CHIPPEWA FALLS – The Marshfield Post 54 Senior American Legion baseball team won its first games of the season, sweeping a non-league doubleheader from Chippewa Falls 4-3 and 5-3 on Saturday afternoon at Casper Park.
In the opener, Marshfield (2-4) scored twice in the top of the first inning. Eli Drexler scored on an error when Isaiah Baierl stole second, and Riley Boushack followed with an RBI single to plate Baierl and give the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead.
Chippewa Falls responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning and the score remained tied until Marshfield struck again in the fifth.
Boushack and Devyn Palmer singled and moved up a base on a passed ball. Boushack scored on another passed ball and Palmer scored when Preston Wagner reached on an error, putting Marshfield on top 4-2.
Mason Coffren threw six strong innings, striking out seven, and left after a single and a walk in the seventh.
Wagner got a groundball out before a passed ball scored a run for Chippewa Falls. After a walk and an error loaded the bases, Wagner struck out the final two batters to earn the save.
Boushack had an RBI single in the first inning of Game 2, and Chippewa Falls came back with a run to tie the game in the bottom of the frame.
Marshfield went on to score single runs in each of the final four innings to pull off the doubleheader sweep.
Drexler had an RBI sacrifice fly in the fourth, Baierl scored on an error in the fifth, Drexler drove in Palmer with a single in the sixth, and Luke Erickson had an RBI double in the seventh to account for Marshfield’s offense.
Ty Pankratz earned the win for the Blue Devils, allowing two runs in four-plus innings. Will Voss earned the save, throwing the final 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
Marshfield returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Wausau at 7 p.m. at Jack Hackman Field.
Game 1
Marshfield 4, Chippewa Falls 3
Marshfield 200 020 0 – 4 8 1
Chippewa Falls 200 000 1 – 3 6 5
WP: Mason Coffren. LP: Kendren Gullo. SV: Preston Wagner.
SO: Coffren (6 inn.) 7, Wagner (1 inn.) 2; Gullo (5 inn.) 1, Leo Burmesiter (2 inn.) 2. BB: Coffren 4, Wagner 1; Gullo 3, Burmeister 1.
Top hitters: M, Riley Boushack 2×4, RBI; Matt Handrick 2×4; Devyn Palmer 2×4. CF, Gullo 1×3, RBI.
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Game 2
Marshfield 5, Chippewa Falls 3
Marshfield 100 111 1 – 5 8 0
Chippewa Falls 100 011 0 – 3 7 2
WP: Ty Pankratz. LP: Nate Custer. SV: Will Voss.
SO: Pankratz (4 inn.) 2, Tragen Bogdonovich (1 2/3 inn.) 0, Voss (1 1/3 inn.) 1; Custer (4 2/3 inn.) 2, Griffin Spindler (2 1/3 inn.) 1. BB: Pankratz 3, Bogdonovich 3, Voss 1; Custer 5, Spindler 2.
Top hitters: M, Isaiah Baierl 1×2, 2 runs; Eli Drexler 1×3, 2 RBIs; Boushack 3×4, RBI; Palmer 2B, run; Luke Erickson 1×3, 2B, RBI. CF, Matt Pomietlo 2B, RBI; Dane Weiland 2B; Nolan Hutzler 2×3, RBI; Riley Freid 3B.
Records: Marshfield 2-4; Chippewa Falls not reported.