Woodchucks One Win Away from Postseason
ASHWAUBENON, Wis – The Wausau Woodchucks (37-32) bolstered their playoff odds in a tense 3-1 victory over the Green Bay Rockers (29-40) at Capital Credit Union Park Thursday night.
With Fond du Lac’s loss to Lakeshore, the Woodchucks are now one win away from their first postseason berth since 2014. The Woodchucks would also qualify with a Fond du Lac loss in either of their next two games.
The Woodchucks were held to just three hits, but they made the most of their opportunity in the top of the fourth. After Maurice Gomez (Keiser) and Chase Hug (Evansville) drew walks, an Elie Kligman (Wake Forest) base-hit loaded the bases with one out.
Up stepped Garret Hill (North Dakota State), whose line drive single down the left field line plated two and gave the Woodchucks the lead. A double-steal and an error helped the Woodchucks jump on top, 3-0.
The Rockers had runners on base in every inning Thursday night, but Woodchuck pitchers stranded a total of twelve with timely outs in the win.
Adrian Lopez (Menlo) worked a season-high six innings, holding the Rockers to one run and surrendering just three hits. He struck out two and earned his second win of the summer.
Green Bay scored in the fifth thanks to a sacrifice fly, but Lopez picked off a runner to evade further damage.
Brock Warren (Ripon) earned a nine-out save, walking the tightrope at times but ultimately blanking the Rockers over the game’s final three innings.
Warren struck out the side to work around a pair of walks in the seventh and an over-the-shoulder catch by Hug stranded a Rocker in scoring position in the eighth.
After the Rockers loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, Warren struck out Griffin Stevens (Tiffin) and induced a game-ending flyout. Warren has struck out eleven over his first nine innings as a Woodchuck, allowing just one run thus far.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
