MARINETTE — School is out, summer is in the air, and Legion baseball season is officially underway in the Bay Cities.
Marinette kicked off its 2024 campaign with a doubleheader against Wausau at Dale Minzlaff Field at Pedersen Ball Park on Sunday, but Post 39 found itself on the wrong end of both decisions, after Post 10 broke out the brooms for a 2-0 sweep.
Wausau hammered Marinette 14-1 in game one before Post 39 let victory slip through its fingertips in the nightcap, ultimately falling 3-2.
“Wausau has a great lineup and their hitters, one through nine, can put the bat on the ball and put it in play, and that hard contact gave us fits in the first game,” Marinette skipper Brian Lesandrini said. “I’m proud of our guys for battling back in game two, but that was a tough one to lose, especially considering that we were ahead most of the way.”
Post 39 (0-2) shook off game one’s disappointing result and seized a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning thanks to RBIs from Ethan Doubek and Logan Marvin.
Justin Kruse kept Wausau off-kilter on the mound, allowing a scant two hits through the first five innings, before giving up back-to-back one-out singles to Iain Sdahel and Davis Winter in the top of the sixth.
Ryan Rodemeier cashed with a two-run triple as Wausau knotted matters up at 2-2.
Dylan Dubratz put Post 10 on top 3-2 in the top of the seventh thanks to an RBI single.
Maverick Williamson worked a leadoff walk in Marinette’s half of the inning but Winter managed to set down Chase MacGregor, Weston Hanson and Doubek in order to complete the sweep for Wausau.
“Both of the big hits that Wausau had were on 0-2 pitches that caught a bit too much of the plate, and those mistakes ended up being the difference in the game,” Lesandrini said. “Outside of that, I thought that Kruse pitched a helluva game. Defensively, I thought that we played great ball as well.”
Game one had the early appearance of a back-and-forth slugfest after Wausau jumped ahead 1-0 in the top of the first thanks to a solo home run by Caden Werth.
Logan Kurth responded with an RBI-double to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame before Post 10 reclaimed the lead in the top of the second behind ribbies from Oliver Turajski and Jack Barthels.
Wausau (2-0) blew matters wide open in the third, as Jackson Albert and Tony Taffaldano both socked two-run singles, while RBIs from Werth, Bartels and Luke Smogoleski helped push Post 10 out to a 13-1 lead.
Turajski chipped in an RBI single in the top of the fifth to push Wausau ahead 14-1, but Marinette looked to rally in its half of the frame after Hanson and Doubek worked consecutive two-out walks to give Post 39 a runner in scoring position.
Needing to plate at least three runs to stave off the 10-run mercy rule, Marinette instead watched as Kurth grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
“Wausau’s lineup makes a lot of contact, and that gave us fits in game one,” Lesandrini said.
Due upMarinette: Post 39 takes on Green Bay Preble in a doubleheader on Saturday at Joannes Park in Green Bay, with first pitch of game one getting underway at noon.
Wausau 14 — Marinette 1 (five innings, game one)
Wausau 1210 01x x — 14
Marinette 100 00x x — 1
WP: Bartels 5IP, 4H, R, ER, 3BB, 5K
LP: Kurth 2 2/3IP, 10H, 13R, 13ER, 5BB, 3K, HR
Leading hitters (Marinette): Hanson 1x2, R, BB; Kurth 1x3, RBI; Doubek 1x2, BB
Leading hitters (Wausau): Werth 3x3, 3R, 2B, BB, 2B, RBI, HR; Bartels 2x4, R, 2RBI
Wausau 3 — Marinette 2 (game two)
Wausau 000 002 1 — 3
Marinette 200 000 0 — 2
WP: Winter 7IP, 2H, 2R, 4BB, 6K
LP: Kruse 7IP, 9H, 3R, 3ER, K
Leading hitters (Marinette): Doubek 1x3, RBI; Marvin 1x3, RBI; Hanson 0x3, R; MacGregor 0x3, R
Leading hitters (Wausau): Winter 1x4, R; Zach Pagel 2x3, 2B; Rodemeier 1x3, 3B
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