Grasshoppers End Season
Chas Sagedahl pitched the Grasshoppers to victory over Waupun on Thursday. (Photos submitted)
Prairie du Chien celebrates its victory over Waupun Thursday at the state tournament.
Peyton Hall drove in one of Prairie’s runs in the fifth inning versus Clintonville.
Prairie du Chien ends a fine season
during American Legion State Tournament
Prairie du Chien defeated Little Chute 11-0 in five innings in the first round of the State Class A American Legion Baseball Tournament in Clintonville Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday, the Grasshoppers kept rolling with a 5-0 win over defending state champion Waupun behind a stellar performance by Chas Sagedahl, who fanned 10 and allowed only four hits to gain the complete-game victory. Sagedahl also pounded out four hits in four at-bats with two RBI to help lead Prairie.
Meanwhile, West Salem defeated Osseo 2-1 in nine innings on Wednesday and then beat Clintonville 6-1 on Thursday to advance to face Prairie du Chien on Friday night. Alex Jeranek pitched a complete-game three-hitter and whiffed nine while going 4x4 with a double and two RBI to pace West Salem over Clintonville.
Prairie du Chien, who was 24-6 entering Friday night’s game, and West Salem (23-4), were the only two unbeaten teams left in the double-elimination tournament. Prairie du Chien and West Salem are both members of the Coulee Region league. The two teams had split during the regular season.
After Thursday, neither Sagedahl nor Jeranek were eligible to pitch for the rest of the tournament.
On Friday night, West Salem defeated Prairie du Chien 9-4 to hand the Grasshoppers their first defeat in the tournament. West Salem had 11 hits and committed four errors in the game. Prairie had nine hits and committed one error.
After momentarily losing its lead, the West Salem lineup received a timely hit by Jayden Beckley in the sixth inning to drive in two runs. They padded their lead with four runs of insurance in the seventh to claim this battle of the final unbeatens.
West Salem jumped in front 3-0 after the first three frames, but Prairie du Chien chipped away, getting two runs back in the fourth and then got a solo home run in the fifth by Peyton Hall to tie the game.
It wouldn’t take long for West Salem to reclaim the lead when Beckley singled up the middle to plate two runs.
Still, Prairie du Chien wouldn’t go down quietly. They loaded the bases in the home half of the sixth, but the threat ended with a ground out second base.
Sensing the need for more insurance runs, West Salem hung up four in the seventh inning before an out was recorded.
Hunter Wakefield earned the win on the mound. He allowed six hits in 5 2/3 innings while striking out five. Gavin Greene took the loss in six innings of work for Prairie du Chien. He also had five strikeouts.
West Salem was led by Ryan Beirne, who was 2x4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Trevor Kastenschmidt went 2x3 with two runs driven in. Beirne, Kastenschmidt, Nick Schultz and Braxton Ghelfi each had two hits for West Salem.
Greene was the only player for Prairie du Chien to record multiple hits, though eight different players tallied at least one. Brogan Potter was 1x2. Gavin Gillitzer was 1x3. Hunter Sheckler was 1x4. Chas Sagedahl was 1x4 with a double. Drake Coleman was 1x3 with a double and an RBI. Jon Dyer was 1x4. Peyton Hall was 1x3 with a home run and an RBI. Greene was 2x4. Cory Check had an RBI.
In their next game on Saturday, Clintonville defeated Prairie du Chien 4-2. Clintonville had five hits and committed two errors. Prairie had seven hits and committed three errors.
Kolton Kluth kept the Prairie du Chien batters off balance all game, scattering seven hits for a complete-game victory to help send the Clintonville Diamond Cats into Sunday, guaranteeing they were one of the final teams left in the state tournament.
The Clintonville Diamond Cats got off to a strong start, jumping out to a three-run lead after three innings. Chad Bork and Kluth each picked up an RBI with sacrifice flies, while Logan Liesenfelder scorched an RBI double down the third base line to make it 3-0.
It took until the fifth inning before the Grasshoppers got on the board. Cory Check and Peyton Hall each drove in a run. With the bases loaded in the fifth, Kluth forced a 6-2-3 double play to escape the inning.
The Diamond Cats added an insurance run on a passed ball in the home half of the fifth to push the lead back up to two.
Kluth shut the door in the seventh inning, retiring the first two batters on two pitches and then getting a ground out to finish the game.
Andrew Waller took the loss on the mound, giving up three runs, only one of them earned, in three innings of work.
Prairie du Chien out hit Clintonville seven to five, led by Brogan Potter, who went 2x2. Cory Check was 1x2 with an RBI. Gavin Gillitzer was 1x3. Chas Sagedahl was 1x3. Jon Dyer was 1x4. Peyton Hall was 1x4.
Prairie du Chien finished a fine season with a 24-8 overall record.
West Salem went on to win the tournament with a 10-2 decision over Niagara on Saturday, followed by a 10-3 victory over host Clintonville on Sunday in the championship game.
Chas Sagedahl of Prairie du Chien was named to the All Tournament Team.
