West De Pere Outlasts Oshkosh North In 12 Innings

June 10, 2015

By Steve Nielsen
Scouting Supervisor – Wisconsin/Illinois

APPLETON, WI – Not to be outdone by the extra inning thriller of Kimberly and Appleton North, West De Pere and Oshkosh North one upped the earlier contest with a 12 inning pitchers’ duel that finished with a 4-1 West De Pere win.

The stage was set for two of the top two teams in the state, No. 7 West De Pere and No. 9 Oshkosh North, sending two of the top arms in the state to the mound, No. 4 LHP Alex Hintze (Oshkosh North, 2015, Connecticut) and No. 9 RHP Brendan Meissner (West De Pere, 2015, Illinois).

The two pitchers collided in what proved to be a long and frustrating day for hitters. Both pitchers started out true to form. Hintze, known for his strike out stuff (upper 80’s fastball and plus curveball) struck out the side in order in the first, while Meissner, known for his pitchability and efficiency, retired the first three hitters in order on just six pitches.

The game stayed scoreless until the fifth when the Phantoms broke the ice with a base running blunder that turned into a run. Oshkosh North answer in the sixth with an RBI groundout by Aaron Roth scoring Alex Koch who earlier tripled.

Things stayed tied at 1-1 after both pitchers made their exits.

Both teams had a chance to get to each other’s starters in extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth Oshkosh North loaded the bases with nobody out and failed to score after Meissner struck out the next two and got a fly out to center, that would by Meissner’s last pitch of the day.

West De Pere followed with their own bases loaded opportunity in the ninth, with one out the Phantoms failed to touch up Hintze as he struck out the next two hitters, throwing his last pitch of the contest as well.

Meissner finished with eight innings pitched, 14 strikeouts, five hits, two walks and one earned run.

Hintze lasted nine innings, striking out 19, walking four, scattering two hits and a run.

As the bullpens geared up the bats still stayed quiet. Neither team really touched up each other’s relief pitchers until the 12^th when the wheels started to fall off for Oshkosh North. The Spartans allowed three runs in the inning via just one hit, while walking a pair and committing three errors.

The three run top of the 12^th gave the Phantoms a relative commanding lead and retired the Spartans in order in the bottom half, moving on to the Sectional Championship.

West De Pere Outlasts Oshkosh North In 12 Innings

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