VERONA — The latest chapter in the Verona and Belleville Home Talent baseball rivalry ended in a scuffle at home plate, after Cavalier leadoff batter Johannes Haakenson walked off the Raiders 7-6 in the Western Section Semifinal Sunday, Aug. 4. Prior to Haakenson’s at-bat, two Cavalier players were tossed from the game arguing strikeout calls.

The tension had been building from the start of the game, when Belleville’s Curtis Sheahan reached on an error by shortstop Justin Scanlon. Verona starting pitcher Reagan Klawiter then hit Sam Urquhart and Matt Everson on back-to-back pitches, loading the bases. Designated hitter Drew Haack went down looking, but Brock Gilkes cleared the bases with a double. 

After a groundout and strikeout to end the top half of the frame, Steffen Mello went to the mound, throwing a shutdown inning. 

The Raiders kept hitting Klawiter hard, as Jake Sheahan and Nate Reuter flew out to center field. Back for his second at-bat in as many innings, Curtis Sheahan lined a single to right center field. It would have been a double had he not slipped rounding first, but the leadoff batter stole second anyway. Urquhart then reached on another error by Scanlon, whose throw went into Belleville’s dugout, allowing Curtis Sheahan to score for a 4-0 lead.

But the Cavaliers, who were second in the league and scored 12 runs against the Raiders earlier this season, didn’t let the deficit dampen their spirits. After leaving two runners on in the bottom of the second, Verona struck in the third.

No. 9 hitter Mason Fink drew a five-pitch walk, turning the order over to Haakenson. Making adjustments the second time through, the Cavaliers attacked Mello early. Haakenson flew out to center on the first pitch, but Scanlon, James Rae and Max Steiner’s early swings landed for hits and runs.

Designated hitter Colby Davis bunted two runners into scoring position, but Mello stranded the tying and go-ahead runs, including a flyout to right. But Verona had drawn closer, making it 4-3.

Belleville had a response right away in the top of the fourth. Curtis Sheahan singled up the middle and stole second on a pick-off attempt. Everson battled off several pitches down in the count before hitting an RBI bloop single.

The run chased Klawiter from the game. He exited after 3 2/3 innings pitched, giving up five runs on six hits. He struck out five and hit two. Relief pitcher Erik Jaschinksi entered the game, getting Haack to ground out to short.

Verona matched Belleville in the bottom of the fourth, scoring one run. Fink drew a full-count walk, and Scanlon hit a liner through the 5-6 hole that got by Everson in left. The error allowed Fink to score and Scanlon to take second. Rae walked to put two runners on, and they both advanced on a passed ball. But Mello bore down again to leave the tying and go-ahead runs stranded, as he struck out Steiner looking.

Another throwing error cost Verona in the top of the fifth. Gilkes and Logan Ludlum reached on back-to-back walks. Leo Koenig attempted to bunt both runners into scoring position, but he popped up to Jaschinski. Jake Sheahan grounded to the right side, where Verona got the lead out, but the Cavaliers’ throw to first went into the dugout, allowing pinch runner Noah Woodruff to score. 

Jaschinski settled in, retiring the next nine batters thanks to an inning-ending double play in the sixth and striking out the side in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Verona was knocking on the door. The Cavaliers left two runners on in the sixth and seventh before breaking through in the eighth. Haakenson, who came to the plate 0-for-4, singled to right field and Scanlon drove him in with an RBI double that rolled to the fence. Rae bumped Scanlon, who represented the tying run, to third with a sacrifice fly, but Belleville relief pitcher Justin Langley left him stranded, getting a strikeout and groundout.

Sam Pederson, a right-handed submarine pitcher, struck out two in a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, handing the bats to his teammates in their last chance to win the game.

Davis reached on a dropped third strike, and Langley walked the next batter on four straight pitches. Jacob Slonim was ready to sacrifice bunt to put two runners into scoring position, but they both moved up on a wild pitch. Now swinging away, Slonim went down looking at a borderline pitch. He was tossed out of the game for arguing the pitch as he walked back to the dugout.

With tensions rising, Fink quickly went down 0-2 and struck out on a ball in the dirt — the umpire ruling Fink’s bat broke the plane of the strike zone. He, too, was tossed from the game for arguing the call, leaving runners on second and third with two outs.

Haakenson flipped the tide and ended the game with a shot to right center, scoring both runs. As David Lund crossed the plate, scoring the winning run, nearby fans and teammates — including those ejected — met him with excitement. When the two teams met to shake hands, words were exchanged and players had to be pulled off of one another. No punches were thrown.

With the victory, Verona will host Mount Horeb-Pine Bluff in the Western Section Final Aug. 11. The Bluffers upset top-seeded Dodgeville 7-2.