Falcons beat Panthers in baseball semis

PLYMOUTH – Sheboygan Falls roared back from a 5-0 deficit to hand the Plymouth Panthers an excruciating 7-6 loss in the sectional baseball semifinals Friday afternoon at Carl Loebe Field.

The Falcons tallied three runs in the top of the sixth inning to seize a 7-5 lead. Eric Kluz provided the heroics with a two-run double to the gap in right-center field that put his team ahead.

“These guys battled back and never gave up. My seniors wanted this bad. They wanted to finish off strong,” said Falcon head coach Todd Struve.

“I’m happy to get the win against a good team like Plymouth. These two teams always battle hard.”

Falls, which lost two of three games to PHS in Eastern Wisconsin Conference play this season, improved to 14-19. The Panthers, who lose only four seniors to graduation, ended their season at 13-17.

“We got up early on them but didn’t keep the pedal to the metal. We didn’t string together any hits after the third inning,” said Panther head coach Butch Cain.

“Maybe it wasn’t our day. We battled down to the end but didn’t have enough left in the tank.”

Falls trailed 5-4 going into the sixth. Pinch hitter Cole Heili led off with a single and moved to second on Andrew Ensley’s sacrifice bunt. Justin Laack followed with an RBI single that tied the game, 5-5.

Laack stole second base and Bobby Musil walked. Kluz batted next and came through with his two-run double to break the deadlock. Kluz tried to stretch the hit into a triple but was thrown at third.

PHS put together a scoring threat in the seventh. After the first two batters were retired, Brock Reichardt walked and took second on Zack Suchon’s single. Anthony Simanovski followed with a deep fly ball to left that left fielder Endsley caught near the fence for the final out.

The Panthers came out like gangbusters – scoring four runs in the second to grab a 4-0 lead. Justin Rooker led off with a base hit, followed by Cory Thuemmler’s bunt single. Reichardt reached third on a throwing error by the shortstop that brought home Rooker and Thuemmler.

One out later, Simanovski laid down a suicide-squeeze bunt which knocked in Franz Tadych who was courtesy running for Reichardt the catcher. Simanovski swiped second and scored on Trevor Thiel’s twoout single that pushed Plymouth’s lead to 4-0.

PHS made it 5-0 in the third on Reichardt’s triple into the right-center gap. Rooker, who had reached first on a fielder’s choice, came home on the three-bagger.

The Falcons sliced Plymouth’s advantage to 5-4 with a four-run fourth. Falls combined three hits, two walks and a PHS error to score the runs. The key hit was Zach Van Engen’s RBI single. The infield error led to a run.

PHS tallied its other run in the sixth which cut Falls’ lead to 7-6. Suchon began the frame by reaching on an infield miscue. He later scored when the shortstop made an errant throw on Thiel’s bunt single with two away.

Russell Preder earned a complete-game win. The sophomore allowed two earned runs on nine hits with two walks, a hit batter and two strikeouts.

“Preder pitched magnificently – never allowing the pressure to get to him,” Struve said.

Thiel took the loss in relief – giving up three runs (all earned) on four hits with one walk and no strikeouts in 2-2/3 frames.

Suchon started on the mound and blanked Falls through three innings before struggling in the fourth. The senior was lifted for Thiel with one out in the fourth. Suchon surrendered four runs (three earned) on seven hits with one walk and a strikeout in 3-1/3 innings.

Greg Rhude pitched a scoreless seventh – retiring the side in order.

Thiel and Rooker paced PHS in hits with two each.

Tyler Collins was 3-for-3 to key the Falcons’ 11-hit attack. Kluz and Endsley added two hits apiece. Laack and Kluz had a team-high two RBIs each.

“Falls put the ball in play. They hit it where we weren’t and hit to all fields. I give them credit,” said Cain.

Both teams made several nice plays on defense but they also struggled at times – combining for eight errors, including six by Falls.

“We weren’t able to respond after they got the big inning [in the fourth],” Cain said.

“We had good at-bats with two strikes. Rooker had a good day hitting the ball. Our outfield was solid.”

The Panthers had to change their lineup because of the loss of junior first baseman Jake Rathsack who suffered a mild concussion in batting practice when the ball came off his bat and struck him in the cheek. Rathsack was the Panthers’ leading hitter this season – batting over .370.

“He had a slight concussion but he will be OK. We missed his bat but we have no excuses [in losing],” the PHS coach said.

Freshman Jake Klemme was inserted into the lineup for PHS and made an outstanding diving catch in right field.

“It’s always tough to lose, especially in the sectional,” said Reichardt, a sophomore. “We’ll be back next year.

“We didn’t finish what we started. Everyone played really hard,” Simanovski said.

“It was hard [losing] because we had beaten them two of the three times. We did our best but came up short,” Suchon said.

“I gave it everything I had [pitching]. I give them credit. They hit the ball hard. “It was upsetting [to lose]. I wasn’t hitting my spots. Falls was disciplined [at the plate].”

Score by Innings Sheb. Falls………..…000 403 0 – 7 11 6 Plymouth……………..041 001 0 – 6 9 2

Russell Preder and Tyler Collins; Zack Suchon, Trevor Thiel (4), Greg Rhude (7) and Brock Reichardt. W – Preder. L – Thiel. 2B – Sheboygan Falls, Eric Kluz. 3B – ___________________________ Plymouth, Reichardt.