MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (April 29–May 6)
SWAL BASEBALL: Fennimore 5, Cuba City 4, (10 innings)

By Jason Nihles, Fennimore Tims / The Platteville Journal / Boscobel Dial

Golden Eagles take a two-game lead in the SWAL with improbable comeback win over second-place Cubans
FENNIMORE — Fennimore is sitting pretty in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League after Tuesday’s wild 5–4 walk-off, 10-inning victory over second-place Cuba City.

Senior ace Gavin Vaassen took a no-hitter and a 3–0 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning for the Cubans, but the Golden Eagles still found a way to take a commanding 2-game lead in the league standings with the extra inning win.

Fennimore (11–1, 6–0 SWAL) scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game, then tied the game again in the bottom of the ninth, before finally winning in unexpected fashion when Macoy Miles’ shallow fly ball to right field was dropped with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

“I still can’t believe we won,” said Fennimore head coach Brent Sheckler. “I truly can’t believe it. They had a no-hitter against us going into the seventh inning and we were down three and somehow we ended up winning. There was a moment in the fifth inning where I accepted the fact that, ok, we probably aren’t going to win this one. We are going to be tied in the conference standings and we can’t afford to lose another one the rest of the year. Gavin Vaassen pitched a great game, but we kept battling and drew that lead off walk, and that gave us a chance.”

Fennimore senior catcher Ethan Sheckler led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk.

“When Ethan got that leadoff  walk in the bottom of the seventh, that was the first time I thought, we had a chance,” said coach Sheckler.

Two batters later — after a strikeout — Miles broke up the no-hitter with a hard ground ball between shortstop and third base before junior Casey Dresen flew out to Riley Shepherd in right field.

Fellow junior Shawn Jahnke-Fiedler then lined two-out a single to left field to pull Fennimore to within 3–1.

With Vaassen now at 93 pitches, Cuba City coach Steve Graber elected to turn to senior Tyson Richard to get the final out. On Richard's second pitch to junior Jude Kinney, a passed ball got through the legs of Cuba City catcher Andy Loeffelholz putting runners at second and third.

“At that point, I told Jude, all you have to do is hit it 100 feet and Shawn will score,” said coach Sheckler. “Shawn flies around the bases like no one else. And that’s exactly what happened. Jude hit one back up the middle to tie the game with Shawn scoring easily from second base.”

Richard reached with one out in the top of the eighth when he was hit by a pitch by Starkey, who came on in relief of Dresen to start the seventh inning. Richard later scored the go-ahead run on a two-out error by Jahnke-Fiedler at third base.

After an intentional walk to Kruser, Starkey got out of the inning with a pop up to centerfield.

“I told Shawn right after that inning, ‘that’s baseball and mistakes happen, but every time you make a mistake you also have another chance to make up for it.”

Miles reached on a one-out error, then got to second when Casey Dresen struck out. 

“Macoy got lucky there to get second base on the dropped third strike because he was occupying first base, so Casey was already out even on the dropped third strike,” said Sheckler. “But Casey ran down the line anyway and the Cuba City catcher threw it when he didn’t have to, allowing Macoy to advance. That turned out to be huge. And sure enough, who was up next for us — SJF.”

Jahnke-Fiedler made up for his earlier fielding miscue in spades when he singled to left field allowing Miles to score from second, tying the game at 4–4.

Starkey (4–0) worked around a two-out error in the top of the 10th, when Ethan Sheckler threw out Sheperd trying to steal second base.

Starkey then led off the bottom of the 10th with a single to left field and stole second on a strikeout by Corey Dresen.

Cuba City elected to walk Ethan Sheckler, then Richard got Brock Henkel to pop out to right field.

After a first-pitch foul ball, Miles lofted a pop up to shallow right field, which was dropped allowing Starkey to score the game-winning run, setting off a raucous celebration by the home team.

“He had to come running in, and we thought we had it, but it just came out of the glove,” said coach Sheckler. “I am a competitor and always want to win, but I did fell for Cuba City after that one, especially for coach Graber. I have been on the other end of those kinds of games where it just gets away from you and there is nothing you can do about it as a coach. He coached a great game and did everything possible to give his team a chance to win.

Starkey earned the win with four hitless innings of relief, allowing only one unearned run on two walks while striking out six.

“We went to Tyson in the sixth and his curve ball was on and he really messed their guys up,” said Sheckler. “He really pitched well and never gave up a single hit.”

Casey Dresen started and struck out nine in six innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk.

Fennimore improved to 11–1 overall and 6–0 in the SWAL and now has a two-game lead over the Cubans with eight conference games left going into Friday night’s home game with Iowa–Grant.

“It was definitely a huge win to give us a two game cushion over Cuba City and we don’t have to play them again,” said Sheckler. “It was also the wildest game I can remember other than the 2011 regional championship win over Mineral Point when we came back from down 7–0 to win the regional title. But, I would say this was definitely the second most exciting win of my coaching career.

Cuba City’s Frankie Welp was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the third, then Guler reached on an error when Fennimore started made a throwing error on a bunt attempt to put runners are second and third.

Welp then scored on a passed ball, and Guler scored on a sac fly by Shepherd to make it 2–0.

The Cubans (6–6, 6–2 SWAL) added a third run in the top of the fourth when Henry Kruser hit a lead off triple and later scored when Guler reached on a two-out error.

“Casey started the game great and was flawless the first two innings,” said Sheckler. “He then hit the lead off batter in the top of the third and had a bad throw on the bunt and it that moment really sucked the energy out of our guys. But to his credit, Casey came back and pitched better after that, but we just had no energy for those middle innings. Because you have Gavin Vassen on the other side, who no-hit us last year, and he was just dealing again on Tuesday."

Fennimore 5, Cuba City 4 
(from Tuesday, May 6 @ Fennimore)
Cuba City.....002 100 001 0  —  4  3  3
Fennimore...000 000 301 1  —  5  5  6
Leading hitters — CC: Henry Kruser 1x3 (R, 2BB); F: Shawn Jahnke-Fiedler 2x3, Jude Kinney 1x3 (2RBI). 3B — CC: Henry Kruser.
W — Tyson Starkey (4–0, 4IP, 0H, 1R, 0ER, 5K, 2BB). L — Tyson Richard (3IP, 3H, 2R, 0ER, 3K, 2BB).