WIAA Semifinals Aquinas Takes Down Marathon

June 17, 2015

By Spencer Flaten

APPLETON, WI- The Aquinas Blugolds advanced to the Division 3 state championship game with a commanding 11-3 win over Marathon in the state semifinals on Wednesday.

The game was a matchup of two legitimate aces in Aquinas’s Alex Schulte and Marathon’s Ryan Gassner.

Aquinas was able to plate two runs in the top of the 1^st inning to open up the scoring. An error allowed Chris Curti to reach base, and a base hit by Alex Dee drove him in a few moments later. Schulte helped out his own cause with a sacrifice fly in the frame to give his team a 2-0 lead.

Both pitchers did yeoman’s work until the 5^th inning. Two runs scored for Aquinas on a fielding error which gave the Blugolds a 4-0 lead.

The Red Raiders stayed within striking distance by scoring a run of their own in the bottom of the 5^th. Karter Underwood hit an RBI infield single to make the score 4-1.

The game finally broke open in the top of the 6^th. Aquinas erupted for a 7 run inning which saw them tally 4 hits and receive the help of another Marathon error. Curti, Dee, Rudy Rott, and Eric Wilson all got RBIs in the frame. When all was said and done, the Blugolds took an 11-1 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Marathon refused to go out via the mercy rule. Matt Braun ripped a 2 RBI single to right field to make the score 11-3, which would hold out to be the final score.

Schulte got the better of the pitching matchup. He pitched 5 innings and allowed just 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. He struck out 2 in the effort. Dee worked the final two innings for the Blugolds.

Gassner also pitched 5 innings. He allowed 11 runs, only 6 of which were earned, and gave up 6 hits, 6 walks, and struck out 9.

Dee went a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs at the plate for Aquinas. Braun finished the game 3-for-3 for Marathon.

With the win, Aquinas will play in the state championship game for the first time since 2010, when they coincidentally lost to Marathon in the final. The Blugolds will play Lake Country Lutheran at noon on Thursday with the trophy on the line.

WIAA Semifinals Aquinas Takes Down Marathon

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