Region 8B playoffs: Plato wins in extra innings

Saturday’s first semifinal game could have been classified under the weird column.

From dark gray skies to sunshine, brilliant diving catches to costly infield errors. But none topped who was the winning pitcher of record.

That honor went to Plato ace Tony Wischnack, who pitched the first eight innings only to be pulled. But after Dassel-Cokato rallied to send the game into extra innings, it was Wischnack who returned to the mound and earned the win he deserved all along.

At one time, Wischnack retired 19 straight batters after D-C’s Dan Birkholz singled in Matt Bergstrom with the game’s first run in the opening stanza.

Hoping to save Wischnack’s arm for Friday’s state berth game, the Bluejays went to Matt Odegaard for the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead.

Things look promising after the Minnesota State University-Mankato product got the first two outs of the inning quickly.

But Birkholz walked, then Eric Hanson walked and then an error at third base loaded the bases. That brought in Ben Smothers to face pinch hitter Nick Corbin.

Starting with a 1-0 count, Smothers fell behind 3-0 before filling the count with two strikes. The payoff pitch just missed as pinch runner Ross Bergstrom scored the inning’s first run.

Brendon Opsahl, a 2009 D-C graduate, knocked in John Hohenstein and Hanson with a sharp single to center field to tie the score at four.

The Saints nearly took the lead, but a diving catch from Plato shortstop Jon Becker in the outfield grass kept the game at four apiece.

Becker reached base to lead off the 10th inning on a Brent Opsahl error. After Odegaard was plunked in the back, Eric Engelmann laid down a perfect bunt for a hit to load the bases.

Tyler Lang, also a 2009 graduate, this time of Glencoe-Silver Lake, drilled a first-pitch offering from reliever Hanson to end the game and send Plato to the state berth game.

Lang, who had just seven hits on the summer, replaced starter Kyle Panning early in the game due to an arm injury.

Plato looked in control after scoring four runs in the middle of the game. Nick Johnson tied the game in the sixth inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Engelmann.

In the seventh inning, a walk to Brian Graupmann and back-to-back hits from Dave Donahue and Ben Smothers gave the Bluejays the 2-1 lead.

Birkholz, who relieved starter Jordan Danielson, appeared to get out of the inning, but a ground ball to shortstop Brice Berggren went under the leather for two costly runs.

Birkholz took the loss for the Saints, allowing one run in 2 2/3 innings of work.

Wischnack, who lost one seeding all season (Hutchinson, 3-2), allowed just one hit over nine innings for the victory.

He re-entered in the 10th and pitched a scoreless 1-2-3 inning.

Plato, which dropped both games to Delano this season, figures to have their ace on the mound for a trip to state.