allowing four runs in the fourth inning for all the advantage the Black Sox would need. Plover added four more in the fifth off White.
Rhinelander travels to Rotschild/Schofield/Weston on Monday.
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BOX SCORE: Rhinelander vs. Plover – Thursday, June 16, 2010
Game 1
PLO 142 121 2 – 13 16 3 13
RHI (12)03 100 x – 16 14 3 6
Rhinelander
12 Nate Schmidt 2B... 3-4, HR (1), 4 RBI, 3 R, BB
10 Alex Henkel 3B... 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R
7 Sam Huebner C/P... 4-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB
- 24 Nate Crabb CR... 0-0
6 Dan Kellen CF/P/C... 1-4, 2 R, BB, 2 K
2 Kyle Comer SS... 1-4, GS (1), 4 RBI, 2 K
32 Micah Baumgartner 1B... 2-3, 3 RBI, R, BB, K, SB
21 Ben Prom CF/P/CF... 0-1, 3 BB
15 Joe Zuiker RF... 0-4, RBI, R, SB
25 Ryan Morris DH... 0-0, BB, R
- 8 Troy White RF/LF... 1-3, 3B, R, K
8 White... 1.1 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, HB
21 Prom (W, 1-0)... 2.2 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, HB
6 Kellen... 2.2 IP, 5 R, 5 ER, 9 H, 2 BB
7 Huebner (S, 1)... 0.1 IP, 0 R, 0 H
Plover
15 Josh Barnes 3B...2-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB
16 Kelvin Stroik CF... 1-4, RBI, BB, HBP
17 Michael Jurgella C... 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
18 Brandon Hunkins DH... 1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, SAC
- 11 Josh Wasielski P... 0-0
-- 9 Zach Cloud P... 0-0
12 Nick Nalbach 1B... 2-4, 2B, 2 R, DP
5 Bobby Gregorich RF... 2-4, 2B, 2 R, BB, HBP
7 Clay Giese 2B... 2-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
25 Kyle Gramowski LF... 2-4, 2 RBI, R, BB
11 Wasielski (L) 0.2 IP, 8 R, 8 ER, 5 H, K, 2 BB
9 Cloud... 5.1 IP, 8 R, 6 ER, 9 H, 4 K, 5 BB
Game 2
RHI 000 000 0 – 0 3 2 5
PLO 000 440 x – 8 8 1 5
Rhinelander
12 Schmidt 2B... 0-3, 3 K
10 Henkel LF/RF/3B... 1-2, BB
7 Huebner 3B/P... 0-3, K, DP
6 Kellen CF... 0-3
2 Comer P/SS... 2-3, 2B
25 Morris 1B... 0-1
- 32 Baumgartner 1B... 0-2
21 Prom SS/LF... 0-2, BB, 2 K
15 Joe Zuiker C... 0-2, BB, 2 K
22 Ben Klosiewski RF... 0-2, 2 K
- 8 Troy White P/RF... 0-0
2 Comer (L, 0-1)... 4 IP, 4 R, ER, 5 H, K, BB, HB
8 White... IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 H, K, 3 BB
7 Huebner... IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 K, HB
Rhinelander (1-3, 1-3 WVLL) at RSW, 6/21
Plover (record not provided) at Watertown, 6/19
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