Baseball Eagles fall just short

They had chances to spring a monumental upset. They had opportunities to shock the prep baseball world. In the end, though, Sauk Prairie’s baseball team fell just short. Reedsburg’s Alek Southworth had a game-winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth, propelling the host Beavers to a 1-0, nine inning win over Sauk Prairie in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal on May 28. Reedsburg, the No. 1 seed in the sectional, improved to 21-2 on the year. Sauk Prairie, the No. 8 seed, ended its season 9-16. The Eagles had stellar pitching throughout against a Reedsburg team that had won the Badger Small Conference title. Austin Pagel threw six innings of shutout ball, striking out six, while allowing just three hits and four walks. Brason Ballweg worked a scoreless seventh and eighth innings, but Reedsburg scratched across a run in the bottom of the ninth to prevail. Reedsburg loaded the bases in the ninth with nobody out. And after Ballweg recorded a fielder’s choice out, Southworth delivered a single to center to end the Eagles’ season. Sauk Prairie managed just one hit off Reedsburg starter Aden Edwards. The Beavers’ standout threw 8 2/3 innings, struck out 10, walked one and threw strikes on 74 of his 100 pitches. Jackson Breunig’s seventh inning single was Sauk Prairie’s lone hit of the night. The Eagles also had two batters reach on errors, but both of those players were thrown out attempting to steal. Sauk Prairie’s best chance to score came in the ninth after Edwards exited with two outs having reached the WIAA’s maximum pitch count of 100. Luke Verch replaced Edwards and promptly walked Boden Frosch and hit Marty Hanna to put two on with two outs. But Breunig struck out swinging to end the threat. Pagel was masterful throughout the game working out of trouble. In the second, Reedsburg loaded the bases with two outs when Pagel recorded a fly ball out. In the fourth, the Beavers put two on with two out when Pagel got a ground ball out.  In the sixth, Reedsburg put two on with two outs, but Pagel recorded a ground ball out and notched a strikeout to escape that jam. Ballweg worked a perfect seventh inning. And after Reedsburg’s leadoff batter in the eighth reached on an error, Ballweg recorded two quick outs. Reedsburg’s Mark Othmer then singled to right and Graeme Pelton tried scoring from second. But Pagel — who had moved to right — fired a dart home and catcher Bryan Breunig tagged out Pelton, who was trying to score. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Reedsburg broke through one inning later. And Sauk Prairie’s dreams of a mammoth upset bid came to an end.