Xavier baseball rolls past Denmark to claim WIAA Division 2 regional title

AppletonSportsPage.com

DENMARK – The Xavier baseball team has hit its stride just at the right time.

Entering the playoffs with more losses than wins, the Hawks have won three-straight postseason games by shutout. The third came Wednesday as the No. 6 seed Xavier whipped No. 2 Denmark 11-0 in a WIAA Division 2 regional final at Denmark High School.

Xavier (14-12) will play a D-2 sectional semifinal on its home field on Tuesday when it takes on the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 1 seed Kiel (21-4) and No. 5 Plymouth (12-8) at Don Hawkins Field at American Legion Post 38 in Appleton at 1 p.m.

Mosinee (22-5) and Green Bay Notre Dame (22-6) will play in the first sectional semifinal at 10 a.m., with the winners clashing for a sectional championship and a berth in the state tournament at 4 p.m.

Tyler Brightman struck out eight over five scoreless innings and Gavin Wiese finished off the shutout with two innings of work as the duo combined on a four-hitter for the Hawks.

Brightman also added two hits and three RBI, Reid Hietpas had two hits and four RBI, and Parker Fleck had three hits and drove in two to pace the Xavier offense.

Luke Krull, Matthew Potter, Reed Flick and Titan Milhaupt also added two hits each as the Hawks finished with 15 in all.

Hawks 11, Vikings 0
Xavier   102   401   3   –   11   15   1
Denmark   000   000   0   –   0    4   6
WP: Tyler Brightman. LP: Grant Schroeder.
SO: Brightman (5 inn.) 8, Gavin Wiese (2 inn.) 1; Schroeder (3 inn.) 3, Connor Paplham (4 inn.) 0. BB: Brightman 1, Wiese 1; Schroeder 2, Paplham 1.
Top hitters: X, Matthew Potter 2×3, 3 runs; Luke Krull 2×5, 2 runs, RBI; Reid Hietpas 2×4, 2B, 4 RBI; Parker Bleck 3×5, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Brightman 2×4, 3 RBI; Reed Flick 2×5; Titan Milhaupt 2×3, 2 runs. D, Joshua Gajeski 2×3.
Records: Xavier 14-12; Denmark 18-7.