Playoff road runs through Sauk City
Photo by Dan Larson / Sauk Prairie Eagle
The Twins celebrate after beating Reedsburg 3-2 July 27 at Sauk City Athletic Field to clinch the HTL Northern Section Playoffs' No. 1 seed.
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By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle
While most pitchers want a big lead to work with, don't count Paul Lenerz as one of them.
At least not July 27 in a regular season-ending Home Talent League showdown with second-place Reedsburg.
"I don't like saying I only want a one-run lead, but it does make me zone in just a little bit more," the Twins' pitcher said after allowing the Pirates to narrow a two-run deficit to one in the seventh inning before stranding runners at first and second to escape the jam.
And Lenerz stayed zoned-in the rest of the way, stranding runners at first and second again in the eighth and working a perfect ninth to lift Sauk Prairie to a 3-2 win at Sauk City Athletic Field.
"I didn't have my best stuff," Lenerz admitted, "but it was nice to come out with a 3-2 win."
The win gives Sauk Prairie (13-1), which entered with a one-game lead over Reedsburg, homefield advantage throughout the Northern Section playoffs.
"We really wanted to defend our turf and have homefield throughout the playoffs ... so there was a little extra emphasis for us to win it today," said right fielder and manager Trent Sorg, whose team avoided having to play Reedsburg again or be subject to a coin-flip to determine the regular season champion.
Kris Rosholt scored from third to take advantage of an error by shortstop Bob Spangler, who threw wide of first base trying to turn an inning-ending double play, and give Reedsburg a 1-0 lead in the second.
But the Twins tied the game in the fourth when Lucas Koenig, who led off the inning with a double, scored on a two-out, bloop single by Chuckie Schara.
Schara came through again in the sixth, reaching base on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt down the first-base line that left runners on first and second with no outs.
William Gorsuch followed with a sac-bunt, moving Schara to second and Suchla — who led off the inning with a single — to third before a wild pitch by Steve Hedgepeth allowed Suchla to put the Twins ahead 2-1.
And Heath Salveson's two-out single to center field allowed Schara to make it 3-1.
"That was huge to get two guys on and save that out," Sorg said of Schara's sac-bunt turned hit that allowed him to score what proved to be the game-winning run.
"That was a big turning point."
Dan Molitor doubled with two outs in the seventh before scoring on a single by James Corwith to make it 3-2, but Lenerz induced a groundout to end the inning.
Lenerz allowed back-to-back, one-out singles by Paul Molitor and Brandon Peyer in the eighth but got Trevor Berndt on a foul-out to first baseman Steve Pacholke and struck out Rosholt to end the threat.
The Twins' managed ten hits off Hedgepeth, who threw a no-hitter in Reedsburg's previous game, an 11-2 win over Plain on July 22.
Still, Molitor, who is also the Pirates' manager, said Hedgepth pitched well enough to give Reedsburg a chance to win.
"Anytime a pitcher only gives up three runs, you're definitely in the ball game," Molitor said. "We just didn't get it done with the bats today."
Sauk Prairie opens the Northern Section playoffs at 1 p.m. on Aug. 3 against Cazenovia at Sauk City Athletic Field.
Sauk Prairie season in review
May 4 — Twins 6, Middleton 4
May 17 — Twins 3, Pine Bluff 0
May 18 — Twins 8, Cross Plains 3
May 24 — Twins beat Ashton, score n/a
May 26 — Twins 9, Cazenovia 2
June 15 — Twins 5, Plain 1
June 20 — Twins 9, Waunakee 8
June 22 — Twins 4, Reedsburg 0
July 4 — Twins 10, Mazomanie 5
July 12 — Twins 3, Black Earth 2
July 18 — Mazomanie 2, Twins 1
July 20 — Twins 13, Plain 8 (16)
July 27 — Twins 3, Reedsburg 2
Final HTL Northern Section standings
West Division | W | L | GB |
Sauk Prairie | 13 | 1 | -- |
Reedsburg | 10 | 3 | 2 |
Mazomanie | 9 | 5 | 4 |
Cazenovia | 4 | 10 | 9 |
Plain | 3 | 11 | 10 |
| East Division | W | L | GB |
| Middleton | 11 | 4 | -- |
| Cross Plains | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Waunakee | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Black Earth | 7 | 8 | 4 |
| Ashton | 4 | 11 | 7 |
| Pine Bluff | 2 | 13 | 9 |
Division Semifinal Playoffs
Aug. 3 (All games at 1 p.m.)
No. 8 Cazenovia at No. 1 Sauk Prairie
No. 7 Black Earth at No. 2 Reedsburg
No. 6 Cross Plains at No. 3 Middleton
No. 5 Waunakee at No. 4 Mazomanie