No. 2 Arrowhead edges No. 6 Oshkosh North with late game heroics

May 24, 2015

By Spencer Flaten
Staff Writer

OSHKOSH, WI - Oshkosh North hosted Arrowhead in a non-conference game on Saturday that featured some of the best talent that the state of Wisconsin has to offer. Arrowhead took advantage of some late-game heroics to win the game 3-2 in thrilling fashion.

In a rare head-to-head matchup between future NCAA Division 1 pitchers, UCONN commit Alex Hintze took the mound for the Spartans, while Florida commit Nate Brown had the ball for the Warhawks. The matchup gave the game the feel of a late-round playoff contest. Nathan Brown

As one might have expected, runs were hard to come by in the contest. Arrowhead scored the first run of the game as a result of Oshkosh North infielders throwing the ball all over the ballpark in the first inning. The lead wouldn’t last long though.

The Warhawk infield committed an error of its own in the bottom of the second on a routine ground ball that allowed the Spartans to tie the game at one run apiece. A few batters later, Hintze helped out his own cause by laying down a perfect safety squeeze bunt with a man on third to give North the lead.

Each pitcher took turns holding serve until the fourth inning, when Arrowhead’s Brenn Stapleton hit an RBI single to right field to score Jeff Holtz and tie the game at two. However, neither offense could capitalize with runners in scoring position for the rest of the game. The closest either team came was in the fifth inning, when a fantastic throw by Oshkosh North left fielder Will Clark cut down the potential go-ahead run at the plate for Arrowhead.

Clark came in to relieve Hintze in the seventh inning and retired the first two batters he faced. The third would provide a different outcome.

Mike Bauer, who had been held hitless in the three-hole for Arrowhead to that point, belted a towering home run over the left field fence to give the Warhawks a one-run lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Western Kentucky University commit Ryan Schmitt came in to close the game down in the 7^th for Arrowhead and notch the save.

Hintze pitched six innings for the Spartans and struck out six, allowed three hits, one earned run, and walked five. Brown also pitched six innings and struck out six, allowed four hits, no earned runs, and walked five as well. Schmitt picked up two strikeouts and got the save for Arrowhead.

Jeff Holtz finished 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Warhawks. Blake Marquardt led the way for Oshkosh North by collecting two of the team’s three hits, including a double off the left field wall.

The win capped off a busy week for Arrowhead, which saw them go 5-0 to push their overall record to 21-1 this year. For Oshkosh North, it was their second consecutive loss, which saw them fall to 17-7 on the season.

The Spartans will look to bounce back on Tuesday when they face Kaukauna, while Arrowhead will look to keep their momentum going against Watertown on the same day.

No. 2 Arrowhead edges No. 6 Oshkosh North with late game heroics

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