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Notre Dame punches ticket to Appleton in a wild one

June 10, 2014

By Spencer Flaten

CHILTON, WI- There’s nothing quite like playoff baseball. The urgency of every at-bat, the pressure of each situation, the desire of each and every player to become a champion. Something about it makes for an enthralling affair each time two teams take the field. The sectional final between Notre Dame and Freedom on Tuesday afternoon was expected to be a thriller. It did not disappoint.

Freedom reached the final by beating Luxemburg-Casco 8-6 in a long, drawn out semifinal game. Notre Dame arrived fresh off a 2-1 victory over Mosinee in the semis. The two teams came in with very different outlooks. Notre Dame was playing in their fourth consecutive sectional final, looking to advance to the state tournament for the third time in the last four years. Freedom, on the other hand, was in their first ever sectional final, looking to become the first team in their school’s history to play in the state baseball tournament.

Things started out in a typical fashion for Notre Dame: get a guy on, and have him get himself in. Outfielder Nick Martzahl reached base with a single, then stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Tritons a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

However, Freedom struck back with a bang in the fourth. Left fielder Brandon Desotell ripped a 3-run home run over the left field fence to give his team the lead. Things got even better for the Irish in the fifth, when Scott Ebben hit a solo home run to extend the lead to 4-1.

That’s when the ship went up in flames for Freedom. Notre Dame, who had only mustered two hits prior to the sixth inning, exploded for seven runs in the frame, highlighted by a controversial call and clutch hitting.

After two walks and a hit batsman loaded the bases for the Tritons, left fielder Joe Curtin belted a bases-clearing double to tie the game at 4. Ty Yewman then gave Notre Dame the lead with an RBI single. Then courtesy runner Spencer Ness ignited the park by attempting to steal home plate.

Freedom catcher Kyle Biese received the ball well before Ness started sliding. Although the tag seemed to be applied before Ness touched home, the umpire ruled that he was safe and the run scored. Freedom coach Adam Fox bolted out of the dugout immediately following the play to have a very lengthy exchange with the home plate umpire. Fans, players, and coaches grew increasingly heated, but in the end, the call was not reversed, and Notre Dame took control of the game thanks to another two RBI single, this time from catcher Connor Yakel.

That was all the offense Notre Dame needed to clinch the sectional title. Reliever Ty Yewman slammed the door on the Irish, pitching 2.2 scoreless innings.

The Tritons (16-11) will face the Jefferson Eagles (25-3) in the state semifinals next Wednesday at Fox Cities Stadium.

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