Boyceville hits, pitches and fields their way to state baseball tourney with impressive sweep of Webster, Independence

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent

SHELL LAKE — After winning a pair of pretty close games in the regional round a week earlier, the Boyceville baseball team was prepared for one, and hopefully two more close ones in the sectional tournament on June 22 in Shell Lake.

But the Bulldogs, ranked second in the coaches’ Division 4 state poll, were full of surprises as they completely dominated the semifinal game with a 17-3 trouncing of Independence/Gilmanton, then after a 35-minute break, took down the number one rated team in the state in their division, the  Webster Tigers, by a 14-0 score to win the Division 4 Shell Lake baseball sectional championship and with it a state berth.

The Bulldog defense played error-free ball, the offense slammed 27 hits and only three pitchers were needed to pull off both wins and send them back to the WIAA State Tournament.Boyceville played at the state tournament two years ago but lost their first game to eventually state champion Stratford, and after losing a whole season last year due to the COVID-19 virus, they showed everyone that hard work and preparation were the keys to getting back to state.

Boyceville (19-1), who was seeded number one in the four-team Division 4 state tournament bracket, played #4 Southwestern (11-10) in the first state semifinal game this past Monday morning, June 28. A victory would have propelled Boyceville into its first state title game since 2000 against either #2 Rosholt (20-3) or #3 Greenwood (17-6) later that evening.

Independence/Gilmanton

The Indees certainly were not considered a pushover as they entered the game with an 18-4 record and finished second in the Dairyland Conference. They won a pair of close games in the regionals, taking a 7-4 contest against Blair/Taylor and a 3-0 win over Cochrane/Fountaine City.

But, they were not ready for the buzz saw that ripped through the ballpark when the Bulldogs hit the field.

Boyceville jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on doubles by Trett Joles and Walker Retz, followed by a single from Trevor Hollister, and a walk to Jacob Granley which allowed Joles and Retz to score.

Four more runs in the second helped build the lead as Ira Bialzik started the ball rolling – or flying perhaps – with a single and Joles and Connor Sempf followed his lead. Retz smacked a triple and suddenly it was 6-0 for the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, Sempf was in control from the mound as he allowed just six baserunners in the first five innings. Two of them were on due to a couple of errors but Sempf made sure nobody came home as he posted eight strikeouts before Trevor Hollister came in for the sixth inning to finish things off.

“It’s always nice to score first,” Boyceville coach Michael Roemhild said. “Going up 6-0 with Connor on the mound eased everyone’s anxiety,” he added.

Boyceville tacked on a run in the fourth with yet another Joles double and after stealing third base, Joles came home on an Indee error. Two more Bulldog runners came home in the sixth on three consecutive singles from Bialzik, Joles, and Sempf and it was 9-0 with just an inning and a half to play.

The Bulldogs did have a little blip in the bottom of the inning when Hollister gave up the only three Indee runs on a single, a hit batter, and a walk before he whiffed a batter. A double cleared the bases but, Hollister reared back for another strikeout then forced a ground ball out to end the inning.

Boyceville could have saved some energy and ended things with the six-run win, but instead they decided to build up more momentum and make sure they didn’t let this game get away. 13 batters came to the plate in the seventh which resulted in Joles, Sempf, Retz, Trevor Hollister, Granley, Braden Roemhild, Chase Hollister, and Dawson McRoberts all coming home. Six free passes and singles from Chase Hollister, Sempf, and Trevor Hollister all played a part in making the score resemble a football score after Trevor Hollister got three of the four batters out in the bottom of the seventh to end things.

“I really thought defensively Trevor and his younger brother Chase (Hollister) stole the show,” coach Roemhild said. “They made big plays throughout the game. Offensively our 1-4 hitters did the most damage. I expected that coming from our seniors as they came out and made a statement with their bats. We started to lag in the fourth and fifth innings when we could have put them away in five innings,” he added.

Boyceville pounded out 14 hits with Joles going 4-for-4 and scoring five times, Sempf was 3-for-5 with six RBIs while Retz had a pair of hits with three runs scored and two RBIs. Trevor Hollister brought in two runs with a couple of hits and scored once while Bialzik finished with two hits and two runs scored and Roemhild collected a pair of RBIs.Sempf earned the win, scattering six hits with eight strikeouts and no free passes in five innings of work.

