Lobos win tourney with 5-run 7th inning

A five-run seventh inning, capped by Bryce Szymanski’s two-run, game-winning double to right field, pushed the Shawano Lobos to the championship of the team’s 24th annual tournament Friday with a 7-6 victory over the Bonduel Broncos.

“We were lucky enough to break through in the seventh,” Shawano head coach Will Gillis said.

With Shawano trailing by four runs entering the final at-bat, Ryan Coffey walked and TJ Arrowood singled to open the inning. Starting pitcher Grant Bystol drove in Coffey for the inning’s first run, then Lucas Postl singled off of Bonduel starter Wyatt Reinke to load the bases.

Jack Lacy got ahead 2-1 in his at-bat before manager John Reinke pulled Wyatt Reinke in favor of Hunter VanDerLinden. Lacy hit the first pitch from VanDerLinden into left field, scoring two runs.

“Usually, when a guy comes in in the middle of an at-bat, they try to get ahead with a fastball, and he threw him a fastball, and he fisted one out to left, and a nice job of pulling his hands in,” Gillis said.

Szymanski then worked a full count before driving his ball into the gap.

The Lobos struggled to score runs early off Wyatt Reinke, who held them scoreless until a two-RBI double from Postl in the third inning.

Bonduel scored four runs in the second inning off Bystol. Chris Blum hit a two-run single to left-center field, and an error on a Jack Reinke bunt allowed two more runs.

Bonduel added a run in the fifth, when Matt Scheelk crossed the plate on a sacrifice, and another in the seventh, on a Jack Reinke suicide squeeze bunt, to build the four-run advantage.

Wyatt Reinke threw 6 1/3 innings for Bonduel, giving up eight hits and seven walks. He struck out 10 batters. VanDerLinden allowed the final two hits of the game.

Bystol gave up six hits. He struck out two batters and walked four.

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

Bonduel 0 4 0 0 1 0 1 6 6 0

Shawano 0 0 2 0 0 0 5 7 10 1