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By DENNIS SEMRAU 

Wissports.net 

  

GRAND CHUTE – Waunakee right-hander Connor Hurst scattered three hits and turned a unique double play en route to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Kimberly in a WIAA Division 1 state quarterfinal baseball game Tuesday afternoon. 

  

The Warriors (26-4) advanced to face Bay Port, a 2-1 winner over Merrill, in a state semifinal game Tuesday night, weather permitting. 

  

With Waunakee clinging to a 3-2 lead, Mitch Schreiber lined a lead-off single to right to open the Kimberly seventh. He was replaced at first base by pinch runner Nick Fischer, who promptly stole his fifth base of the season. 

  

Bryce Bellin followed with a sacrifice bunt that third baseman Riley Aiello mishandled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Waunakee coach Spence Lee promptly called time out. 

  

"He just told me to throw strikes," said Hurst, who walked one and struck out four. "I like making coaches happy." 

  

Following a Waunakee time out, Hurst struck out Devin Hiroskey for the first out. Nate Murray then attempted a suicide squeeze. But he popped the bunt attempt up to Hurst, who ran down Fischer and tagged him out before he could scurry back to third base. 

  

I just got real excited once I saw the ball go up in the air like that," Hurst said. "I was just happy and speechless." 

  

Kimberly took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when lead-off hitter Tony Lamers bunted for a base hit to third base, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Sam Rein's sacrifice fly to right field. 

  

Waunakee promptly tied the score in its half of the first inning when Cole Cefalu doubled to right and scored on a single to right by Riley Martinez, who moved to second on the throw to home plate. 

  

The Warriors made it 2-1 lead after Martinez scored when Derek Straus reached on an error by Kimberly second baseman Luke Van Handel. One out later, Matt Follen ripped a double off the left field fence to score Straus and give Waunakee a 3-1 lead. 

  

"That s a great pitcher we faced there. That kid s a four-year starter on the varsity and he s pitched here four years in a row," Lee said of Kimberly starter Bryce Bellin, a Minnesota-Mankato recruit. "He got better and better as the game went on. 

 

"But our guys do a good job and have done a good job all year of coming out early and getting on board."

  

The Papermakers pulled within 3-2 in the third on Lamers' triple and Will Randerson s sacrifice fly.



However, Hurst was nearly untouchable the rest of the way, retiring Kimberly in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. He retired 11 in order before Schreiber s single to open the seventh. 

  

"That was one of my best games," said Hurst, who was 4-4 with a 1.27 earned run average entering the game. "On this stage and how big this game was for us, I loved it." 

  

For Kimberly coach Ryan McGinnis, it was a sad way to end the Papermakers fourth straight trip to state. 

  

"They re all tough when you end the season. All losses are tough but what makes this exceptionally tough is we say goodbye to eight seniors," he said.

 

"We might change a few plays that happened. But I wouldn t change our effort. Our effort was what it needed to be." 

  

Waunakee 3, Kimberly 2 

  

Kimberly        1 0 1 0 0 0 0 – 2 3 3 

Waunakee      3 0 0 0 0 0 x – 3 7 1 

  

Pitchers (ip-h-er-bb-so) – Bellin (L, 6-7-1-1-6). Hurst (W, 7-3-2-1-4) 

  

Leading hitters – K— Lamers 2x3. W – Lyght 2x4. 3B: K – Lamers. 2B: W – Cefalu, Follen, Lyght 2.