Coleman Repeats As M-O's Best

Did you expect anything different?

Neither did the rest of the league!

The Coleman Cougars dominated the M-O Conference baseball circuit and successfully defended their baseball title with a perfect 10-0 record. Ranked third in the latest Division 4 state polls, the Cougars (21-1) have now won 21 straight games after a season opening 4-3 loss to Freedom.

The conference concluding clash saw the Cougars ride the right arm of Mason Mergener and a 12-hit attack to whip visiting Wausaukee 9-0 and run their two-year conference winning streak to 20 games.

The championship marks the fifth time Coleman has finished atop the M-O standings under the direction of head coach Kent Casper. Conference baseball began in 2001 and Coleman took home honors in 2002 with an 8-2 mark, 2004 share with Wausaukee at 9-1, 10-0 in 2008, 10-0 in 2011 and 2012.

“We have been fortunate to have some great players over the years, but the last two seasons rank among the best. I don’t believe anybody in the conference has had this many good players and we have been lucky to have them. It is impossible to single out any one player as they all have made big contributions. Hopefully we can continue our success in the post-season,” Casper said.

How impressive were the Cougars in 2012? Coleman outscored M-O foes 97-4, allowing only one earned run and recording 8 shutouts in their 10 wins.

“The only earned run we gave up came in the first Wausaukee game in a 10-3 win. Our pitching has been fabulous all season and to only give up one earned run in 10 games is unheard of,” Casper added.

Owning a number 4 ranking in the D-4 polls, Wausaukee finished as the number two team in the M-O at 8-2 while Peshtigo registered a 6-4 league mark.

The Bulldogs used home runs by Cody Nielson and James Brabant to rally past Crivitz 9-4 in the league finale while Brady Hicks spun a two-hitter to lift Gillett over Lena-STAA 5-2.

-Thursday’s Results-

Coleman Blanks Rangers

For Conference Honors

Notching their 8th conference shutout in 10 games, the Cougars repeated as M-O baseball champions with a 9-0 win over second place Wausaukee.

Mason Mergener was nicked for two hits over 6 innings, fanning 8 and walking two. Brother Mitch got the call for the final frame, walking two and striking out one.

While the Mergener brothers silenced the Wausaukee bats, the Cougars battered a pair of hurlers for 12 hits and 9 runs. Collecting two safeties each were Mitch Champagne, Mike, Mason and Mitch Mergener, Jake Engels and Lucas Markiewicz.

“Mason pitched an outstanding game, we hit the ball hard and got another good all-around team effort. There was some pressure on these kids to finish undefeated in the conference, but to be honest with you, they have been through so much in other sports that they know what to do. I am really proud of the way they have handled themselves and performed on the baseball field,” Casper said.

The Rangers mustered up a second inning double by Austin Carter and a fifth inning single from Beau DeLaet for their lone tallies. After Carter doubled, Mason Mergener escaped trouble with a trio of strikeouts.

“Coleman was better than us in all aspects of the game. We had no timely hitting, made some mistakes on defense and they had better pitching. They capitalized on our mistakes and we paid for it,’ Wausaukee coach Bill Wickman said. “In my 13 years of coaching baseball around the M-O, this is the best team I have seen. All 9 of their guys are tough, put the ball in play and have depth at pitching.”

The Cougars pushed across a pair of runs in the second inning on 4 hits. Jake Engels opened the frame with a single, Derek Marquardt was hit by a pitch, Lucas Markiewicz lashed a run scoring hit and Mitch Mergener a RBI double.

Two more runs were put on Coleman’s side of the board in the third inning on two hits. The Mergener brothers, Mike and Mason, walked and singled. Mike scored on the front end of a first and third steal before Engels hit a single to drive in Mason.

Mitch Mergener singled, stole second and scored on a single by Champagne for a 5-0 lead in the fourth.

The final four Coleman runs headed home in the sixth on 4 more hits. Trevor Bushmaker got aboard on an error before Champagne, Mike Mergener (2 RBIs) and Mason lashed singles. Engels followed with a sac fly while Markiewicz capped the inning with a run scoring single.

Bulldogs Use Long Ball

To Knock Off Crivitz 9-4

Backed by home runs off the bats of Cody Nielson and James Brabant, Peshtigo wrapped up conference play with a 9-4 home victory over Crivitz. The Bulldogs collected 10 hits off losing pitcher AJ Garcia and reliever Jake Sawinski, including two from Gunner Kinney.

The offensive outburst backed the pitching of junior Trevor Bero, who fanned 3 and scattered 10 hits over 7 innings during a 110 pitch performance.

“Trevor did a nice job, wasn’t overpowering and has to locate his pitches or get in trouble. Our hitters did a better job at the plate and we were able to come back from a 3-0 deficit,” Peshtigo coach Pat Robbins said.

