Kimberly Wins Semifinal Thriller to Return to Championship Game
By Spencer Flaten, lead writer
APPLETON, WI-
The Kimberly Papermakers clinched their spot in the Division 1 state championship game for the 2nd consecutive year with a thrilling 6-4 win over River Falls in 9 innings on Tuesday night.
The Papermakers beat Kenosha Indian Trail earlier in the day to advance to the semifinal, while River Falls defeated Milwaukee Reagan.
Both teams started out the game lights out on the mound and defense. The game was scoreless until the 6th inning, when Kimberly’s Steven Jacobson hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give the Papermakers a 1-0 lead.
River Falls bounced back immediately in the bottom of the frame, which would become a theme later in the game. Brian Grove drilled an RBI double to center to tie the game.
In the 8th inning, Kimberly scored 2 runs thanks to RBI singles by Ben Carew and Jacobson. The Wildcats weren’t ready to end their season yet, though. In the bottom of the inning, they scored 2 runs of their own after Grove hit yet another RBI double and Jon Krueger hit an RBI single.
Kimberly scored 3 runs in the top of the 9th, highlighted by a suicide squeeze bunt laid down by Griffin Hawley. The Papermakers hoped that 3 runs would be enough to win it, but River Falls still had a lot of fight left in them.
In the bottom of the 9th, an error on Hawley in centerfield allowed the leadoff man to reach 2nd base. A swinging bunt by Ben Doumont fell for a base hit, and suddenly the Wildcats were back in business. However, Kimberly pitcher Tanner Haessly forced a pop out in foul territory and a fly out to center to get two outs. A run scored via the sac fly to center, which made the score 6-4 at that point. Grove hit his 3rd double of the game to put a guy on third and the tying run on 2nd, but in an epic final at bat that lasted upwards of 9 pitches, Jon Krueger struck out to end the game.
Kimberly will play in the state championship game on Thursday night against either Janesville Craig or Oconomowoc.
