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Hard-hitting Edgerton takes Edgewood to the limit

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Edgerton pitcher Aaron Laskowski throws to first baseman Kyle Majorowicz to keep Edgewood's Tyler Sorensen close to the bag on Tuesday.

EVANSVILLE — Derek Carrier’s game-ending blast against a heavy wind to the warning track in center field just about told it all.

It told how Edgerton High’s power-packed baseball team battled top-ranked Madison Edgewood to the bitter end before falling, 11-10, in the WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinals here Tuesday.

The Crimson Tide roughed up Chris Ritter, Edgewood’s seemingly touchable pitcher, for 11 hits, including five doubles, and only Kyle Haen’s falling-down catch of Carrier’s drive with tying run on base enabled Edgewood to stave off Edgerton’s comeback bid.

“What a battle. What a great game,’’ Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said. “You take the 23-0, top-ranked team in the state to the hilt. That’s a credit to our kids to never say die.’’

Seventh-ranked Edgerton also might be credited for taking everything out of Edgewood. The Crusaders seemingly had little left later in the day as they fell behind 7-1 in losing the championship game to Prairie du Chien, 8-6.

Prairie Chien (18-5), a 3-1 winner over Portage in an eight-inning semifinal opener Tuesday, moves on to the state tournament for a semifinal battle with the champion of the weather-delayed Chilton Sectional next Wednesday at Fox Cities Stadium in Little Chute.

Edgewood and Edgerton obviously had visions of making that trip, but Gregory was proud of the way his team’s 18-4 season ended.

“There’s no quit in ’em,’’ he said of the Crimson Tide, which almost overcame an 11-5 deficit in a five-run seventh inning. “They battled right to the very end, and we had a great year.’’

But as typically great as the Tide hitting was against Edgewood, there also was the other side of the story. Five walks off Edgerton starting pitcher Aaron Laskowski and three critical errors triggered three Edgewood uprisings that gave the Crusaders all the runs they needed.

“We made too many mistakes, and you can’t give a team like Edgewood extra runs,’’ Gregory said. “A couple key errors, and you’re playing from behind.’’

And that’s the way it was for the Tide.

Josh Eastman and Laskowski sent an early message to Ritter with a double and single in the first inning, sparking Edgerton to a 1-0 lead. But the Crusaders rode three walks, an error, one hit and two sacrifice flies to a four-run first and a lead they never relinquished.

The key setback for the Crimson Tide, however, was Edgewood’s five-run fourth inning after Edgerton had pulled within 6-5 in its half of the inning. The Crusaders sent 10 batters to plate, collected five singles, drove Laskowski (9-1) from the mound and jumped to a seemingly untouchable lead.

But a Tide team that hit and amazing .400 for the season and averaged almost 10 runs a game wasn’t about to go quietly, even after being down 6-1 and then by six. And it didn’t matter who was on the mound for Edgewood.

Ritter (10-0), a junior right-hander, had allowed only two earned runs in 52 2/3 innings and came into the game with 0.27 earned run average. But an Edgerton assault led by Eastman’s two doubles and others by Carrier, Kyle Stearns and Kyle Johnson clearly opened the Crusaders’ eyes.

“That was our ace out there … and that’s the best-hitting team we’ve seen all year,’’ Edgewood coach Rich Newton said. “There wasn’t a hole in their lineup. Everybody, 1 through 9, put the ball in play with authority.’’

Finally, the Tide almost authored a winning rally. The big seventh inning started with Eastman’s second double, a walk to Laskowski, and RBI singles by Johnson and Matt Buhrow. Then, with the bases loaded, an Edgewood throwing error sent home three runs and set the stage for Carrier in an 11-10 thriller.

And the senior center fielder almost delivered.

“Their center fielder was back on the warning track at 360 feet in the wind (at his back),’’ Gregory said. “That tells you how hard Derek hit that ball.’’

And that left a lasting impression about this Edgerton team.

“We earned their respect today,’’ Gregory said of the Crusaders. “I just wish we could have knocked them off.’’

(Semifinals)

EDGEWOOD 11, EDGERTON 10

Edgerton (ab-r-h-rbi)—Carrier, cf, 5-0-1-2; Eastman, 2b-p, 4-2-2-0; Laskowski, p-ss, 3-1-1-0; Stearns, c, 4-1-1-0; Clifton, rf-2b, 0-0-0-0; Johnson, dh, 3-2-2-2; Buhrow, lf, 4-1-1-1; Majorowicz, 1b, 3-0-0-0; Shelley, ph, 1-0-0-0; Kinnett, ss-rf, 3-2-1-0; Gregory, 3b, 4-1-1-1. Totals: 34-10-11-6.

Edgewood (ab-r-h-rbi)—Sorenson, 3b, 3-2-1-0; J. Lindholm, 1b, 4-2-2-1; Ritter, p, 3-0-1-0; Dahmen, cr, 0-2-0-0; Parman, ss, 3-1-1-3; Minnaert, 2b, 0-0-0-0; M. Lindholm, dh, 3-2-1-2; Hughes, c, 4-0-2-2; Schurschel, cr, 0-1-0-0; Wabers, lf, 2-0-1-2; Curtin, 1-0-0-0; Longo, rf, 3-0-0-0; Haen, cf, 1-1-0-0.

Edgerton 100 400 5—10

Madison Edgewood 402 500 x—11

E—Edgerton 3, Edgewood 3. LOB—Edgerton 5, Edgewood 6. 2B—Carrier, Eastman 2, Stearns Johnson, Parman, Wabers. SF—M. Lindholm, Hughes, Parman.

IP H R ER BB SO

Edgerton

Laskowski (L) 3 1-3 7 11 6 5 1

Eastman 2-2-3 2 0 0 0 1

Madison Edgewood

Ritter (W) 7 11 10 6 3 6

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN 3, PORTAGE 1

Prairie du Chien 000 000 02—3 4 1

Portage 100 000 00—1 3 4

T. Kozelka, Mezera (8) and Sime; Koch and Gessner, Conner (6).

Leading hitter—Sime (Pr du), 3x3. 2B—Sime (Pr du). 3B—Doleshaw (Port).

SO—T. Kozelka (Pr du) 10, Mezera (Pr du) 3, Koch (Port) 6. BB—Kozelka 6, Koch 5.

n Kyle Sime doubled in the eighth, and Prairie du Chien took advantage of two errors to score the two decisive runs.

(Championship)

PRAIRIE DU CHIEN 8, EDGEWOOD 6

Prairie du Chien 001 303 1—8 7 0

Madison Edgewood 100 001 4—6 8 1

Wessling, Mezera (6) and Sime;l Parman, M. Lindholm (7) and Hughes.

Leading hittters—Sime (P) 2x3, O’Kane (P) 2x3, Parman (ME) 3x4, Longo (ME) 2x4. HR—O’Kane (P). 2B—Sime (P), Nack (P), Hagen (P), Ritter (ME), Parman (ME) 2, Longo (ME).

SO—Wessling (P) 5, Mezera (P) 1, Parman (ME) 4, M. Lindholm (ME) 1. BB—Wessling 8, Mezera 1.

n Tyler O’Kane’s leadoff homer keyed a three-run fourth inningf that broke a 1-1 tie and put Prairie du Chien ahead for good.