WIAA REGIONAL FINAL: Kenosha Bradford 5, Waterford 1
By Luke Howard
and Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
Waterford head coach Lance Bestland didn’t expect his Wolverines to lose their WIAA Division 1 regional championship home game Thursday against Kenosha Bradford.
After all, Waterford was coming off an impressive victory over Oconomowoc, boasted a 14-game win streak this season and was ranked in the wissports.net rankings all season.
But that’s why they play the game, and despite a 1-0 first-inning advantage, it was all Red Devils Thursday as Waterford’s season ended with a 5-1 defeat.
Bestland said he felt the team “didn’t play well”, and he said he was disappointed because the Wolverines had the bases loaded early in the game, and they wasted the opportunity.
Bestland added he felt “let down, same as the kids.”
Waterford finished the season 20-6 overall and was second in the Southern Lakes Conference.
Senior pitcher Tony Ray, who tied Dylan Malecki’s school record with nine victories, took the loss Thursday, finishing his season 9-3.
Waterford’s 20 wins are a school record.
Senior Michael Schmidt walked, stole second base and scored Waterford’s lone run on a Zak Ksobiech sacrifice.
The score stayed knotted at 1-1 until the fourth inning, when Kenosha tacked on two to enjoy a 3-1 cushion.
Kenosha added single tallies in the fifth and seventh innings, and the Waterford bats remained silent.
Matt Korman, Tyler Terrian and Matt Wezyk were responsible for the Wolverines’ three hits.
Ray was moving along well on the mound until the fifth, when he allowed two runs. He gave up two earned runs in fourth innings. Ray struck out three, walked one and scattered seven hits.
Nolan DeGreef tossed the final three innings. He yielded only two hits, struck out three and allowed one earned run.
Waterford suffered defensively, with two errors, as did Bradford.
Isaac Lawler was nearly unhittable for Bradford, firing a complete game with six strikeouts, two walks and zero earned runs.
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