Waukesha West's baseball field is a notorious mosquito haven, and when night fell at the lighted field during the WIAA summer baseball sectional final Friday, players and fans alike found themselves immersed in a battle with the little bugs. Maybe one of them was on the home team's side.
When Muskego starter Peter Jewell tried to brush one away while standing on the mound in the fourth, he was called for a balk that brought home a run and broke a 4-4 tie. The Warriors never scored again off starter Jeff Neuman and reliever Brandon Berghoefer, and West's 5-4 victory moved the Wolverines back to the WIAA state tournament for a second straight season.
A first-inning bunt parade jumpstarted what became a 4-0 lead, and after Muskego tied the score, West allowed just one hit in the final three innings after re-taking the lead.
"We somehow scraped one out there." said West coach Chad Montez. "We got two guys on and you don't usually ask a four-hitter to bunt. He got it down and we got our fifth run on the balk there. It's just a whirlwind. I'm so proud of the guys here and so blessed to have such great players and coaches with me. It was a very good baseball game and entertaining to watch."
The Wolverines will face Franklin with a 12:30 p.m. game at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point in the state quarterfinals Wednesday.
The cleanup bunter was Brandon Kranz, who moved runners to second and third with a sacrifice after the first two reached on a walk and error. Jewell's balk brought home Eric Solberg with the go-ahead run, and it was a good thing -- the final nine West batters went down in order, with the ninth walking and then picked off at first.
Bunting had already been a key offensive weapon for the Wolverines. In the first inning, Solberg's bunt was thrown wide to second base, putting two on with nobody out. Aaron Jushka popped up a bunt that Jewell tried to dive for but ultimately became an infield single to load the bases. Two batters later, Neuman bunted a run-scoring single, as well.
"We practice bunting all year long," said Berghoefer, who walked twice and scored both times. "That's one thing we emphasize: bunting, bunting, bunting. It came into play tonight, and we needed it."
In the second, a single by Solberg and double by Jushka made it 4-0.
"I don't want to say you're comfortable, but you're feeling confident at that point, and the momentum is on our side," Montez said. "When they got three that one inning, a couple walks and a hit, and all of a sudden, it's 4-4 and you could just feel the momentum shift."
That came in the top of the fourth, when Neuman retired the first two batters and surrendered a walk, single and hit batsman to load the bases for Austin Wentland. The Muskego first baseman launched a double to left that scored two runs, and when the ball eluded the glove of Lucas Bourassa, a third run came across to tie the game.
"We just kept talking about one at-bat at a time," said Muskego coach Jacob Paige. "Austin came up big for us. We just kept battling and gave ourselves a chance."
With Neuman's pitch count rising, Berghoefer came in for the final two innings. Two batters reached -- one on error who was erased by a double play and one on a single in the seventh who was stranded when Solberg fielded a grounder and clinched a trip to state.
"I just had to throw strikes and get my curveball and changeup over the plate," said Berghoefer. "I had to keep the ball low. Those are good hitters I was facing, and I just had to work the count in my favor."
Paige wanted to stress that the balk was not the sole issue.
"We're not for a second saying that was the difference," he said. "I congratulate Waukesha West and wish them the best of luck."
The Wolverines qualified for the seventh time in the past 10 years, but West has never made it out of the semifinals.
"We have a lot of players returning from last year's team," Montez said. "It's the same game you've been playing since you're this big, but when the pressure is suddenly on, the ability to relax (is difficult). You just have to trust your routine. We work on the mental side of the game, just to relax and be in that pressure situation. Nothing will come easy on Wednesday."
West 6, Kettle Moraine 0
On a day when two games get played for a team to reach state, Jushka's performance in the semifinal slipped to a sidebar. But the senior was dominant against Kettle Moraine, firing a no-hitter against the Lasers.
West didn't have a hit of its own against Kettle Moraine starter Austin Finn until the fourth, when the floodgates opened.