PAGE 16 - INTER-COUNTY LEADER - NEWS SECTION - A - JUNE 22, 2011
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More scenes from the Pirates trip to state
The Pirates baseball team gets a pep talk just prior to the start of the state semifinal game against Pardeeville on Wednesday, June 15. – Photos by Marty Seeger unless otherwise noted
Grantsburg first baseman Lucas Willis apGrantburg catcher Russ Thoreen tags out a runner peared to have his foot on the bag in a close play at first, but the call went in favor of at home plate in a run-saving play in the bottom of the third inning. Pardeeville.
Joe Engelhart (far right) tracks down a throw to second as Jake Wald looks to back him up.
Jim Nelson pitched a solid five innings for the Pirates at state.
Grantsburg grad Brent Myers gets a crowd of Pirates fans pumped up during a pep rally held prior to heading to the state baseball tournament. – Photo by Priscilla Jake Wald connects with the ball in Bauer for the first hit of the game.
The Grantsburg Pirates baseball team lines the dugout late in the game in anticipation of another at bat.
Pirates continued
During Grantsburg’s seventh inning they were able to get runners on second and third with only one out, but failed to get any insurance runs heading into the bottom of the seventh, but still clutched a 5-3 lead.
Despite being only three outs away from going to the state finals, Pardeeville bit back. The Pirates had two costly errors to start the inning with the first being a dropped fly ball in center field, and an error on a routine ground ball. It gave the Bulldogs two runners with no outs and they scored their first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly and knotted the game at five
Joe Engelhart beats the throw to first for a base hit.
Nolan Hanson slides home safely during a three-run fourth inning for the Pirates
with a wild pitch. The Pirates had two outs and bases cleared to try and set up extra innings, but with two consecutive walks, Pardeeville finally struck gold on a Riley Schmidt walk-off bloop single down the right-field line to score the winning run of the game. It was a difficult ending to a solid Pirates season, which ended with a share of
the conference title as well as a 21-4 overall record. For Pardeeville, it seemed that fate, or at least irony, was on their side. After all, they earned their first-ever trip to state in a walk-off 6-5 win over Westby with a home run. But the Bulldogs memorable season ended against Winnebago Lutheran with a 10-6 loss.