For Wausau Pilot & Review
WAUSAU – The Wausau Woodchucks held off the Eau Clarie Express for a wild 14-9 win on Friday night in Northwoods League baseball action at Athletic Park, salvaging a split of the two-game home-and-home series.
The game was the longest the Woodchucks have played this season, going a full three hours and 48 minutes.
Mason Mann (Wallace State) received the nod for his first start of the season for Wausau and allowed one run with three strikeouts over three innings.
The Woodchucks (24-7) blew things open in the bottom of the second. Daniel Harden (LSU) singled to allow Max Soliz Jr. (Houston) to score and tie the game. The Woodchucks took the lead 2-1 when Jake Berkland (Mankato State) was hit by a pitch to walk home a run. Isaac Webb (Corpus Christi) singled to score two more, bringing the score to 4-1.
With the bases loaded, Max Galvin (Miami) doubled into the right-field corner to clear the bases and bring the score to 7-1. Max Soliz Jr., making his second at-bat of the inning, hit a two-run home run to tie the season high for most runs in one inning for the Woodchucks at nine. The Woodchucks would get two more in the next inning thanks to the efforts of Galvin and Bryce Hubbard (Georgia).
After scoring one in the third to bring the score to 12-2, Daniel Harden launched a two-run home run to dead center field to give the Woodchucks a commanding lead, 14-2.
After a six-run seventh inning by the Express, the Woodchucks turned to Evan Alwine (FIU) to close the door, which he did. Alwine struck out two to get to the top of the ninth. The Chucks then gave Caleb White (Georgia Southwestern) the nod to end the game and he struck out two en route to a 14-9 Chucks victory.
The Woodchucks will be back at Saturday to take on the Duluth Huskies in the first of a two-game home series. The Minions will be visiting Athletic Park. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday’s game starts at 1:05 p.m.
