Woodchucks Walk it Off in Extra Innings
The Wausau Woodchucks (9-10) took the Traverse City Pit Spitters (8-11) to extra innings in an intense pitching duel on a beautiful Friday evening game. They would walk it off in the bottom of the 11th with a score of 4-3.
It was a quiet game with only a handful of hits until the fourth inning when the Pit Spitters scored two runs in the top of the inning. The Woodchucks wouldn’t let them get away with it, though, as they added a run in the bottom of the 5th inning with a smashed home run by Brock Watkins (BYU). The Woodchucks would threaten with Cal Hezja (Illinois), but he wouldn’t score before the end of the inning.
Jack Wenninger (Illinois) pitched five fantastic innings recording 5 strikeouts in his third start for the Chucks. Kevin Kilpatrick (Houston) smashes a single to centerfield to give the Woodchucks their first base runner in the bottom of the 6th. He steals second and third, but the Chucks wouldn’t be able to bring him in to score.
Watkins started the Woodchucks off with a bang in the bottom of the 7th inning by driving a double to the centerfield wall. Brent Widder (Evansville) would advance the second baseman to third on a sacrificial fly, and Camden Janik (Illinois) would bring in the RBI with another sac fly to tie the game 2-2.
The Chucks threatened in the bottom of the 9th as Watkins drove another double to right field, and Widder moved him to third yet again, but the Woodchucks would not be able to walk the game off in the bottom of the 9th.
The Pitspitters bring the ghost runner in to score to start the 11th to give them a lead of 3-2. The Woodchucks ghost runner Hunter Dorraugh (San Jose State) slyly stole third and scored to tie the game on a wild pitch that fell to the backstop. Mark Shallenberger (Evansville) kept the momentum by smashing a double to right field. Zach Levenson was issued a walk to give the Woodchucks runners on 1st and 2nd. A wild pitch will advance both runners, and an intentional walk of Watkins will load the bases with one out. The Woodchucks would walk it off with a deep shot to left field by Watkins with a score of 4-3.
*************************************************
Baked or Fried! We also feature difference makers throughout central Wisconsin: coaches, booster club leaders, adminstration, volunteers, you name it. Send us your nominations for who you’d like us to interview HERE
We welcome your stories! Contact us at [email protected]!
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]
