ACME BASEBALL … Evergreen’s Zach Kruzel fires a pitch during the Vikings home game with Wauseon.
(PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
LEADING HITTER … Izaak Conrad of Wauseon takes a cut during last Tuesday’s 8-5 win at Evergreen. Conrad was 2-4 on the night with three runs batted in.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (June 17, 2025) – Teams handle ACME baseball in so many ways. While most of the returnees from Evergreen’s league title and Elite 8 team of the spring are playing travel ball, many of the starters for Wauseon this past spring were taking the field Tuesday night at Evergreen.
That varsity experience was valuable as the Indians put together a seven-run fourth inning to come from behind to take a lead, then hold off the Vikings 8-5 in an ACME contest at Simon Field.
The Vikings’ Zack Kruzel, who is looking to grab a bigger share of innings on the mound next spring, allowed a first inning run on a walk, two stolen bases and Izaak Conrad’s bouncer up the middle that put the Indians up a run.
After that, Kruzel put down eight of the next 10 Indians without giving up a hit. Wauseon’s Maddox Schneider wasn’t as fortunate as the Indians defense committed three first innings errors.
Mariano Esqueda reached on one of those miscues, stole second and when he stole third the ball got away allowing him to score to tie the game.
Owen Dohrman’s base hit, a balk, a single from Martin Patek and an ensuing throwing error that allowed Dohrman to score, put the Vikings on top.
Evergreen extended the margin in the third when Dohrman reached on a fourth Wauseon mistake and scored on Kruzel’s base hit up the middle.
Then came the top of the fourth. Kahle Albright led off with a sharp single, then a hit batter and walk filled the bases.
Camden Sherman bounced a single through a drawn in infield to plate the tying runs, then Brady McGuire singled to center, and Reid Moser followed with an RBI hit to give Wauseon the lead.
A sacrifice fly and Conrad’s two-run double to deep right center pushed the Indians up 8-3. Esqueda, who came in during the middle of the Wauseon rally, and Austin Burghardt held the Indians in check the rest of the night without a hit to keep the Vikings in the game.
Hayes Studenka’s run scoring single in the sixth got the Vikes closer but the Indians relay to the plate was cut and Studenka was thrown out at second to hinder the rally.
A hit batter, and Burghardt’s one out single in the seventh mounted another threat, but Malachi Wyse came to the mound to get a bounce out that scored a run, and after Patek’s single and with the tying run at the plate, Wyse induced a fly ball to left to end the threat.
Schneider got the win on the mound, giving up four hits and three unearned runs. Wyse picked up the save.
WAU 100 700 0 – 8 5 5
EVG 201 001 0 – 5 8 3
Records: Wauseon 2-4
WINNING PITCHER: Schneider (4 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 0 earned, 0 walks, 7 strikeouts) Other: Conrad, Wyse
LOSING PITCHER: Kruzel (3 innings, 4 hits, 7 runs, 5 earned, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts) Esqueda, Burghardt
LEADING HITTERS: (Wauseon) Conrad – double, single, 3 RBIs; Sherman – single, 2 RBIs; (Evergreen) Burghardt – 2 singles, 2 runs; Kruzel – double, RBI; Patek – 2 singles, RBI