Bonduel had it, then didn’t, as its American Legion baseball season came to an abrupt end Saturday on a Clintonville grand slam in Clintonville.
Trailing 4-2 entering the seventh inning, Clintonville loaded the bases before Bonduel reliever Bailey Dingeldein gave way to Hunter VanDerLinden. VanDerLinden tossed two pitches; Parker Mindel sent the second over the W.A. Olen Park fence.
“It was heck of a shot. … (Mindel) came in and did his job. That is for sure,” Clintonville coach Mark Doornink said.
Connor Rosin started the game for Bonduel. Over five innings, he struck out seven, gave up six hits and allowed one unearned run. He departed the game with Bonduel clinging to a 2-1 lead.
Clintonville (14-5) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Nick Hogen, who reached base when he was hit by a pitch, scored on passed ball.
Bonduel (13-3) took a two-run lead in the sixth on a two-run single by pinch hitter Bennett Gunderson, scoring Jordan Richter and Austin Siolka.
But Mindel, who was 2 for 4, came up with the winning blast in the seventh.
Clintonville got an early lead in the first inning when Zac Reimer scored on a Nick Hogen single.
Bonduel evened the score in the second when Dingeldein scored on a fielder’s choice, then took the lead in the fifth inning on a Jordan Richter single, scoring VanDerLinden, who was 3 for 4.
“Bonduel has always hit the ball,” Doornink said. “They have good hitters and play solid defense. They have a great team and have great coaches and great players, and Bonduel had a good season and did a good job.”
Trevor Pedersen, Bonduel’s regular catcher, was not in the lineup due to an AAU basketball trip to Las Vegas.
“Missing Trevor really hurt,” Bonduel coach Kevin Thiel said. “Not only did we lose one of our best pitchers, but our catcher, too.”
VanDerLinden, who started at second instead of his usual spot in the hot corner, entered the game with a sore arm after striking out 10 batters in the opening-round win over Omro.
Hunter Vollmer picked up the win for Clintonville, pitching two innings. He walked two, struck out one and allowed two hits and two runs.
Bonduel suffered its first loss of the Class A double-elimination regional tournament, 6-3, to Oconto Falls on Friday.
Clintonville was eliminated from the tourney in a 5-4 loss to Iola, which went on to win the regional.
