Witt-Birn, Marion baseball teams keep seasons alive

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Marion baseball teams kept their spring seasons alive after winning regional semifinal playoff home games on May 30.

Fourth-seeded Witt-Birn earned a 7-1 win over fifth-seeded Bonduel in a Division 3 contest in Wittenberg. Top-seeded Marion rallied for an 8-7 victory over eighth-seeded Green Bay NEW Lutheran/Providence in a Division 4 contest in Marion.

Pulaski, Shawano and Lena also saw their seasons come to a close after losses.

Eighth-seeded Pulaski lost 7-5 to ninth-seeded Appleton East in a Division 1 game in Pulaski. Sixth-seeded Shawano was topped 8-0 by third-seeded Little Chute in Division 2 action in Little Chute, while seventh-seeded Lena fell 4-2 to second-seeded Pacelli in a Division 4 game in Stevens Point.

Witt-Birn scored twice in the first inning, four times in the third and once more in the fourth to take down Bonduel.

Ian Salvesen led Witt-Birn at the plate with three hits and two runs scored. Braeden Groshek drove in a pair of runs for the Chargers.

Mason Meverden pitched the first five innings to pick up the win. Hayden Miller tossed the final two frames for the hosts.

Witt-Birn will host No. 8 Auburndale in a regional final on May 31 after Auburndale upset No. 1 Coleman 7-5.

Cade Johnson reached base three times for Bonduel in the loss. Brodie Hartmann and Beckett Hartlaben delivered two hits each, while Charlie Tauchen scored the team's run.

Noah Weier and Johnson each pitched three innings for the Bears, with Weier being handed the loss.

Marion scored first in its playoff contest, but trailed 6-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Mustangs scored three times in the fifth and four times in the sixth to pull ahead, and then limited the visitors to one run in the seventh to fend off the upset chance.

Braxton Genskow and Nick Malueg each scored twice for Marion, while Brandon Peterson posted two hits.

Jaden Stuhr earned the win after working six innings. He struck out 13 batters, and only two of the runs he allowed were earned. Ryan Malueg got the final three outs — with the run against him also being unearned — to get the save.

Marion will host No. 5 Iola-Scandinavia for the regional title on May 31.

Pulaski's playoff game against Appleton East was a back-and-forth battle.

Appleton East scored four times in the opening inning before Pulaski tightened things up with three runs in the second. The hosts tied it in the fifth inning. The visitors pulled back ahead with three runs in the seventh, with Pulaski only being able to answer with one run in the bottom half.

Lincoln Simons and Brady Wotruba each posted two hits for Pulaski, while Michael Molthen scored two runs.

Kyle Olson started on the hill and struck out six batters over six innings. Two of the four runs he allowed were earned. Wotruba took the loss after pitching the seventh.

Lena outhit Pacelli 6-3 in its season-ending game.

Josh Kristof tallied two hits for the Wildcats, while he and Colt Miller scored the team's runs. Tyler Shallow took the loss on the mound.

The Shawano game recap can be read at http://newmedia-wi.com/content/no-hitter-ends-hawks%E2%80%99-season-regional-semis.