GRAND CHUTE — In its first trip to the state tournament, Pecatonica brought home the silver with a 7-6 win over McDonell Catholic in the semifinal and 8-7 loss to Ithaca in the championship. The Bulldogs scored eight unanswered runs, including four in the bottom of the seventh, to take the Division 4 title.

“You have to give credit to Ithaca to come back from a seven-run deficit,” Pecatonica head coach Jim Strommen said. “They put the ball in play and forced us to make some plays that we didn’t. They also came up with some key hits with two strikes. They battled back and did what they had to do to win. Credit goes to them.”

Pecatonica had a 7-0 lead after the five and a half innings, thanks to a five-run third and two insurance runs in the fifth.

Designated hitter Charles Anderson reached base in the top of the fifth on a dropped third strike and advanced to second on another wild pitch. After a strikeout, starting pitcher Tyler McKeon roped an RBI double to center. 

Shortstop Jameson Johnson went deep in the count and, with two strikes, shortened up his swing for a grounder to second. Ithaca’s second baseman Lincoln Manning bobbled the ball, allowing Johnson to reach base and McKeon, who never stopped running, to score. 

Elijah Knutson kept the inning going with a single, and Coy Ruegsegger drove in the second unearned run of the inning with a hit to left. Second baseman Max Steele walked to load the bases for Lukas Rue. Despite a strikeout in his previous at-bat, Rue came up clutch with a two-RBI single in the right center gap. 

In the inning, Pecatonica batted around the order, scoring five runs on four hits with two Ithaca errors. 

In the bottom of the third, McKeon shut the Bulldogs down. He struck out the lead-off batter and got the other two to ground out.

“That’s one of our stat sheets — a shutdown inning,” Strommen said. “I don’t even know if he threw 10 pitches. I thought the momentum was really on our side there.”

The Vikings got back-to-back hits from McKeon and Johnson in the top of the fifth but were unable to push a run across. On defense, McKeon mowed through the Bulldogs again in the bottom of the fourth, setting Pecatonica up for a two-run fifth.

After a lead-off fly out, Steele and Rue lined back-to-back hits to the left side and Charles Anderson walked. The Bulldogs, under pressure, threw the ball around, allowing Steele and Rue to score two unearned runs. 

Ithaca responded on offense in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off hit from Logan Anderson. McKeon then hit Ethan Cockroft, and the two base runners advanced on a passed ball. Wesley Nelson drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to deep center, but McKeon limited the damage, inducing a groundout and flyout.

Pecatonica had a chance to score in the top of the sixth, as Johnson and Knutson drew back-to-back walks. Ruegsegger hit into a double play, but Johnson remained standing at third. Another walk set up a first-and-third play, where Strommen tested the Bulldog defense. 

Kurschner took off for second, but relief pitcher Manning didn’t fall for the trick. He turned to third, finding Johnson too far off the bag. He picked off Johnson to end the inning and put up a zero.

The Bulldog offense put up three more runs in the bottom of the sixth on three hits and one walk. Despite a three-up, three-down inning, Pecatonica entered the bottom of the seventh with a 7-4 lead.

McKeon, who started just his third game all season on the bump, walked the first batter. Strommen, knowing McKeon was fatigued and the game was on the line, subbed in Ruegsegger to pitch. 

“He did a great job through the first five,” Strommen said of McKeon. “The sixth he got a little tired. When he’s more of a closer, he doesn’t throw as many pitches. Plus, he threw 28 on Tuesday. That still has some effect. He pitched well for us. I had confidence in Coy, too.”

Ruegsegger also walked his first batter. Although Ruegsegger got to many two-strike counts, Ithaca found a way to stay alive. The Bulldogs scored four runs — three of which were unearned — with two outs to pull off the come-from-behind win.

“We won a lot of close games throughout the year, but maybe the odds were against us there in the end,” Strommen said, referencing his team’s 7-2 record in one-run games. “I thought it was going to be the same way, but it didn’t turn out like that.”

McKeon and Rue led the offense, going 2-for-4 with one RBI each. Knutson reached three times with one run and two walks. Ruegsegger suffered the loss, his only of the season, giving up one earned run on three hits. In six innings, McKeon gave up five earned runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two.

“The kids are disappointed. I get that,” Strommen said. “They know they left it out there, but they should still be proud of what they accomplished this year. I’m proud of what they’ve done and all of the support that we’ve had from the community, alumni players and parents. They’ve been super.”

