Chiefs fall behind in second inning at sectional, fall to Evansville 9-1
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
One inning was all that separated the Big Foot and Ripon baseball teams Tuesday afternoon.
Unfortunately for the Chiefs, that was enough to end a successful 2014 campaign.
Ripon scored eight runs, all with two outs, in the top of the second inning and cruised to a 9-1 victory in a WIAA Division 2 sectional final contest at Evansville.
The loss ended Big Foot’s spring at 21-7 overall and stopped the Chiefs in their bid for the school’s first state tournament since 1983. Ripon advanced to play Viroqua in one of two state semifinals next Wednesday at Fox Cities Stadium, Little Chute.
Ripon’s Alex Goyette provided the big hit in the second-inning outburst, as he cleared the bases with a three-run double that gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead they never would relinquish.
Big Foot’s only run came in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Zak Greco.
Chandler Hehr took the loss for the Chiefs, as he pitched into the second inning before he was relieved by Nathan Freytag, who allowed one run and two hits the rest of the way.
Alex Landers and Austin Hoey provided the offensive highlights for the Chiefs, as they each had doubles. Big Foot entered the day batting .300 as a team, but had just five hits in the two sectional games.
A three-run sixth inning was all the Chiefs needed in a 3-2 victory over Lodi in the semifinal earlier in the day.
Hoey went the distance to pick up the win, as he allowed five hits, three walks and struck out 13.
Big Foot earned its spot in the sectional round with a pair of victories last week in the regional.
The Chiefs opened post-season play June 4 with an 11-1 win over Rock Valley Conference foe Clinton, followed by a 7-2 victory over Edgerton two days later.
Big Foot scored six runs in the third inning to help it cruise to the run-shortened victory over Clinton. Landers led the way with two hits, a run scored and four RBI, followed by Hoey with two hits and two runs scored and Marshall Strenger with two hits, a run scored and an RBI.
Brian Wolski added a hit and a run scored, while Greco and Jack Senft each scored a run.
Hehr picked up the complete-game win, as he allowed four hits, two walks and struck out three.
Big Foot pushed four runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning to take control in the regional final win over Edgerton.
Leading the way were Brett Morris with two hits, a run scored and an RBI; Wolski with three runs scored and a hit; Landers with a hit, two runs scored and two RBI; and Greco and Collin Frederick each with an RBI.
Hoey allowed three hits, two earned runs, seven walks and struck out nine in seven innings on the mound.
Results of All-RVC voting and a statistical wrap up of the season will appear in a future edition.
