The Ripon High School Tiger baseball team’s postseason run came to an end last week Tuesday as the Winneconne Wolves used a big second inning to defeat the Tigers 12-2 in five innings in a WIAA regional semifinal.
The No. 3-seeded Wolves scored two runs in the first inning before breaking the game open with eight runs in the second on four hits, four walks, a hit batter and an error.
No. 6-seeded Ripon entered the contest coming off a 4-0 regional quarterfinal victory over Two Rivers in which senior Coy DeVries struck out 14 batters and combined with Shay Otto on a no-hitter. Against Winneconne, DeVries didn’t have it, allowing 10 runs, six earned, on six hits, three walks and three hit batters in 1 2/3 innings.
Despite early control issues, DeVries nearly escaped the first inning unscathed. After hitting the leadoff batter and walking the second hitter, he recorded back-to-back strikeouts before a two-out single brought home both runners for a 2-0 Winneconne lead.
The Wolves then put the game out of reach in the second inning. Winneconne sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs while taking advantage of four walks, a hit batter and a Ripon error. Senior Jackson Gabrielski relieved DeVries in the inning and eventually recorded the final out before tossing a scoreless third.
Senior Shay Otto worked the fourth inning and allowed two earned runs on two hits and two walks.
Ripon also struggled to capitalize on its scoring opportunities as it stranded eight runners on base, including two apiece in the first, third and fourth innings.
The Tigers scored both of their runs in the fifth inning with help from a pair of Winneconne errors. The runs crossed the plate on a passed ball and a wild pitch, but the rally was not enough to avoid the 10-run rule.
Sophomores Adam Mashock and Jackson Nelson recorded Ripon’s only two hits.
The loss ended the high school careers of seniors DeVries, Otto, Gabrielski, Dylan Martyna, Braden Dudzinski and Harlee DeBaere.
Ripon faces the task of replacing six seniors, but the Tigers also return a group of underclassmen that includes three juniors, two sophomores and six freshmen. Three of those freshmen received significant playing time.
Winneconne advanced to the regional championship game before falling 5-0 to No. 2-seeded Waupun.