Crivitz got to Bero for a run in the first inning as Parker DeLosSantos singled, Garcia doubled while Sawinski and Tyler Wieting added hits. The Crivitz cushion grew to 2-0 in the second frame as an error, hit batsmen and single by Garcia did the damage.

Peshtigo managed to trim the deficit to 3-2 in the third inning as Joey Sparks singled and strolled home when Nielson unloaded a two-run shot.

Coach Robbins watched his troops take a 4-3 lead in the fourth inning as Derek Koronkiewicz walked and scored on Brabant’s blast.

Crivitz got even at 4-all in the fifth when Sawinski singled, Wieting doubled and walks were given to Tyler Osmanski and Spencer Schwartz.

In the bottom of the frame, Peshtigo tallied two more runs to go ahead for good. Nick Sparks doubled, Nielson got aboard on an error, Tom Quigley singled and free passes were awarded to Koronkiewicz and Matt Borkovec.

The Bulldogs added 3 insurance runs in the sixth combining two walks with singles by Kinney and Koronkiewicz.

Hicks Fires Two-HitterAs Gillett Tops Titans

Brady Hicks yielded two hits over 7 innings in hurling Gillett to a 5-2 road win over Lena-STAA. Hicks fanned 3 and walked 3 while allowing two earned runs.

Gillett tallied solo runs in each of the first 3 innings to take control. Brad Mueller walked and eventually scored on a couple of stolen bases. In the second frame, Alex Ransom walked, stole second and scored on a passed ball.

The Gillett lead grew to 3-0 in the third as Mueller tripled and scored on a bunt by Mike Scharenbrock.

The Tigers tacked on two more tallies in the fifth, highlighted by singles off the bats of Drew Patenaude and Scharenbrock.

Trailing 5-0, the Titans scored twice in the 7th on walks to Jameson Bardowski, Kiefer Powers and Dean Jopek along with a single by Billy Howe scored the runs.

-Non League Results-

Coleman Slips Past

Gibraltar In 8 Innings

Pushing across two runs in the 8th inning sparked Coleman to a hard earned 5-3 road win over Gibraltar Saturday. The Cougars took a 3-1 lead in the fifth only to see the home team knot things up at 3-all in the 7th inning on a two-out balk call.

In the 8th frame, Coleman saw Engels walk and Derek Marquardt single to open the inning. After Lucas Markiewicz moved both runners up with a bunt, Mitch Mergener cracked a two-run single for the winning runs.

Marquardt allowed just 4 hits over 6 innings before giving way to Mason Mergener in the 7th and Mitch in the 8th.

After three scoreless frames, Coleman saw Engels lash a leadoff single and eventually score following a walk to Markiewicz and single off the bat of Mitch Mergener.

Gibraltar tied the score in the fourth on a home run by Matt Hecht before Coleman answered with two runs in the fifth. Trevor Seewald singled but was erased on a bunt by Champagne. It didn’t stop the Cougars as Mike Mergener followed with a run scoring double and Mason a RBI single.

Gibraltar scored solo runs in the sixth and seventh innings to force “extra baseball”.

Mike Mergener finished with 3 hits, including a pair of doubles while Mitch Mergener drove in 3 runs.

Peshtigo Winless

At Home Invite

It was a tough home tourney for Peshtigo Saturday, losing to Sevastopol 7-4 and Wittenberg-Birnamwood 5-4. Sevastopol won the meet with a 9-8 win over Wittenberg-Birnamwood.

In the opener, Peshtigo jumped out to a 3-0 second inning lead before Sevastopol rallied behind the big bat of Cody Giesseman for the win.

Jake VanEss (single) and James Brabant (double) drove in the early runs while Brendon Thomas doubled and scored on a double off the bat of Derek Koronkiewicz in the third inning for a 4-3 lead.

Giesseman ripped a single in the first frame and knotted things up with a solo homer in the third.

A two-out single by Allen Karas in the fourth sent in the go-ahead run.

Matt Borkovec took the loss yielding 7 runs on 9 hits over 5 innings with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts.

Game two saw the Bulldogs own leads of 1-0 and 3-0 after two frames before falling to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 5-4.

Trevor Bero singled and scored in the first frame while Borkovec (single) and Bero (error) crossed the plate in the second on a single by Nick Sparks.

A 4-run fifth inning got W-B even before Koronkiewicz put Peshtigo back in front with a leadoff homer in the fifth.

Borkovec (2 innings), VanEss (2) and Thomas shared mound chores for Peshtigo.

Gillett Splits

With NEW

Gillett came up with a split against NEW Lutheran Saturday, losing the first game 3-2 before coming back in the nightcap to post a 7-0 win.

