Trailing 3-2 heading to the bottom of the 8th, the Randall Cubs scored 4 times in the inning to rally and defeat the visiting St. Mathias Devils 6-3 on Saturday.
The Cubs built a 2-0 lead after 6 innings on 3 singles and 2 errors in the bottom of the 4th to go ahead 1-0, then in the bottom of the 6th, Caleb Strack led off with a walk against Devils starter Alex Guggisberg. After a strikeout, Strack swiped 2nd and then scored on a single from Braxten Santala to make it 2-0.
In the top of the 8th, St. Mathias finally got to Cubs starter Adam Nibaur. It began with a walk to the first hitter of the inning Tydan Guida, which prompted the Cubs to bring in a new pitcher, Zach Gwost. Gwost then issued back-to-back walks to Konnor Wicklund and Bryce Flanagan to load the bases with no outs. A wild pitch grom Gwost brought in Guida to make it 2-1, then an error on a ground ball hit by Elijah Kossan brought in Wicklund to tie the game at 2-2. Gwost then got a strikeout but then hit Connor Knettel to load the bases with 1 out. Randall then brought in Charlie Smieja to pitch and Nate Eschenbacher reached on an rbi bunt single as Bryce Flanagan scored the go-ahead run to give the Devils a 3-2 lead. Smieja then recorded a pop up to 3rd baseman Braxten Santala and struck out Hunter Wicklund as St. Mathias had taken the lead 3-2 but had left the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the 8th, the Devils brought in Bryce Flanagan to take over from Alex Guggisberg on the mound. Caleb Strack greeted him with a lead-off solo Homer to left and the game was tied 3-3. Brett Strack followed with a single to center before Flanagan fanned Braxten Santala for the 1st out. Charlie Smieja then singled to give the Cubs runners at 1st and 2nd, then Adam Nibaur put Randall back in front with an rbi single to right as Brett Strack scored to make it 4-3. Charlie Smieja went to 3rd on the hit and Nibaur advanced to 2nd on the throw. Nathan Benning added to the lead with a 2-run single to left as both Smieja and Nibaur scored to make it 6-3. Garrett Lindberg singled to center, chasing Benning over to 3rd and Lindberg took 2nd on the throw. But that’s all Randall would get as Bryce Flanagan ended the inning with strikeouts of Zach Gwost and Tarique Toure to send the game to the top of the 9th.
Charlie Smieja came out and got Tydan Guida on strikes for the 1st out, but then walked Konnor Wicklund and gave up a single to Bryce Flanagan to get the potential tying run to the plate with 1 out. The Devils used Alex Schadt as a pinch-runner at 1st. After Wicklund stole 3rd, Smieja walked Elijah Kossan to load the bases. The Cubs then turned the ball over to Nathan Benning on the mound. On an 0-2 pitch, Benning got Crew Dahlheimer to hit a ball in front of the plate and Randall catcher Brett Strack got the force at home and then fired to 1st baseman Caleb Strack for a game-ending double play as the Cubs won 6-3.
St. Mathias 3 5 2 – 3
Randall 6 11 1 – 6
WP: Charlie Smieja 1.0 IP 0 runs 2 hits 2k 2bb
SV: Nathan Benning 0.2 IP 0 runs 0 hits 0k 0bb
Adam Nibaur 7.0 IP 1 run 3 hits 11k 7 bb
Zach Gwost 0.1 IP 2 runs 0 hits 1k 2bb 1hp
LP: Bryce Flanagan 1.0 IP 4 runs 6 hits 3k 0bb
Alex Guggisberg 7.0 IP 2 runs 5 hits 7k 1bb 2hp
Cubs:
Nathan Benning 1-5 2 rbi
Garrett Lindberg 2-5
Zach Gwost 0-4 hp
Rick Drew 1-3 hp
– Tarique Torre 0-1
Caleb Strack 1-3 Hr, bb, sb, rbi, 3 runs
Brett Strack 2-4 run
Braxten Santala 1-4 rbi
Charlie Smieja 1-4 rbi, run
Adam Nibaur 2-4 rbi, run
– Bob Sanders 0-0
Devils:
Kyle Welle 0-4 bb
Hunter Wicklund 0-4 bb, sb
Tydan Guida 0-4 bb, run
Konnor Wicklund 1-2 3bb, sb, run
Bryce Flanagan 1-3 2bb, run
– Alex Schadt 0-0
Elijah Kossan 1-3 2bb, rbi
Crewe Dahlheimer 1-4
Connor Knettel 0-3 hp
Nate Eschenbacher 1-3 bb, rbi
– Kyper Derosier 0-0