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Legion crew back to even
By Jim den Hollander
In a pre-season interview, Wisconsin Dells Legion Post 187 baseball team coach Paul Hess said his main goal for the season was to have a full nine-player lineup at every game.
At first, it seemed a funny wish, but in this community where there are so many work commitments in the summer months, it is a battle to get high school aged players to games.
It is especially difficult, to get them to out of town games and another odd quirk to this season sees the Legion nine on the road for a bulk of its contests.
However, the locals managed to get four games in so far, including its most recent test, a 10-8 win at Tomah.
The win boosted the overall record at 2-2 on the season as in previous contests, the locals dropped a decision in Baraboo, then split a pair in Nekoosa.
Wis. Dells 10 Tomah 8
At Tomah, the Legionnaires spotted its host an early 3-0 margin, then charged back with a five-run third inning to grab control of the contest.
Ultimately, a pair of sixth inning runs for the Dells crew ended up being the difference in a close contest.
Originally, teams were scheduled to play a pair of games in Tomah on a hot day, but after some discussion when the options of two five-inning games or one nine-inning contest were debated, it was decided to go with the one, slightly elongated contest.
The locals didn't muster even a hit the first two innings, allowing the hosts to score a leadoff run in the first and then pad its margin with two in the second inning.
The Dells got things started in the third inning, Bryce Buesing reaching on an error.
That brought the batting order up for a second time and this time, they had seen enough of Tomah's starting pitcher.
Jordan Holverson knocked out the first of five hits in the inning and Josh Ingersol, the starting pitcher for the Dells, helped his own cause with a base hit to score Buesing.
With one out, Dillon Hess, Ryan Tischer and Michael Hess slammed consecutive doubles helping the Dells Legion crew to a five-run frame.
After sending all nine batters to the plate in the third, the Legionnaires followed with a seven-batter at bat, this time doubles from Holverson and Ingersol along with base knocks from Matt Lagoda and Dillon Hess helped the team add on three more runs to assume an 8-3 lead.
The hosts began chipping away in the bottom of the fifth, a pair of doubles helping them pull back two more to get within three.
In the sixth, the Dells crew took advantage of a rough patch for Tomah, Lagoda and Tischer both reaching on errors while Hunter Hintze and Buesing got aboard with walks.
Tomah rallied for three of its own in the bottom half of the same inning.
Dillon Hess came on in relief of Ingersol to start the seventh, scattering two singles and a walk in three scoreless frames to end the game.
Nekoosa 4 Wis Dells 3
Wis Dells 8 Nekoosa 3
In an earlier twin-bill at Nekoosa, the Dells crew dropped a 3-1 decision, making up for a pair of wins by the WDHS team over the heavily favored Nekoosa team during the high school conference schedule, but the Dells made it a split on the day, grabbing its first win of the season in the nightcap 8-3.
The hosts collected a first inning run in the first of two five-inning contests, then added two more in the fourth inning and one in the fifth, winning the game on a walk that forced in the game winning run.
For the Dells, another slow start was followed by a two-run fourth inning and one in the fifth that forced Nekoosa to take its last turn at the plate.
Lagoda and Tischer had the fourth inning runs, Lagoda reaching with an inning opening single, then moving up when Tischer reached on a walk. Michael Hess collected an RBI single in the frame as well.
Holverson scored the other Dells' run, reaching on an infield error in the fifth, then scoring when Lagoda also reached on an error.
Ingersol went the five inning distance, allowing four runs on five hits, walking three and striking out five.
The Dells' crew finally got off to a good start in the second game and it paid off with a relatively easy win.
Actually, both teams scored twice in the opening inning, but the Dells' nine never let up, adding another in the second and five in the third while Nekoosa added just one more in the fourth.
Hess pitched all five frames for the Dells, allowing three runs on three hits while walking a pair and striking out 10.
Offensively, the Dells took full advantage of what they were given, knocking out just three hits in the game.
Holverson led the way with a single and double and there were nine walks.
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