Eau Claire North, the No. 16-ranked team in the state, came into the state tournament as underdogs, somewhat. The Huskies were making a fourth straight trip to the Fox Cities and they seemed determined to bring home championship this time around, in what was the senior seasons of both Sam Stange and Gabe O’Brien.

In the end, if there were some sort of tournament MVP award, it would have been given to Stange, no doubt. He lit up the tournament and provided us all with one of the most clutch hits in tournament history when he juiced a long, late go-ahead home run in the title game against Sun Prairie.

It was a dramatic, action-packed title game that was one of the most memorable moments of 2019. Our staff was on site for the game so check out the game story below, complete with video.

D-1 Championship

No. 13 Sun Prairie – 4
No. 16 Eau Claire North – 5

The Eau Claire North Huskies have made four straight trips to the state tournament and finally, on the fourth visit, they’ll head home as the Division-1 champions. A couple late errors looked like it was set to doom the Huskies but Sam Stange pulled them back from the brink when he slugged a long come-from-behind home run in the bottom of the sixth to propel North back into the lead for good.

Here’s how we got there.

After a scoreless first, North’s catcher Joe Feck roped a double into the right-center gap with a pair of runners on and both strolled home, capturing an early 2-0 lead.

Sun Prairie got a run back in the next half-inning, but they certainly could have scored more, stranding a couple of runners with just one out. North’s starter, Austin Goetsch, navigated the trouble well, lessening Sun Prairie’s consistent threats.

The momentum looked like it was back on Sun Prairie’s side when Josh Caron prevented them from extending their 2-1 lead in the fifth. He gunned down a baserunner at home on a near-perfect throw that kept the score where it was.

But the Cardinals couldn’t sustain a rally long enough to take advantage. And, really, they needed Eau Claire’s help to get back even and then some in the top of the sixth.

A lead-off walk was followed by a sac bunt and a fielder’s choice, giving the Cardinals the tying run at third with pinch-hitter Alec Schmitz at the plate. Schmitz grounded a ball into the hole at short but the throw over to first came in on a hop and couldn’t be corralled, tying the game at two. Another error in the infield extended the inning for the clutch Carson Shepard, who smashed a double to deep left, scoring both runners on base, and giving Sun Prairie an enormous 4-2 lead in the process.

It felt like North was on the ropes, especially when their first two batters of the half-inning went down in order, but Huskies lead-off man Gabe O’Brien sparked the two-out rally with his single to right. A hard-fought walk followed that, setting up a prime-time two-out spot for the hottest hitter in Grand Chute: Stange. He turned around a fastball to deep right and it was trouble off the barrel. It carried well over the right field wall to totally turn the tables, putting the Huskies back into the lead, 5-4.

Wow.

With two outs, @Huskybb35 starts a rally that turns into a lead on a #PBRBombSquad ? from Sam Stange. A three-run home run with two outs sends the Huskies into the lead.

Huskies 5, Cardinals 4 | T7#wiaabase pic.twitter.com/OfdsRqc3db

— PBR Wisconsin (@PBRWisconsin) June 14, 2019

The electric atmosphere seemed to topple Sun Prairie when it came to be their turn again in the top of the seventh, and North reliever Joel Zachow retired the Cards in order, 1-2-3, earning a strike out looking to clinch the D-1 title for the Huskies. It’s the program’s first state title since 2011 and their second overall.

TOP-10 STORIES OF 2019