By Jacob Heid

Sports Editor

PLOVER – The Plover Black Sox just keep winning when they need to. In the second game of the American Legion baseball regionals at Memorial Park in Plover, the host Sox took on Wausau at the chance to move to 2-0 on the weekend. 

In a good battle, the Sox used two multi-run innings to take down Wausau, 4-1, on Jul. 20.

Devin Mrozek led the offense with two hits, including a two-RBI double. Braylen Nystrom scattered two hits as well. 

The Black Sox had nine hits as a team in the win.

After a scoreless first frame, Black Sox starting pitcher Ty Rechner kept the zeros coming. 

Offensively, Plover broke the tie in the bottom of the second. 

Matt Glodowski led off the inning with a double and scored in the next at-bat by Ben Fonti.

The scoring didn’t stop there as the top of the order in Jackson Fox lined one into right field, scoring Fonti to make it 2-0.

Wausau answered by loading the bases with no outs in the top of the third. One run did score, but a well-executed double play ended the threat. 

Manager Wayne Sankey talked about what he has told his team in those situations. 

“Just take a deep breath, take a step back, start all over and try to minimize the inning,” he explained. 

After that, it was all Plover’s defense.

“Ty Rechner was just shutting them down and made pitches when he had to,” Sankey stated. “They did have guys on base but he just came up big and made some big pitches.”

Another scoreless frame passed in the fourth before the Black Sox added some insurance runs in the fifth. 

Nystrom reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth to get things going. 

Chase Geyer followed that up with a single of his own, putting runners on first and second with no outs. 

Three batters later, Mrozek strolled up to the plate with Nystrom and Geyer now at second and third. 

He piped a ball off the left-field wall that scored both runs, making it a 4-1 game. 

Rechner finished his evening after six innings of work. 

The upcoming senior allowed one run (not earned) on three hits and struck out four hitters. 

Bryce Ehr came in for the save in the seventh. He faced five hitters before shutting the door on the game. 

Plover plays again this evening, Jul. 21, at 7 p.m. 

The Black Sox await the winner of D.C. Everest and Marshfield.    

“It’s nice to be able to sit and watch them play and use pitching. We’re going to come ready to play and come ready to win,” Sankey said.