By Chris Bennett
Sports Correspondent
A team that needs to score early did not and, as result, the Waterford High School baseball team exited the postseason after a 5-2 loss June 4 at home in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal game against Wilmot.
The Wolverines, seeded second in their sectional bracket, ended their season with an overall record of 19-5. Waterford finished 12-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference and won their first conference title since 2003.
Wilmot (12-11), seeded 10th in the sectional bracket, beat third-seeded Kenosha Tremper 7-6 Tuesday at Union Grove. The Panthers played fifth-seeded Kenosha Indian Trail Tuesday for the sectional title and a berth in the Division 1 State Spring Baseball Tournament.
The Division 1 State Spring Baseball Tournament is June 16-18 at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.
Bestland said Waterford faced a different Wilmot team than the squad it beat twice this season in SLC play.
“They pitched extremely well, and hit the ball when they needed to,” Bestland said. “We didn’t hit the ball until the end of the game.”
Waterford scored its only two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wilmot scored three runs in the third inning and another two in the fourth.
“We need to get on the board early,” Bestland said. “If we get on the board early, our kids have a tendency to run well and hit well and do other things well.”
Bestland said Waterford had runners on first and third base with one out in the seventh before a strikeout on a bad pitch led to the second out of the inning. Bestland said the Wolverines could have had the bases loaded with one out.
“We were right in the game,’ Bestland said. “We had everything rolling our way.”
Wilmot pitcher Austin Brewer limited the Wolverines to six hits and struck out four.
“We had a hard time just getting people on,” Bestland said. “It seemed like every time we got something started, we had two outs. That’s a tribute to their good pitching.”
Ross Gunderson finished with two hits, drove in a run and scored a run for the Wolverines. Michael Schmidt finished with one hit and drove in a run.
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