Jason Arndt, jarndt@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Shawano Community High School senior Chase Henning slides safely into third base in the bottom of the fourth inning Tuesday against visiting Wausau East. The outfielder blasted a solo home run in the first inning to help the Hawks to a 3-0 WIAA Division 1 Regional win.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Shawano Community High School senior Grant Wainio throws Tuesday in the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 regional against visiting Wausau East. Wainio held the Lumberjacks to three hits and struck out five in a complete-game, 3-0 win.
Shawano Community High School needed everything from two of its seniors to survive the opening round of the WIAA Division 1 regional baseball tournament Tuesday.
Chase Henning delivered the first blow, a tape-measure shot in the bottom of the first inning, and ace pitcher Grant Wainio tossed seven shutout innings as the Hawks defeated visiting Wausau East, 3-0, for their first postseason win in two years.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play, get on base, and make the defense work out there,” Henning said. “We definitely knew we could win if we did everything right and played sound baseball.”
Wainio cruised through the first three innings, holding Wausau East hitless until a leadoff single by Luke Strick in the fourth inning — the first of East’s three hits. Wainio walked two and struck out three in seven innings.
“Grant stepped and made big pitches when he had to, and that home run in the first inning was huge,” Hawks coach Robert Wolff said. “I knew (Wausau East) was going to play good solid defense and knew it was going to be a tough game.”
Wausau East coach Steve Heinrich agreed, but admitted his Lumberjacks (10-17, 3-9 Wisconsin Valley Conference) had their backs to the wall upon arriving at Memorial Park in Shawano.
“The bottom line is we were the 10th seed coming to Shawano, the seventh seed, on their home field,” Heinrich said. “We knew we were going to have a tough ballgame in front of us.”
Henning started Shawano’s two-run fourth inning, collecting his second hit of the game and scoring on a one-out double by Wainio. Adam Bartz, appearing as Wainio’s pinch runner, scored the third run on a wild pitch by Strick.
Strick, who allowed three hits in six innings, held the Hawks scoreless the final three frames.
Wainio ran into trouble in the fifth inning when he loaded the bases, on two singles and a walk, with one out, but escaped unscathed following a pop out and grounder to second baseman Ky Schmidt.
“That was a big jam that could have easily scored two runs, but he made some big pitches when he had to,” Wolff said.
Wainio regained his form the next inning, sitting down the Lumberjacks in order.
“He definitely battled, and I can’t say enough about how hard he works. He definitely goes out there and gives it his best,” Henning said.
East mounted a final rally in the seventh, getting two runners on base before Henning snagged Ben Schubring’s laser to right-center field to send the Hawks to the second round.
Shawano (16-10, 9-7 Bay Conference) travels to No. 2-seed Green Bay Preble (17-8, 13-7 Fox River Classic) at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Junior Nate Laude will take the hill for Shawano.