Waupaca Wins First State Title
Waupaca celebrates winning the Division 2 championship. Photo by Spencer Flaten/Wisconsin Baseball Central.
GRAND CHUTE, Wis.--Waupaca edged defending champion Milwaukee Lutheran 2-0 in the Division 2 state final to win their first ever baseball state championship on Thursday.
The Comets sent coach John Koronkiewicz off as a state champion for the first time in his career. This is Koronkiewicz's final season as the coach of the Comets.
In a game that was largely devoid of offense, some timely hitting by the Comets made the difference.
Milwaukee Lutheran thought they had scored the game's first run in the third inning when TD Walker hit a single with a man on second. The runner came in to score, but he was ruled out on appeal at third base, and the run was wiped off the board.
In the bottom of the third, the Comets took a 2-0 lead after Jason Ellie hit an RBI single and Hayden Neidert drilled an RBI double.
The Red Knights' best chances to level the score came in the sixth and seventh innings. They got a runner on third base with one out in the sixth but failed to bring him in. They got two runners on base in the seventh, but again failed to score.
Walker Smith hurled a gem for Waupaca. He pitched a complete game shutout and scattered five hits. James Wright pitched a good game for Milwaukee Lutheran despite taking the loss. He went six innings and only allowed two runs on four hits.
