The 2019 Plover Junior Black Sox, front row, from left: Elliot Schmoll, Jared Garski, Devin Mrozek, Drew Kedrowicz, Tommy Drohner, Brycen Cashin, Cam McCarrier, Riley Sankey and Kaden Mazur. Back row: Manager Jeff Sadlemyer, Thomas Hunt, Bryce Pelky, Danny Baumgartner, Marcus Jaworski, Jon Nafe, Ben Lee, Brandon Vlcko, Jake Sankey, Trevor Grey and assistant coach Tom Drohner. (Patty Gregorich photo)

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

The Plover Junior Black Sox had their run this season come to a close at the 17 and Under State Tournament in Marshfield Sunday, July 21.

After advancing to state with a 31-2 record, the Junior Black Sox lost 8-3 to eventual State Champion Bay Port Friday, July 19, and followed with a 13-11 loss to host team Marshfield at Hackman Field Sunday to finish 31-4.

Plover carried a nine-game winning streak into the State Tournament and had won 23 of its last 24 games going into its opener against Bay Port Friday afternoon.

Bay Port had a runner on first base with two outs in the top of the second inning when it had six consecutive singles off Plover starter Jake Sankey to take a 5-0 lead, then scored on a hit by pitch with the bases loaded later in the inning to go up 6-0.

Bay Port added another run in the top of the third inning to make it 7-0, while Jake Sankey drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth inning and Riley Sankey followed with a sacrifice fly to pull the Junior Black Sox within 7-2.

Bay Port scored one run in the fifth inning to extend its lead to 8-2, and Plover scored one run in the bottom of the seventh to provide the final margin in Bay Port’s 8-3 win.

Riley Sankey went 2-for-2 to lead the Plover offense, while Jake Sankey took the loss after he allowed six earned runs on nine hits, walked one and struck out three in two innings.

Rain postponed the State Tournament Saturday, July 20, and the Junior Black Sox took on Marshfield in an elimination game Sunday, after Plover was 6-0 against Marshfield this season, including an 11-7 win in the Regional Championship six days earlier when the Junior Black Sox scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to break a 7-7 tie.

Looking to remain alive in the double-elimination tournament, Marshfield scored two runs in the top of the first inning and two more in the top of the second to take a 4-0 lead, while Plover answered with three runs in the bottom of the second inning and one in the third to tie it at 4-4.

Marshfield came back with seven runs in the top of the fourth inning to take an 11-4 lead, but the Junior Black Sox responded with five runs in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth to tie it at 11-11.

It stayed that way until the top of the seventh inning, when Marshfield singled with one out, stole second base and then scored on an error to take a 12-11 lead, then scored another run on a wild pitch to go up 13-11.

Brycen Cashin led off the bottom of the seventh inning with a walk and Thomas Hunt had a one-out single to put the tying run on base, but Marshfield got a groundout and a strikeout to hold on for a 13-11 win.

Marshfield scored 13 runs on 15 hits and three Plover errors, and the Junior Black Sox had 11 runs on 14 hits and four Marshfield errors, as Marcus Jaworski took the loss after he allowed four earned runs on six hits, struck out one and walked three in two and 1/3 innings.

Riley Sankey was 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI, Cashin went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored, Jake Sankey was 2-for-3 with two runs scored, Hunt went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI, Jaworski was 2-for-4, and Danny Baumgartner scored two runs.

Marshfield was one of the final three teams at the State Tournament, before it was eliminated with a 14-4 loss to Bay Port in six innings Monday, July 22, while Bay Port won 12-7 over Chippewa Falls in the State Championship Game Tuesday, July 23, to finish 5-0 at the tournament and win the State Title.