Wausau Pilot & Review
WAUSAU – Wausau West held off a late rally to top Wisconsin Rapids 7-6 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference and regular-season finales for both teams on Thursday at West High School.
With the win, Wausau West finishes in a tie with Rapids and Marshfield for third place in the final conference standings at 6-6 and improves to 9-12 overall.
West went up 3-0 in the fourth inning after a two-run single by Luke Smogoleski and an RBI double from Tony Iaffaldano.
After Rapids scored once in the fifth, West responded with four more, keyed by a two-run single by Travis Klade and an RBI single from Iaffaldano.
Rapids scored once in the sixth before putting the Warriors on the ropes in the top of the seventh. Two sacrifice flies, and RBI single by Brian Olds, and an error pushed four runs across for the Raiders before Jackson Albee coaxed a fly ball to end it two the tying run at second base.
Lucas Hager earned the win for the Warriors, pitching four shutout innings with two strikeouts
West will host Marshfield in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal Tuesday.
Warriors 7, Raiders 6
Wisconsin Rapids 000 011 4 – 6 9 1
Wausau West 000 340 x – 7 9 1
WP: Lucas Hager. LP: Brett Simonsen.
SO: Simonsen (4 inn.) 5, Trevor Martin (1/3 inn.) 0, Kaleb Ellis (2/3 inn.) 2, Josh Dekarske (1 inn.) 2; Hager (4 inn.) 2, Jack Kostroski (1/3 inn.) 1, Jackson Smithpeter (1 inn.) 2, Jackson Albee (1 2/3 inn.) 0. BB: Simonsen 4, Martin 0, Ellis 0, Dekarske 1; Hager 1, Kostroski 2, Smithpeter 2, Albee 2.
Top hitters: WR, Brennan Huber 2×3, 2B, 2 RBI; Dekarske 2×4; Martin 2B. WW, Tony Iaffaldano 2×4, 2B, 3 RBI; Smithpeter 2 runs; Albee 1×2, 2 runs; Dylan Dobratz 1×3, 2 runs, RBI; Luke Smogoleski 1×3, 2 RBI; Travis Klade 2×3, RBI.
Records: Wisconsin Rapids 18-8, 6-6 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Wausau West 9-12, 6-6 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
