As good as the Bonduel Broncos were this season in the Dairyland League, the Hortonville Stars were better when it counted the most.
After earning the top seed for the league’s playoffs, the Broncos had home field advantage throughout the postseason and eventually advanced to the Grand Championship game against the Stars on Aug. 30 at Jack Reinke Field.
Hortonville, on the other hand, had the third seed and knocked off second-seeded Waupaca in the semifinal round to advance to the Grand Championship.
The Broncos didn’t have an answer for Connor Roesler, who accounted for all four of Hortonville’s runs in a 4-1 win. He opened the scoring with a two-run home run in the top of the third inning and added a two-run double in the fifth.
Easton Reinke drove in Bonduel’s run in the third inning. Eric Yogi Gruenewald and Barret Bohm each had two hits to lead the Broncos at the plate, while Beckett Hartlaben added one.
Jett Thielke took the loss for Bonduel after giving up four earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts over seven innings. Riley Susa pitched the final two innings.
Despite taking the loss on the mound, Thielke received the Dairyland’s Most Outstanding Pitcher Award.
Although the Broncos came up short in the Grand Championship, their season isn’t over, as the team will head to the Felch UP Labor Day Championship in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula over the Labor Day weekend.
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