Stopped in sectional play: Falcons hold off Augusta, take pounding from Ithaca

Robert Cunitz lets loose a pitch after coming in to relieve Matt Hansen in the fifth inning of the Division 4 sectional final. For more photos, click here.

By NATE BEIER | For the County Line

Growth. That’s what the Brookwood baseball team displayed all season long, culminating in a coveted sectional berth last week.

The process continued with an unexpected tournament run as the Falcons knocked off Augusta in the sectional final 6–4 before falling 11–1 to the defending sectional champion, Ithaca, in six innings.

The day opened with the Falcons matching up with Augusta in the first of two sectional semifinals. Brookwood pinned two runs on the board in the first inning, but gave up one. The Falcons went on to repeat the process in the third inning, though it seemed as though their lineup was finding its groove against the Beavers’ starting pitcher, Quinn Kirchoff.

Brookwood took a 6–3 lead after scoring in the sixth, but Augusta threatened in the seventh. Actually, the Beavers, who had qualified for sectionals for the second straight year, were eying a spot in the championship game after they capitalized on a couple of Falcon missteps. A single by Carter Berlin was the catalyst for the series of events. Michael Schroeder reached first after a bobble in the infield. Carter Jacobs moved the pair after grounding out to second. Jordan Cerillo, who had plagued the Falcons’ defense all day, drove in Preston Waugh, who was pinch running for Carter Berlin with a single.

Facing the strongest part of the lineup, Jack Hansen stepped up by sitting down the second batter in the lineup, Kayne Korger, via a strikeout. With two outs, Troy Zimmerman had the opportunity to change the outcome of the game, as he represented the winning run, but was caught by Hansen with another strikeout to end the game.

Ithaca faced off against Fennimore in a battle of ranked opponents following the Falcons win. The sixth-ranked Bulldogs dispatched the fourth-ranked Golden Eagles 11-2 after four-run rallies in both the second and sixth innings.

Ithaca’s victory meant Brookwood would get a chance to redeem itself from its 2014 meeting with the Bulldogs in a regional final, which resulted in a 5–2 Falcon loss.

The Ridge and Valley champion Bulldogs took a 1–0 lead only to load the bases in the first inning with ease. However, Matt Hansen found a way out of the jam, finishing with a strikeout. The Falcons’ luck on defense wouldn’t hold out much longer, however. A series of unfortunate mishaps led to a six-run binge and put Brookwood on the wrong end of a 7–0 score. Ithaca tacked on another pair in the third and one each in the fourth and fifth before Brookwood picked up its second hit of the game, a single by Jaden Havlik. The Falcons’ offense continued to click, driving in a run, but could not overcome the surging Bulldogs’ scoring ability, falling 11–1 after six innings.

The Bulldogs, which are 22–3 on the year, advance to the state tournament for the second time ever and will face Rib Lake.

Coach Paul Olbert said, “Ithaca was an excellent team that hit well from 1–9 in the order. We also didn’t play well, with some poor defensive play.”

He continued by praising the accomplishment his team made after featuring seven new starters this season.

Brookwood hovered around the .500 mark until late in the year, winning eight of its last 12 contests to finish the season 13–10. Its roster featured just a single senior, Patrick Daley, in the lineup. The return of Conference Player of the Year, Cory Ottum, as well as pitching duo Jack Hansen and Matt Hansen could mean even better things are in store for 2016.

However, the final outcome of this season is an accomplishment to behold. The Falcons have qualified for sectionals only three times in school history and have only advanced to state-qualifying game once before in 2010.

“They represented Brookwood very well,” said Olbert as he put the feat into perspective. “They should be proud to finish in the top eight in the state.”

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