Waupaca to play at Winneconne
By Greg Seubert
The Waupaca baseball team survived its first test of the WIAA state tournament.
The third-seeded Comets overcame a 2-1 deficit and handed sixth-seeded Xavier a 3-2 loss May 23 in a Division 2 regional matchup at Waupaca High School.
Waupaca opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Tischendorf singled, courtesy runner Sam Grall stole second base and Brandon Wanty singled to put runners at the corners with two out. The Hawks caught Wanty in a rundown as he attempted to steal second and Grall was able to score before Xavier’s Sam Oswald tagged Wanty to end the inning.
The Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on T.J. Van Eperen’s solo home run. Consecutive singles to Adam DeHart, Phil Lorge and Zach Weisgerber loaded the bases with nobody out and the Hawks took a 2-1 lead after Isaac Gabler was hit by a Brady Johnson pitch.
That turned out to be the Hawks’ final run of the season.
Waupaca tied the game in the fifth inning, as Wanty scored on Davis Levine’s bases-loaded walk.
Tischendorf’s two-out single in the sixth set up the winning run. Grall, running for Tischendorf, scored from first base on Wanty’s double.
Adam Kennedy, who relieved Johnson on the mound to start the fifth inning, retired the first two Xavier batters on groundouts in the top of the seventh, but John Jansen and Van Eperen singled and DeHart walked to load the bases. The Hawks’ rally ended with Lorge flying out to end the game.
Waupaca improved to 15-10 on the season and will travel to Winneconne Tuesday, May 28, for a 5 p.m. regional semifinal game with the second-seeded Wolves. The winner of that game will play for a regional championship Wednesday, May 29, against top-seeded Menasha or No. 5 New London. Those teams will play May 28 in Menasha.