In the opener, the Tigers collected 6 hits but only scored two runs. Losing pitcher Derek Zahn sparked Gillett with 2 hits, including a run scoring single in the fourth frame. Alex Ransom and Eric Fischer added singles in the uprising.

Zahn fanned 8, walked 2 while giving up 5 hits.

Game two saw Gillett make the most of 4 hits to back the pitching of Bryce Cibulka in a 7-0 win. Cibulka fanned one, didn’t walk any while surrendering 5 hits.

Wausaukee Edges

Northland Pines 6-5

In a tight non-league clash at Eagle River Monday, Wausaukee combined 6 hits with 5 walks and 6 errors to nip Northland Pines 6-5. The Rangers scored 4 runs in the second inning and one each in the fourth and fifth frames to pull out the win.

A two-run single by Dillon Meyers and RBI single from winning pitcher Beau DeLaet put Wausaukee on top 4-0 in the second.

After Northland Pines closed within 4-3 in the third, Brett Edlbeck reached on a two-out error and later scored on another miscue.

The Rangers pushed across the eventual winning run in the fifth after two outs. Joe Jaworski and Meyers got aboard on errors before Edlbeck cracked a run scoring single.

DeLaet worked 4 innings allowing 4 runs on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and 4 walks. Edlbeck picked up the save fanning two and walking two over the final 3 innings.

DeLaet slapped out 2 hits for the Rangers, including a fourth inning double.

Brandon Wallace went the distance for Northland Pines, unloading 128 pitches during his 7-innings of work.

Wausaukee Holds Off Gillett For 3rd Time

Hosting Gillett in a non-league clash Tuesday, the Rangers (18-3) built up a 7-2 lead after 6 innings then held off a furious rally to notch a narrow 7-6 win.

The Rangers ripped 13 hits off a trio of Tiger hurlers, including a double, two singles and 3 RBIs from cleanup batter Austin Carter.

Brett Edlbeck, Beau DeLaet and Aaron Schlies all added 2 hits each for the Rangers.

Run scoring singles off the bats of Dillon Meyers and DeLaet gave Wausaukee a 2-0 second inning lead before Gillett took advantage of two errors and a single by Matt Noffke to get even.

Lashing out 4 hits in the fourth inning, Wausaukee upped the cushion to 6-2 on a RBI single from Joe Jaworski, error on Edlbeck’s fly ball, sac fly from DeLaet and a two-run single by Carter.

In the 6th inning, Cole Lewandowski and Carter blasted two-out doubles for a 7-2 spread.

Needing just 3 outs to preserve the win, reliever Lewandowski ran into control trouble as 10 Tigers stepped to the plate to score 4 runs on one hit.

Lewandowski issued 4 walks and a RBI single to Drew Patenaude before being relieved by freshman Schlies. After getting a pop up for the first out, Schlies walked two more batters and had the tying run at third base when Alex Ransom took a called third strike.

Edlbeck picked up the win with 4 innings of one run and two hit ball, fanning 3 and walking two. Lewandowski added 2 1/3 frames of 4 run and one hit hurling before Schlies registered the final two outs.

Derek Zahn (2 innings), Brad Mueller (3) and Noffke shared the mound chores for Gillett.

Peshtigo Falls

To Oconto 4-1

In the regular season finale Tuesday, the Bulldogs (6-14) mustered up 6 hits and fell to host Oconto 4-1.

Blue Devil righthander Tyler Trepanier fanned 6 and walked just one batter during his 7-inning effort.

Oconto struck for one run in the second inning on two errors and a wild pitch.

Peshtigo knotted the score in the fourth when Nick Sparks walked, moved to third on a single by Cody Nielson before scoring on an error.

Two more Bulldog miscues and a single by Kyle Klug upped the Oconto lead to 3-1 in the fifth. The final Blue Devil tally was scored in the sixth as Tanner Pillsbury drew a two-out walk and scored on a single by Klug.

Jordan Berth (3 innings) took the loss with relief help from Matt Borkovec and Zach Neumann.

Gillett Doubles

Up White Lake

Collecting 11 hits, Gillett doubled up host White Lake Monday 16-8. Drew Patenaude, Brad Mueller and Andy Ransom punched out 2 hits each.

The Tigers tallied five extra base hits, including triples by Mueller and Brady Hicks while Patenaude, Bryce Cibulka and Jeremy Cibulka added two-baggers.

Gillett scored 3 runs in the first inning and owned a 6-4 edge after 3 frames. The Tigers took control in the 6th inning with 7 runs on 4 hits.

Hicks was the winning pitcher allowing 8 runs on 9 hits with 9 strikeouts and 3 walks.

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