Wausau Pilot & Review
STEVENS POINT – Stevens Point held Wausau West scoreless for six innings and knocked off the Warriors 5-2 in a WIAA Division 1 baseball regional final Thursday at Bukolt Park.
Stevens Point won its 20th game in a row to improve to 23-1 this season and will take on River Falls in a Division 1 sectional semifinal Tuesday at Jack Hackman Field in Marshfield at 10 a.m. D.C. Everest will play Hudson in the other semifinal at 1 p.m., with the winners facing off for the sectional title and a berth in the WIAA State Baseball Tournament at 4 p.m.
Ty Rechner struck out six and allowed just two hits through four innings before giving way to Josh Opiola, who threw two scoreless innings before surrendering two unearned runs in the top of the seventh to West.
Back-to-back singles by Aidan Vachowiak and Luke Smogoleski to lead off the seventh was followed by an error that allowed the first West run to score. Brennan Fictum followed with a sacrifice fly before Opiola wiggled out the inning to send Stevens Point to the sectionals.
Palrier and Smogoleski each had two hits for the Warriors, who finish the season with a 10-13 record.
Panthers 5, Warriors 2
Wausau West 000 000 2 – 2 7 2
Stevens Point 020 111 x – 5 8 1
WP: Ty Rechner. LP: Brennan Fictum. SV: Josh Opiola.
SO: Fictum 1; Rechner (4 inn.) 6, Opiola (3 inn.) 3. BB: Fictum 1; Rechner 0, Opiola 0.
Top hitters: WW, Landon Parlier 2×3; Luke Smogoleski 2×3, run; Fictum RBI. SP, Jaxon Stetler 2×3, 2B, run, RBI; Braylen Nystrom 2B, run; Ben Fonti 2×3, 2 runs, RBI; Benett Klish 1×4, RBI.
Records: Wausau West 10-13; Stevens Point 23-1.
