Thorp Falls In Championship Game
Friday, June 15th, 2018 -- 6:26 AM
The Thorp Cardinal baseball team fell to Athens 13-10 in the Division 4 State Championship on Thursday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.The game featured a combined 23 runs, 23 hits and 14 errors.
With the score tied 2-2, Athens scored six times in the fourth inning with the aid of four hits and four Thorp errors. Marshall Westfall delivered the key hit in the inning with a two-run single. Thorp scored three times in its half of the inning, two runs were driven in on a single by Ryan Stunkel.
The Fighting Blue Jays added four runs in the fifth inning, fueled by six hits, to lead 12-5. Klay Ellenbecker drove in a pair of runs in the rally with a single. The Cardinals attempted to battle back with five runs in the sixth inning to reduce their deficit to 12-10. Quade Webster had one of the Cardinals’ three hits in the inning with a run-scoring double, and Athens committed three errors to spark the rally.
The Fighting Blue Jays added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Ellenbecker reached on an error and later scored on a throwing error.
Thorp committed a Division 4 State tournament record eight errors in the game that led to eight unearned runs. Athens had six errors that led to nine unearned runs.
Marshall Westfall tied a Division 4 record with four hits in the game, including a triple. He drove in two runs and scored twice. Javon Penny collected three hits and scored twice. Seth Coker, Connor Westfall and Dayne Dietheim each added two hits. Ellenbecker drove in two runs and set a Division 4 record with four runs scored.
Marshall Westfall was credited with the victory, tossing four innings, giving up five hits and five runs, but only one run was earned. Dakota Willemssen earned the save, allowing three hits and five unearned runs in three innings.
The Cardinals were led offensively by Jakob Rosemeyer with three hits and a pair of runs scored. Quade Webster also had two hits, including a double and two runs batted in. Chris Komanec started on the mound for Thorp and was charged with the loss, yielding seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings.
It’s the third State title for the Fighting Blue Jays in three trips to State. In addition to their back-to-back titles, they won the Class C crown in 1982. Thorp (14-11) places runner-up in its first-ever State tournament.
Other Scores from Thursday:
Division 3 Championship - Webster 8, St. Mary Central 2
Division 2 Championship - Waupun 4, Jefferson 0
Division 1 Championship - Waunakee 3, Arrowhead 1
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