DIVISION 4 SEMIFINAL: 
PECATONICA 7, McDONELL CATHOLIC 6

Rain or shine, 10:30 a.m. or 8 p.m, Pecatonica was ready to play, as the Vikings defeated McDonell Catholic Central 7-6 in the WIAA Division 4 semifinal game on Tuesday, June 13.

Pecatonica was originally scheduled to play around 10:30 a.m., following the conclusion of the first semifinal game at 9 a.m. Mother Nature had other plans, pushing the first game’s start time to 5:30 p.m. That game, between Ithaca and Edgar, went nine innings.

“Our travel ball guys have sat through rain delays, so they know,” Strommen said. “They were passing on information. They managed it. They wanted to play.”

It took the Vikings three innings to shake the rain, but once they did, they busted the gates wide open.

McKeon led off the top of the third with a single, and Johnson reached on an error. The Macks’ starting pitcher, Aidan Misfeldt, then hit Knutson to load the bases. Although Ruegsegger hit into a double play, McKeon scored from third. Misfeldt hit Kurschner and, with two outs, Steele kept the inning alive with an RBI single to left. 

Pecatonica scored its second run of the game on a mental error by McDonell. With runners on first and third, Steele took off for second and Misfeldt attempted to throw him out. The throw to second allowed Kurschner to steal home.

Another hit batter by Misfeld sent Charles Anderson to the plate, where he came through with a two-RBI double down the left field line.

“We’ve tried numerous guys in that 8-spot this year,” Strommen said. “We had Chuck [Charles Anderson] in the second game of the sectional. To be honest, I thought he was going to come up for us one time with a big hit, and he did. That was huge.”

Pecatonica was unable to come through with the shutdown inning, though, as Misfeldt hit a two-out single and scored on a hit by Carter Stelter. The Vikings countered again in the fifth, as Drew Hendrickson hit a two-out RBI single to center.

McDonell tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, though, scoring three runs on four errors. Rather than hang their heads, the Vikings went to work in the top of the sixth.

Johnson led off with a single and Knutson was hit for a second time in the game. With two outs, Steele legged out an infield single. Still stretched from the catch and convinced he had the out, Keagan Galvez paid no attention to Knutson at third.

“The kid wasn’t paying attention — he was pouting about the call,” Knutson said. “He was stretched. If he was able to get a throw off, it wasn’t going to be very accurate. I could hear coach Strommen telling me to keep looking at him and go if I can. I went.”

Knutson came around to score what proved to be the game-winning run on a heads-up play.

The Macks had their chances to score in the sixth, loading the bases with no one out. With 43 years of coaching and experience, Strommen called a pitch out anticipating a trick play from McDonell. 

“As soon as we call it, I know I have to get up quick. I wasn’t in my squat all the way — I was standing up a little,” Knutson said.

The call proved beneficial, as David Andersen missed the bunt and left Cooper Mittermeyer high and dry. Knutson ran Mittermeyer down and tossed to Ruegsegger at third, who applied the tag. Relief pitcher McKeon escaped the jam by striking Andersen out and catching the ball at first on a hit to Hendrickson.

In the bottom of the seventh, McKeon struck out the first two batters and, after a hit by pitch and wild throw, got Galvez to ground out to Steele to win the game.

McKeon and Johnson went a combined 5-for-9 at the plate with two runs scored. The bottom half of the order, hitters No. 6-9, recorded three hits and drove in all four RBIs. 

“Drew Hendrickson came up with a big hit, too, and crushed one his last at-bat. We got contributions from the bottom of the order, and that’s big. We needed everybody,” Strommen said.

Johnson pitched five innings and gave up two earned runs on seven hits to pick up the win. He struck out five and walked just one. McKeon earned the save, pitching two innings of no-hit ball. 

ONE WIN SHORT

Despite being the No. 1 seed, Pecatonica was the visiting team both times. Both state games were decided by one run, making the Vikings’ one-run game record 7-2. 

Pecatonica finished its season 24-2, reaching state for the first time in program history. The Vikings also earned their 19th conference championship and 13th regional title. Strommen has compiled a 646-225 record, which is just one game shy of the all-time wins record, currently held by Royall coach Joe Vitcenda. 

Ruegsegger was the team’s lone senior. Next year, the Vikings return eight starters, which includes the Six Rivers East Player of the Year Johnson, four other First-Team All-Conference players and one Honorable Mention.