By Jared Schmeltzer
Reporter
Bats were blistering in Rhinelander on Tuesday night, as the Bluejays and Hodags combined for 27 hits, in a 13-10 Merrill win.
Rhinelander took an early lead, scoring one run in the second inning. Merrill responded with six runs in the top of the third highlighted by a two-run single by Holden Smith and a two-run double by Jayden Sus. A Peyton Becker triple then drove in Sus, giving the Jays a 5-1 lead. Alex Gehrke then singled through the infield, scoring Becker for the final Merrill run of the inning.
Three Hodag runs trimmed Merrill’s lead to two, but the Jays responded in the top of the fifth inning with four runs of their own. Sus drew a walk and later made it to third base on a Becker double. Aaron Kufahl then walked to load the bases for Casey Hoffman. Hoffman drew a walk, scoring a Merrill run. A Chase Bonnell single drove in two more runs, with a Hodag error allowing one more Merrill run to score. Rhinelander would begin to comeback with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Smith drove in Merrill’s lone run in the sixth inning, singling to right field to drive in Kordell Renken from second.
The Jays closed the door on the game, scoring two runs in the top of the seventh. Caleb DeJong got Merrill started with a single to right field. After moving to second base on a fielder’s choice, DeJong scored on a single by Cody Depies. Renken then drove in Depies, doubling to left field.
Two more runs for Rhinelander in their half of the seventh brought the game to an end, with Merrill winning the hard fought ballgame.
Top hitters for the Jays include: Holden Smith (2H, 3RBI, R, BB), Chase Bonnell (2H, 2RBI, 2R, BB), Peyton Becker (3H, RBI, 2R), Kordell Renken (2H, RBI, R, BB), Jayden Sus (2H, RBI, 2R, BB) and Cody Depies (H, RBI, R).