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Waunakee wins first D-1 crown with the heroics of Lee, Stevens

June 14, 2018
By Andy Sroka
Staff Writer

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. – Waunakee are Division-1 champions for the first time in their program’s history because of the quick and efficient pitching from Derek Lee – it helped that he was throwing to one of the state’s best juniors, too, Nate Stevens. Stevens himself shined from both behind and at the plate for the Warriors en route to their 3-1 crown-capturing victory against the Warhawks on Thursday evening.

Through four innings, there is little report other than how efficient both teams’ starters were pitching. Waunakee’s Lee had pitched out of brief bump in the first frame to retire nine of the next 10 batters with relative ease. But similar words can be written about Arrowhead’s Luke Schraufnagel. The junior had pitched the third-most innings (23) in the Warhawks’ rotation this spring and had been a great run-suppressor (0.30 ERA) over that span, and he was in fine form through four, too, matching Lee stride for stride.

However, in the fifth inning, Waunakee finally broke through. After Schraufnagel coaxed two quick outs from of the Warriors, Dane Luebke ripped a double into the left-center gap, putting himself in scoring position for the sophomore second baseman Taiten Manriquez. On a 1-2 count, Manriquez smashed a base hit into left field that allowed Luebke to score standing up, finally breaking the title game’s scoreless tie.

Lee ran into his first real sign of trouble in the bottom of the inning. He walked Tuesday’s walk-off hero Zak Karrels to start the frame but got Arrowhead to pop out to Riley Ripp at first base on a failed sacrifice bunt. Jacob Johnson then popped out to the shortstop Jarrett Fueger to get an out closer to pitching over the lead-off walk. Then, Chandler Pulvermacher grounded a ball that deflected off Lee’s outstretched glove for an infield single, putting a runner on second for the Warhawks’ two-hitter Luke Dubnicka.

This is where Stevens began to put his stamp on the game. The talented backstop fired ball two to Dubnicka through the infield and right on the bag where he caught pinch-runner Davis Zeutzius before he slid back into the bag for out number three. The pick-off bailed Lee and Waunakee out of thin ice, preserving their one-run lead.

Waunakee’s Will Connors led off the sixth with a walk but Ripp grounded out hard to shortstop and a slow turn allowed him to beat the would-be double play. Stevens made Arrowhead pay for leaving a runner on for him to drive home, even if the runner was only on first. With an 0-2 count, Stevens clobbered a ball deep into the right-center gap, allowing the Warriors’ second run to score on an RBI triple. Ben Nordloh’s hard-hit single up the middle scored his team’s third run, and it felt as if the Warriors were beginning to pull away.

Lee’s 1-2-3 sixth frame further cemented Waunakee’s 3-0 lead but the Warriors had a chance to pad it  in the top of the seventh.

A lead-off hit by pitch and walk led to a Connors punch-out after a failed sacrifice bunt attempt. Still, runners on first and second with one out and Ripp up, with Stevens looming, seemed very promising. Ripp barreled up a fly ball that carried to Arrowhead’s Nic Wohlfiel in center and he caught it drifting to his left and was able to double off Manriquez, who had taken himself too far from second base. The double play to keep the 3-0 deficit in place re-energized Arrowhead and it showed in the batter’s box instantaneously.

Bryce Toussaint led the seventh off with a smoked single to left and Alex Tanke singled up the middle to start the frame as well as the Warhawks could have hoped. Lee, still on the mound, had to oppose Karrels, who as mentioned before was no stranger to the big moment. But Lee kept composed and struck out Tuesday’s hero to tally the half inning’s first out. Joey Bartolone stepped up next and hit a soft fly ball to left that Luebke corralled with ease, leaving the game in Johnson’s hands. Arrowhead’s first baseman worked a tough at-bat and rocketed a single to right, scoring the Warhawks’ first run and it put the tying run on first base for lead-off hitter Pulvermacher. Lee still kept his cool, though, and got Pulvermacher to ground out sharply to Ripp, who stepped on first to clinch the crown, by the score of 3-1.

Arrowhead has made two appearances in the State title game and has finished as runners-up on both occasions. As Classic Eight champs this spring, there’s an argument that no team had a more difficult path the championship game than Arrowhead. They defeated Sun Prairie and Janesville Craig – top-five Power 25 stalwarts – to get to this game, so there’s still plenty of reasons the Warhawks to be proud of the season they just had.

For Waunakee, this State tournament was their program’s 10th in its history – yet the Warriors had never made it out of the semifinals. Once Waunakee made it past Green Bay Preble in extras in Tuesday’s semis, it felt like the 2018 Warriors could be the team of destiny. They played a sound game in all phases and earned a 3-1 win to claim their first-ever D-1 championship.

And while they’re graduating many of the night’s contributors, it’s a wonder just how far Stevens will be able to carry next year’s squad – the Arkansas-committed catcher makes it tough to ever bet against him.

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