GREEN BAY – Post 39 weathered an early storm, then unleashed one of its own Tuesday night.
After escaping a bases-loaded threat in the opening inning, Post 39 erupted for eight runs in the bottom half and never looked back, rolling to a 10-0, five-inning victory over Bay Port in the opening round of the AAA Regional Tournament at Bay Port High School.
The win set the tone for what would become a championship run, but it didn’t begin as comfortably as the final score suggested.
Bay Port put immediate pressure on Marinette starter Cooper Smith, taking advantage of a pair of throwing errors and a walk to put runners on the corners with two outs. Smith, however, never let the inning unravel. The right-hander reached back for a strikeout to end the threat, a sequence that coach Brian Lesandrini viewed as one of the game’s biggest moments.
“That easily could have dictated where the game went,” Lesandrini said. “As I expected, Cooper settled down and threw some big pitches there and got out of the jam.”
Chase MacGregor opened the bottom of the first by drilling a double to right-center, and Levi Hanson followed with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt that advanced MacGregor to third while reaching safely himself. After Teagan Anderson reached on a fielder’s choice, Caleb Klimek punched an RBI single through the infield to plate the game’s first run.
Cooper Smith was then hit by a pitch to load the bases before Maveric Williamson lined a two-run single into the outfield. Sawyer Walters followed with an RBI single, Jake Farley added a looping two-run single and MacGregor capped the inning with his second double of the frame, driving in two more.
Hanson added an RBI double before the inning finally ended with Marinette holding an 8-0 lead.
“They locked in right away,” Lesandrini said. “They set the tone like that. Chase with the double in the first and the rest of the offense just followed suit. That’s how you want to start a game and hopefully that propels us the next couple games here.”
The offensive outburst gave Smith plenty of breathing room, and the right-hander made sure Bay Port never threatened again.
After the tense opening inning, Smith retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced, allowing just one infield single while striking out five over five scoreless innings. Bay Port managed only two hits and never advanced another runner past first base.
Marinette added another run in the third when Anderson singled home MacGregor, who had reached on a walk and stole second.
Klimek provided the finishing touch in the fifth.
MacGregor ripped his third double of the night before Hanson followed with another two-base hit to move him to third. Two batters later, Klimek blasted a walk-off double to the gap in right-center, scoring MacGregor and ending the game via the 10-run rule.
MacGregor finished 3 for 4 with three doubles and three runs scored to lead Marinette’s 12-hit attack. Klimek drove in two runs, while Hanson, Williamson and Farley also collected two RBIs apiece. Hanson and Williamson each reached base three times.
“Everyone knows what time it is,” Lesandrini said. “It’s now or never.”
Defensively, Marinette committed two early throwing errors but was otherwise sharp behind Smith, with Ethan Doubek making a standout play at shortstop in the fourth inning and Walters bouncing back from an earlier miscue with a running grab to end the fifth.
“We played a very crisp game,” Lesandrini said. “All the plays behind them were made tonight for the most part. I think we had two throwing errors at first. Other than that, we played a very crisp game.”
GREEN BAY – Post 39 spent four innings searching for its first hit Wednesday night.
Caleb Klimek made sure it was worth the wait.
Klimek broke open a scoreless game with a grand slam in the fifth while Jackson Schramm worked six shutout innings as Marinette defeated Green Bay Southwest 4-0 in the second round of the American Legion AAA Regional Tournament at Bay Port High School.
The victory sent Post 39 into Thursday’s regional championship game and continued a tournament run in which Marinette had yet to allow a run.
Green Bay Southwest pitcher Miles Hunter kept Marinette hitless through the first four innings, but Post 39 finally broke through after the top of the order reached in the fifth.
Chase MacGregor reached on an error to begin the inning before Levi Hanson and Teagan Anderson drew walks to load the bases with nobody out. Klimek then delivered Marinette’s first hit of the game in emphatic fashion, clearing the bases with a grand slam for a 4-0 lead.
Cooper Smith followed with a single and stole second, but Southwest avoided any further damage.
The four runs proved to be more than enough for Schramm.
The right-hander allowed two hits across six scoreless innings, striking out six while working around four walks and a hit batter. He threw 105 pitches to earn the victory before Colton Arpke came on to finish the shutout.
Schramm’s first test came immediately when Colin St. Andre drew a one-out walk, but Schramm quickly erased the threat by picking him off first. He then struck out Hunter to end the inning.
Austin Connaher recorded Southwest’s first hit with a two-out single in the third. Schramm stranded him when Brennen Frelich flew out to right.
Hunter supplied Southwest’s best scoring opportunity with a one-out double in the fourth. Schramm answered by getting Kyan Redling on a ground ball before striking out Carlos Prado to preserve the scoreless tie.
Southwest threatened again immediately after Klimek’s grand slam. Jack Herman was hit by a pitch before Nick Fisher and Connaher drew walks to load the bases with two outs.
Schramm escaped once again, striking out Frelich to keep Marinette’s four-run lead intact.
Schramm finished his outing with a clean sixth inning. Hunter grounded out, Redling struck out and Prado bounced back to the mound.
Arpke took over in the seventh and worked around a one-out walk to Daniel Leo. He struck out Trevor Kuklinski and Fisher before he retired Austin Connaher on a fly ball for the final out.
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