Prep Baseball Report

Bradford D1 Sectional: Westosha rallies past Oak Creek, then Franklin for state berth


By Ali Pielsnik
PBR Wisconsin Staff

WIAA Sectional #8, hosted at Kenosha’s Bradford High School, could be characterized by a series of well-fought, comeback efforts that made for dramatic outcomes. In all three games, the winner came back from a deficit, and in two of them, they walked it off.

Sectional Semifinals: No. 17 Union Grove (#5) vs. No. 3 Franklin (#1)

The Sabers mustered a couple late rallies to tie and eventually defeat Union Grove in extra-innings on Tuesday morning in Kenosha.

Franklin came into the ballgame as the Sectional’s top-ranked seed, but they were the ones that spent the majority of the game staring up at Union Grove’s lead. The Sabers scored four runs between the sixth and seventh innings to force extras and, ultimately, win it – and their third, fifth, and sixth runs each came with two outs in the half-inning.

The first game of the day at Bradford resulted in Union Grove falling to Franklin, losing in a walkoff when 2B Evan Iwinski (Madison JC, 2022) hit his second double of the day, scoring OF Dylan Mass (Saint Leo’s, 2022) to win in the eighth inning. 

Franklin’s hitting stood out throughout, collecting 13 hits in eight innings, nine more than the Broncos’ total. Leading the way for Franklin offensively was senior 2B Evan Iwinski (2022; Madison JC commit), who recorded three hits Tuesday, including his team’s only two extra-base hits, and it was his eighth-inning double that scored senior teammate OF Dylan Mass (2022; Saint Leo’s) all the way from first, who led the inning off with a single up the middle.

Iwinski, Mass, 1B Maxamillion Martin (2023; uncommitted), 3B Boston Halloran (2023; Oakland), SS Carson Flugaur (2022; Parkland JC) each recorded multiple hits for Franklin. And Martin’s second hit of the ballgame was arguably the game’s timeliest. Down to their final out, losing 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Martin lined a single to left field that plated both Flugaur and Halloran with the help of an error, and the game was tied again, 6-6.

Franklin reliever RHP Noah Musolf (2023; uncommitted) settled in after entering the game in the sixth, allowing Union Grove sophomore OF Marshall Loch (2024; uncommitted) to plate three runs on a pinch-hit, bases-loaded triple. But Musolf went six up, six down in the seventh and top of the eight, striking out the final four he faced, which set the table for Franklin’s walk-off winner in the bottom of the eighth frame.

The victory pushed Franklin into the Sectional #8 championship game later that day between the winner of No. 23 Westosha Central and No. 8 Oak Creek.

Final Score: Franklin 7, Union Grove 6 (8 inn.)

Sectional Semifinals: No. 8 Oak Creek (#3) vs. No. 23 Westosha Central (#2)

This low-scoring game went down to the wire and required extra innings, with all three runs scored in the ninth. Westosha Central pulled through with the walk-off when OF Nick Argersinger (2023) singled on a 3-2 count, scoring the game-winning run to seal the Sectional semis victory. 

With the lack of runs throughout the game, pitching stood out on both sides. RHP Keegan Kearby (2022; uncommitted) started for Westosha and allowed no runs in six innings of work and he struck out eight, scattering just four hits along the way. Oak Creek starter RHP William Hyland (2023; uncommitted) was similarly effective, going six scoreless and allowing just four hits, and he K’d five of his own. Collectively, the pitching staffs of Westosha Central and Oak Creek each struck out nine batters.

Westosha’s OF Adam Switalski (2023; Indiana) was the lone batter to record more than one hit in the ballgame, going 3-for-4. Oak Creek’s CJ Trask (2024; uncommitted) and senior RHP/OF Luke Klekamp (2022; St. John’s River CC) each recorded a double in this one.

The game appeared to swing all the way into the Knights’ favor in the top of the ninth when sophomore OF Payten Jibben (2024; uncommitted) earned a pinch-hit walk on seven pitches, and a Falcons error stirred some trouble for Westosha. A failed sac bunt earned Westosha their first out, though Oak Creek scored in the next at-bat on a fielder’s choice pickle that gave Jibben enough time to score all the way from second base.

Though, before Argersinger could finish the game himself at the plate, he fielded a single to center cleanly and rifled out Oak Creek’s would-be second run. Westosha got a lead-off single from Chase Kerkman (2022), who made it to second on a sac bunt. A strikeout turned things bleak for the Falcons, but that’s when Kearby’s RBI single tied it up and Argersinger’s full-count base hit to center won it, scoring Kearby who had made it to scoring position on a passed ball during that at-bat.

Westosha was set to meet Franklin in the Sectional #8 championship game as the top two seeds within it, and this would also be their first meeting of the season.

Final Score: Westosha Central 2, Oak Creek 1 (9 inn.)

Sectional Semifinals: No. 23 Westosha Central (#2) vs. No. 3 Franklin (#1)

No. 23 on the PBR Wisconsin Power 25, ranked No. 2 in the Sectional, Westosha Central  headed to the WIAA Division-1 State Tournament after defeating Franklin in its second late comeback of the day. Bringing Westosha Central into the lead was RHP/OF Adam Switalski (2023; Indiana), who hit a first-pitch single in the top of the fifth inning, bringing in the tying and go-ahead runs to make it 5-4, and that score held right there.

Switalski started on the bump for the Falcons, where he projects best as a prospect long-term. He punched out the first two batters of the game as part of a scoreless first, though Franklin got to him in their next turn at the plate. 

Back-to-back singles sparked a rally to lead off the bottom of the Sabers’ second, off the bats of OF Keaton Arendt (2022; Winona State, football) and OF Charlie Marion (2022; Madison JC) though Switalski was on the brink of escaping the jam after earning consecutive strikeouts. Then, 1B Maxamillion Martin (2023; uncommitted) drove a high fly ball to right that got lost in the sun, scoring three runs, and an error later on plated a fourth in the inning.

Protecting a 4-0 lead, Franklin starter RHP Jaxson Easterlin (2022; Oakland) made it through Westosha’s order the first time unscathed, and Switalski’s double in the fourth scored his team’s first run, though they still trailed 4-1 after four innings.

In the fifth, Easterlin walked the lead-off hitter, but two quick outs after that appeared to have Westosha on the ropes again until 2B Keegan Kearby doubled home Westosha’s second run on a liner to right field, which prompted a pitching change. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases and a walk scored the Falcons’ third run, and that’s when Switalski lined a ball into the right-center gap to hand his team its first lead of the game.

Switalski pitched a quiet fifth and got two quicks outs in the sixth before he hit his pitch limit, and RHP Seth Brankey (2023; uncommitted) entered in relief to finish off the sixth with a punch-out and he went three up, three down in the bottom of the seventh to secure Westosha’s trip to Appleton for next week’s WIAA Division 1 State Tournament.

Final Score: Westosha Central 5, Franklin 4

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