Webster

Anyone who had been following high school baseball around this area (and around the whole state for that matter), knew all about the Webster team.

The Tigers were the defending state champions in Division 4, having won back-to-back titles in the 2018 (won Division 3 state championship) and 2019 season.With a record of 21-0 this year (and a 58-game winning streak as well), they were led by an outstanding pitcher in Owen Washburn, a Division 1 recruit for South Carolina. Washburn had a perfect 7-0 record, had struck out 94 batters, walked just one, and had not given up an earned run all season.

“We had heard about Webster for the past three years,” coach Roemhild said. “They were the number one ranked team in the state and getting a lot of attention. We knew they had a good pitcher and our guys were getting overlooked. But, Washburn hadn’t seen a team as determined as us and our lineup from top to bottom was looking forward to facing him,” he added.

Boyceville, ranked number two in the state, had their own Division 1 recruit in Retz as he took his place on the mound. Retz started a little slow, giving up a single and a walk in the first inning, but whiffed a batter for the first out and the Bulldog defense came through with a unique double play which started on a force out at second base off a ground ball. Bulldog second baseman Chase Hollister noticed the Tiger runner had rounded third base a little too far and he alertly gunned the ball to McRoberts who tagged him out to end the inning.

Getting the first run against a team of Webster’s caliber is always important and the Bulldogs did just that. Joles led off the bottom of the first with a single and promptly stole second, and after a strikeout, Retz smacked a double to bring him in. Washburn struck out another Bulldog, but hit Jacob Granley in the helmet with a pitch. Braden Roemhild reached on an error on a slow roller to first to load the bases but a third strikeout ended the inning.

A scoreless second inning for both teams with each pitcher whiffing two batters had everyone thinking this would truly be a pitchers duel.

After Retz struck out the first batter in the third, the Tigers put a runner on with a single but Boyceville’s other Division 1 recruit, catcher Joles, zipped the ball down to second on an attempted steal to nail the runner. Retz then caught the Webster batter looking at a third strike which allowed Boyceville to keep their one-run advantage.

Hoping to pick up another run for a little breathing room, Boyceville did that and a whole lot more in the bottom of the third.

Trevor Hollister singled, swiped second, moved up on a fielder’s choice bunt and Chase Hollister brought his brother in for that all important 2-0 lead. With two outs, the Bulldogs showed how much bite they had in them as they erupted for eight more runs. McRoberts started with a single and after a double from Bialzik, things just snowballed from there. Washburn issued a couple of walks, a single and back to back doubles to Trevor Hollister and Granley and the score was 10-0 before the Tigers knew what had hit them.

“That third inning is something that just doesn’t seem real,” coach Roemhild said. “After being up 2-0 with two outs our bats just came alive. We put up nine runs on a pitcher who hadn’t allowed one run all year. I never heard a baseball park so loud before with our fans out in full force,” he added.

Boyceville wasn’t done yet, but Washburn was as he was pulled for another pitcher in the fourth.

After Retz whiffed two of the four batters he faced in the top of the inning, the Bulldogs added four more runs when Chase Hollister was hit by a pitch, McRoberts singled, Bialzik doubled as did Joles, Sempf took a walk, and Retz slammed a two bagger. Retz faced four Tigers in the fifth and ended the Webster winning streak with an exclamation point strikeout and the celebration began.

“We knew we had to get the lead for Walker and we would be in good hands,” coach Roemhild said. “Walker hadn’t pitched as much this year for this reason. We were able to rest all of our pitchers so when it came playoff time they could shine. And boy did they shine! Walker pitched lights out, our defense was on, the bats were alive and the boys were having fun. I think this was a huge statement game, to beat Webster 14-0 in five innings to get to state. These young men worked hard for this exact moment,” he concluded.

Boyceville pounded out 13 hits as Joles, Retz, Trevor Hollister, McRoberts, and Bialzik all slugged two each. Joles came home three times, Trevor and Chase Hollister, McRoberts and Bialzik all scored twice and Trevor Hollister brought in a trio of runs while Joles, Retz, and McRobert each had two RBIs.

Retz gave up four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks for the win.