Baseball Chiefs earn split
in tourney and conference pair
Jalen Buss of the Wisconsin Dells High School Chiefs slides in safe at third during early inning action against the New Lisbon Rockets at the Wisconsin Dells High School tournament on Saturday. After dropping its opener to Elkhorn, the Chiefs captured the tournament's consolation title with a 7-5 win over the Rockets.
By Jim den Hollander
To call it the homestretch seems to be - well - a stretch, but the Wisconsin Dells High School varsity baseball team entered the final full week of the regular season this past weekend. Playing the first three of an 11-games in 10-days stretch, the Chiefs started out on Friday afternoon with a 6-2 loss at the hands of the Green Devils in Adams-Friendship, then earned a split in its own tournament Saturday, dropping the opener 9-4 to Elkhorn, then handling New Lisbon in the consolation final 7-5. Back into the conference fray on Monday, the Chiefs hammered Westfield in the first half of back-to-back games with the Pioneers 11-0. The second game was scheduled to be played at WDHS yesterday afternoon (after press time). Overall, the Chiefs boosted its record to 3-9 and 2-7 in conference. But the team is also 3-2 in its past five games - not bad for a team looking for some incentive heading to the post season. Green Devils 6 Chiefs 2 The Chiefs got off the shnide earlier last week with a win against the rival Green Devils, but the Devils made it a split on the season series with home field advantage. Senior southpaw Dillon Hess went the distance, pitching an eight-hitter for the Chiefs with three Chiefs' errors playing a part in the six Green Devils' runs as well. The hosts went up 3-0 in the bottom of the first inning, but the Chiefs struck back with a pair in the top of the second. Green Devils added one in the bottom half of the inning, then put up a couple of insurance markers in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win. The Chiefs were limited to five hits in the game, all singles. Elks 9 Chiefs 4 The Chiefs opened their annual Invite with a tough 9-4 loss to Elkhorn, a first inning flurry again helping them to the win. For the second game in a row, the Chiefs gave up Chiefs 7 Rockets 5 The Chiefs got back on the winning track against New Lisbon, a favorite opponent for the Chiefs who, despite playing in a different conference, schedule the Rockets every season. They will meet in a non-conference game as well, Thursday in New Lisbon. Alex Yacko got the call for the Chiefs and defenses on both sides were perfect in the early going. The Chiefs managed to chip away a run in the bottom of the second, then added another in the third, before the Rockets wiped out the lead with three in the top of the fourth. The Chiefs struck back with a pair in the bottom of the fourth and both teams added a run in the fifth. Another Rockets run had them all even again in the top of the sixth, but two Chiefs' runs in the bottom half were the difference in the game. Yacko pitched five innings, then cranked a two-run walkoff homer in the sixth inning to hand the win to teammate Ingersoll. The game was called after six innings with a curfew in effect. Patience at the plate paid off in a big way for the Chiefs in this one. Dillon Hess led off the second with a walk and was driven home by a double off the bat of Buss. In the third Snyder collected a base hit and made it as far as third with the help of a wild pitch. Williams picked up a one out free pass but was eventually thrown out on a fielders choice off the bat of Lagoda that also scored Snyder. Buss led off the fourth with a walk but was ultimately thrown out at second. Ingersoll and Jayne both followed with walks, then both Ryan Theiler, a freshman called up from junior varsity for the weekend and Snyder were both hit by pitches, the latter scoring Ingersoll. A groundout by Yacko helped Jayne cross the plate. Lagoda launched a triple to leadoff the fifth and Hess followed with a walk. A passed ball scored Lagoda despite the next three batters going down on strikeouts. All even in the bottom of the sixth, Theiler picked up a leadoff walk and moved to second on a sacrifice by Snyder. Yacko's two-run shot over the right field fence cleaned off the bags and ended the contest. Chiefs 11 Pioneers 0 The Chiefs returned to conference play Monday afternoon and Hess collected his second consecutive win and second shutout 11-0 over Westfield. The southpaw had just one strikeout on the day, but walked none while scattering the four-hit victory and the Chiefs chipped in defensively, just one error behind their hurler. Offensively, Yacko picked up right where he left off on the weekend, hammering a bases loaded triple and a couple of singles in the contest while Matt Lagoda had a single and double and two RBI in the contest. Buss was 2-for-2 with a couple of walks and drove in a pair while Ingersoll was 2-for-3 with an RBI as well. After the Tuesday contest at home, the Chiefs were scheduled to travel to New Lisbon Thursday, then will be at Wautoma on Friday, returning home for a doubleheader with Pardeeville Saturday scheduled to start at 9 a.m. A home game with Mauston wraps up South Central Conference play Monday and the Chiefs wrap up the regular season Tuesday at Montello. The Regional playoffs will commence on May 23 with the Chiefs playing in a six-team pool along with other entries from Adams-Friendship, Mauston, Westfield, Portage and Wautoma Fairth Christian Academy. Seeding for the tournament has yet to be announced. hree in the first inning, but a run for the locals made it 3-1 this time. Both teams added one in the third and Elkhorn stretched its margin with another in the fourth and two in the fifth to go up 7-2. Both teams added a pair in the sixth to round out the scoring. Jake Williams went the distance on the mound for the Chiefs, scattering nine Elks hits while the Chiefs committed one defensive error behind him. Matt Snyder led of the contest with a walk and was helped out by the first of two Jake Williams' base hits before scoring on a fielder's choice hit into by Matt Lagoda that also erased Williams at second. In the third inning, Williams got aboard with another base hit, then moved up on a walk to Lagoda. The next three batters went down in order on strikeout, but while getting nine strikes, the Elkhorn pitcher also made enough errant pitches to score Williams and move Lagoda as far as third. In the sixth inning, Hess led off with a walk, then scored on a one out double off the bat of Jalen Buss. A two out double by Aaron Forsythe plated Buss. Following the Chiefs and Elks, the New Lisbon Rockets were downed by Kenosha Bradford 19-8 setting up the two second round games. The Chiefs earned a 7-5 win against the Rockets in the consolation game followed by the championship, won by Bradford 11-6.