Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association

The 39th WBCA All-Star Classic got off to a great start under sunny skies in Oshkosh Friday evening: here are the highlights.

NORTH 8,  SOUTH 4.

The North All-Stars scored  three times in each of the first two innings off of Sun Prairie’s Zach Brzezinski, which would prove to be enough runs to hold off the South All-Stars.  It all started with two outs in the first with no one on when Hortonville’s Camden Kuhnke doubled. Ashwaubenon’s Boone Kirst drove him in with a hard base hit to left field.  Kaukauna’s Jake Lucas singled up the middle moving Kirst to 2nd base.  Manitowoc’s Bryce Erdmann singled in Lucas and moved to 2nd.  

They got three more in the 2nd inning on hits from Denmark’s Lucas Miller who was also the starting pitcher, featuring a two RBI triple by Kuhnke and an RBI single by Kirst.

The South got on the board when Deerfield’s Cal Fisher hit a bomb to left field with a wooden bat that still hasn’t landed to cut the deficit to five in the third inning.

Kewaunee’s Payton Kohnle and Coleman’s Will Bieber drew lead off walks in the 5th off of Markesan’s Chayce Osterhaus who then hit Hortonville’s Nate Vela to load them up with one out.  Marion’s Jayden Stuhr singled in Kohnle to make it 7-1.  Osterhaus was able to strike out the next hitter to avoid any further damage.

The South had a brief rally off of Max Mueller from Chilton, who had relieved Denmark’s Miller, but it wasn’t enough.  Janesville Craig’s Jake Schaffner singled then advanced on a wild pitch.  Middleton’s Hayden Hellenbrand reached on an error.  Wauzeka-Steuben’s Caydon Lomas grounded out but drove in Schaffner. 

LEADING HITTERS:

•     NORTH
• Camden Kuhnke (Hortonville), 2x2, 2 runs, double, triple, 2 rbi
• Jayden Stuhr (Marion)  2x2, rbi
• Boone Kirst (Ashwaubenon) 2x2, rbi
• Jake Lucas (Kaukauna) 1x2, run
• Bryce Erdmann (Manitowoc) 1x2      
• Will Bieber (Coleman) 1x2
• Nathan Vela (Hortonville)  1x2
•     SOUTH
• Cal Fisher (Deerfield) 1x1, HR, 1 run, 1 rbi
• Jake Schaffner (Janesville Craig) 1x2, 1 run      
• Hayden Hellenbrand (Middleton) 1x2, 1 rbi
• Carson Dupuis (Edgerton) 2x2
• Riley Peterson (Verona) 2x2                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

WEST 2, EAST 1

The nightcap was a highly anticipated pitcher's duel between Franklin's Noah Musolf, who took the hill for the EAST and Saint Croix Fall's Bradyn Olson, the D3 Player of the Year, who toed the rubber for the WEST.  It would not disappoint.

Things did not start out well for Olson and his Westerners but he, along with a stout outfield defense, would hold the East to a single run in the top of the first.  Franklin's Boston Halloran drew a one-out walk which was followed by a blistering double to right field by Jefferson's Tyler Butina.  With Halloran on 3rd, teammate first baseman Dylan Cunningham grounded out hard to third baseman Logan Baumgartner (Medford) allowing the run to score.  Olson struck out the last hitter to end the inning.

The West tied the game at one apiece in the bottom of the third when Eleva-Strum's Hank Munson singled up the middle with one out.  He would score  after a passed ball, a walk, a hit by pitch, and a ground out.

River Fall's Eli Condon pitched three innings of relief and got the win.  He allowed one a single by Jefferson's Tyler Butina.  

Beaver Dam's Daemon Johnson also came on in the fifth inning and pitched a scoreless 5th and 6th inning.  However, a West rally in the 7th would give that team a one run, walk off victory.  Altoona's Evan Gustafson led the inning off with a blistering double into the gap.  Johnson then struck out the next two hitters and got Olson to a full count with two outs when he turned on a fastball and lined it to left.  Gustafson scored easily.

Today's games begin at 10AM starting with the South vs. the East.