WIOTA — Cole Payne smashed a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to break a 1-1 deadlock and carry the No. 5-seeded Pine Bluff/Mt. Horeb Bluffers over the No. 4-seeded Wiota Indians, 10-1, in a Home Talent Western Section quarterfinal playoff baseball game at Wiota Park on Sunday, Aug. 5.
Payne went 2-for-5 on the day with two runs batted in and two runs scored and he earned the save on the mound after tossing three scoreless innings for the Bluffers (12-5 Sunday League), who also closed the regular season with a 10-1 win over Wiota on Sunday, July 29.
Each team took advantage of a hit batter to get on the scoreboard in the second inning. Ryan Vogel put the Bluffers up 1-0 in the top of the second when he was plunked with a pitch and later scored during a rundown, but starting pitcher Jesse Sturtz got the run right back for the hosts Indians (15-11 overall, 9-8 SL) when he was also hit by a pitch and stole his way around the bases to even the score at 1-1.
The score remained stuck there until the sixth when Payne blasted a Sturtz offering deep into the corn in left field to put the Bluffers ahead 3-1. The Bluffers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth to put the pressure on the Indians and then put the outcome out of reach with a five-run rally in the top of the ninth inning.
Scottie Gordon allowed one run on two hits over six innings with six strikeouts and five walks en route to the win for the Bluffers. Sturtz gave up three runs — two earned — on four hits with four Ks and four walks in the loss.
Wiota was held to just three singles in the game.
In other Western Sectional playoff action, top-seeded Verona blew out No. 8 Oregon, 18-1, in seven innings and will host the Bluffers on Sunday, Aug. 12, at 1 p.m., while No. 3 West Middleton blanked No. 6 Shullsburg/Benton, 14-0, also in seven innings and advances to face No. 2 Argyle Sunday.
Night League
Wiota defeated Shullsburg/Benton 7-3 on Monday in a continuation of a rain-shortened meeting from July 19 in which the game was suspended in the fourth inning with the scored tied at 3-3.
Wiota hosted Sauk Prairie in the first round of the night league playoffs on Thursday, but results were unavailable at press time. Elsewhere in the Night League playoffs, Argyle was scheduled to travel to Middleton and Shullsburg/Benton was to host Mazomanie.
HTL All-Star Game
Wiota veterans Tommy Meier and Jeff Solberg represented the Indians at the annual Home Talent League All-Star Game played at the Madison Mallards’ Duck Pond at Warner Park on Friday, Aug. 3.
The Eastern/Southeast All-Stars scored two runs in both the second and third innings to build up an early 4-0 lead, and then plated a single run in the sixth to hold on to defeat the Northern/Western All-Stars by a score of 5-4.
