Story By Jeremy Mayo
Dan Kellen (#6) is congratulated at home plate following the first of his two home runs on the night as the Rebels routed the Tomahawk Cubs for their second win in a row. (Casey Mayo photo)
RHINELANDER Trailing 5-4 entering the bottom of the fifth inning, the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels plated five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to breeze by the Tomahawk Cubs 14-7 on Friday night, in a non-conference American Legion Baseball Game at Stafford Field.
Kyle Comer threw six solid innings for Rhinelander in the win and added two hits. Junior to be Lucas Michlig also had a pair of hits. But the offensive story continued to be Dan Kellen. He followed up a big offensive night Thursday in Marshfield with a four-hit, two-homer, four RBI night, and finished a double shy of the cycle.
That was a big win for us, said Rhinelander manager Dan Huhnstock. We wanted to come out and play well tonight, after the doubleheader last night. I wanted the kids to step up. Kyle Comer threw a very nice game for us. Dan Kellen came up real big for us at the plate tonight and everybody played in a pretty solid game.
Despite Kellen's two blasts, a homer to center in the first, and a two-run shot to left-center in the third, the Rebels trailed 5-4 going to the bottom of the fourth after allowing four runs, three unearned thanks to an error in the second and another seemingly costly run in the fourth following a dropped two-out pop fly.
But the bottom half of Rhinelander's order sparked the rally in the fifth. Joe Zuiker got hit by a pitch, Troy White walked, and Michlig singled to left to load the bases with one out. Ryan Morris drew a four-pitch walk to drive in the tying run and Comer gave himself the lead with a two-run single up the middle.
Kellen followed with his fourth hit, and nearly his third homer of the night, a triple that hit off the fence in center.
You can't say enough about how well he's seeing the ball right now, Huhnstock said of Kellen, who is a combined 6-8 with five RBI's and four extra base hits in his last three games. He has good focus right now and if we can keep him playing that way the rest of the season, he's going to put up some numbers for us.
But the rally continued in the sixth. An Alex Henkel double, bookended by bean balls to Micah Baumgartner and Zuiker, who was hit three times by pitches in the game, loaded the bases with no outs.
White singled to left, scoring Baumgartner. Michlig drew a walk, forcing in Henkel. Zuiker and White both scored on wild pitches. Comer hit an infield single to the first base side, scoring Michlig. Morris was thrown out trying to score what would have been the game-clinching run.
I think (Tomahawk pitcher Jacob Jarvensivu) was maybe tiring a little bit, Huhnstock said, explaining his team's late rally. Early in the game, his curve ball was fooling some of our guys and we made some adjustments and started hitting the ball and being a little more patient at the plate.
But the drama wasn't over. With two out in the sixth and Comer on second, Kellen came to the plate with a chance to complete the cycle and end the game. But a 2-0 roller to second put to rest that notion.
Comer struck out four, allowed six hits and worked around six walks to get the win. He was helped by the fact that the Cubs stranded 12 baserunners. Tomahawk left the bases loaded in the second and fourth innings.
Rhinelander looks to get to .500 for the first time this summer, when it takes on Eagle River in non-conference play on Tuesday.
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BOX SCORE: Rhinelander vs. Tomahawk Friday, June 25, 2010
TOM 040 100 2 7 7 2 12
RHI 103 055 x 14 11 2 7
Rhinelander
12 Nate Schmidt SS/P... 0-5, K
2 Kyle Comer P/SS... 2-5, 3 RBI, 2 R
6 Dan Kellen CF... 4-5, 2 HR (2), 3B, 4 RBI, 2 R, SB
32 Micah Baumgartner 1B... 0-3, R, HBP
10 Alex Henkel 3B... 1-3, 2B, 2 R, BB
15 Joe Zuiker C... 0-0, 2 R, BB, 3 HBP, SB
9 Bryan Kronberger LF... 1-2, RBI, K
- 8 Troy White LF.... 1-1, RBI, 2 R, BB
23 Lucas Michlig 2B... 2-3, RBI, 2 R, BB
25 Ryan Morris DH... 0-1, RBI, R, 2 BB, HBP
- 22 Ben Klosiewski RF... 0-0
-- 24 Nate Crabb RF... 0-0
2 Comer (W, 1-1) 6 IP, 5 R, ER, 6 H, 4 K, 6 BB, HB, WP
12 Schmidt... IP, 2 R, 2 ER, H, K, 3 BB
Tomahawk
3 Sam Arnott 2B... 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, K, SB
12 Josh DeHamur SS... 2-4, 3 RBI, BB
5 Jacob Jarvensivu P/3B... 0-2, 3 BB
17 Kory Brietzke CF... 1-5, R
22 Andrew Flynn LF... 1-2. 2B, R, BB, HBP, SB
10 Nate Schoone 2B... 0-4, K
26 Clay Borchardt 3B... 1-3, 2B, RBI, R
- 27 Andy Firkus RF... 0-1, K
24 Seth Westcott C... 1-2, 2 R, 2 BB, K
18 Brandon Zapar RF... 0-2, K
- 20 Ethan Garrou RF/P... 0-0, 2 BB
5 Jarvensivu (L) 5 IP, 14 R, 12 ER, 10 H, 2 K, 5 BB, 5 HB, 3 WP
20 Garrou... IP, 0 R, H, BB, WP
Rhinelander (3-4, 2-4 WVLL) at Eagle River, 6/29
Tomahawk (record and schedule not provided)
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