Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

By DENNIS SEMRAU

Wissports.net

 

GRAND CHUTE – Playing 16 baseball state tournament games in three days is a annual challenge each spring for the WIAA.

 

It doesn t help when the weather doesn t cooperate.

 

So while the opening game of the spring state baseball tournament between Merrill and Bay Port at Fox Cities Stadium was cruising along, Mother Nature has intervened.

 

With the score tied at 1-1 after 4 ½ innings, we began a rain delay at 9:02 a.m. as the grounds crew rolled out the tarp. A steady rain is falling with a delay of at least 90 minutes expected.

 

However, scattered lightning could cause further delays.

 

Before the rain arrived, though, Merrill and Bay Port were in the midst of a pitcher's duel between Merrill left-hander Zach Wendorf and Bay Port right-hander A.J. Gaura. 

 

Cody Boyd led off the Merrill third with a double to right-center field. He moved to third on a Jared Rothmeyer sacrifice. But Gaura struck out Alex Cordova and Pascal Paul to end the threat.

 

Merrill grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Jake Schlueter singled to center with two outs, stole second and scored on Michael Detert s single to right field.

 

Bay Port tied it up 1-1 in its half of the fourth inning on a pair of Merrill errors. Zac Peterson reached on a fielding error by shortstop Pascal Paul and was sacrificed to second. After Dom Utrie reached on a walk, reached base on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a throwing error by Paul that scored Peterson.

 

Before the break, Gaura struck out the side in the top of the fifth inning. He now has nine strikeouts and has allowed one run on four hits with no walks.

 

However, Wendorf has yet to allow a hit but has given up an unearned run with one walk and three strikeouts.

 

Merrill 1, Bay Port 1

 

Merrill        0 0 0 1 0 x x – 1 4 2

Bay Port     0 0 0 1 x x x – 1 0 0

 

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-so) – Wendorf (4-0-0-1-3). Gaura (5-4-1-1-9)

 

Leading hitters – M— Detert 2x2. 2B: M – Boyd.