By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
Through five innings last week, the East Troy baseball team appeared poised to move onto a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 regional final.
But then visiting Waukesha Catholic Memorial ruined those plans.
East Troy held a 2-0 lead until the top of the sixth, when the Crusaders answered with a four-run inning and held on for a 4-2 victory over the second-seeded Trojans.
The loss ended East Troy’s spring at 13-11 overall. Catholic Memorial fell in the next round with a 3-0 decision in a regional final to defending state champion Jefferson.
Nick Bertschinger led the East Troy offense with two hits, while Jason Dopke added a double.
Will Iloncaie took the loss for the Trojans, as he allowed six hits, four earned runs, three walks and struck out six. Bertschinger worked one inning and allowed a hit.
The playoff loss ended the East Troy playing careers of five seniors – Jacob Schultz, Iloncaie, Evan Wick, Dopke and Connor Mitchell.
Results of All-Rock Valley Conference voting and a statistical wrap up of the season will run in a future edition.
