Tyler Wetherell then walked and Wernsing followed with a line drive into the right-centerfield gap for an RBI double. The third run of the inning came home on a wild pitch and staked the Hatchets to a 3-0 lead.
It stayed that way until the fifth. Wittenborg walked, Wernsing singled and Vonderheide followed with an infield single to load the bases with one out. After the next batter struck out, it appeared the Bulldogs would escape that jam when Graham Kasey grounded a ball to second baseman Eli Levitt. Unfortunately, his throw to first was low and skipped past Niebrugge, allowing two runners to score.
Kendall Morris followed with ringing double that rolled to the right-centerfield fence and drove in two more to increase the WSS advantage to 7-0.
“Our defense let us down,” Kreke admitted. “Colton pitched a good game, but those errors really hurt. The score could have been 0-0. We should have made those plays.”
Fearday went all seven innings, allowing seven hits and seven runs – but only two were earned. He struck out seven and walked three.
The Bulldogs did have some scoring opportunities.
In the opening inning, Fearday had a base hit and courtesy runner Sammy Link stole second. With two outs, Niebrugge grounded a pitch up the middle that appeared to be headed to centerfield for an RBI single. But WSS shortstop – Austin Wittenberg – made a diving stop, then got up and fired a strike to first base for the out.
St. Anthony’s best scoring chance came in the fifth. Eli Link singled and Beau Adams walked to start things off. With one out, Brock Jansen also walked to load the bases. But Wernsing got Hatton to pop out and Angelo Mendella to fly out to end that threat.
“That fifth inning was huge,” Kreke said. “We had the bases loaded with just one out. If we get a hit and score a couple runs there, you feel like you’re back in the ballgame. Then who knows what might happen? It’s all about timely hit and we just didn’t get them today.”
The final two games of the conference tournament will be played Friday at South Central in Kinmundy. The top-seeded North Clay Cardinals and their 25-1 record will face the No. 3 seed Windsor/Stew-Stras, who will enter with a 12-4 mark. That championship game is set for 7 p.m.
The third place contest will be played at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs, the No. 2 seed, will take on Altamont, who lost 5-0 to North Clay in the other semifinal game Wednesday. St. Anthony has a 15-6 record, while the Indians stand at 14-8.
“There is a lot of good baseball played in the NTC,” Kreke said. “Anybody can knock anybody else off.”
Kreke is hoping to see his squad finish the fall campaign on a winning note.
“The third place is a pride game,” he said. “We are one of two teams that can end the season with a win and I expect us to get that win.
“We’ve had a good fall season,” Kreke added. “We’re young, but this group has really stepped up. They’ve learned their roles and we have a good idea of what we’re good at and what we need to work on. But that’s why you have the off-season. It’s a chance to get better.
“I’m already looking forward to the spring season,” Kreke added. “I think this group is capable of getting to the next level.”
