Four years removed from the program’s first-ever appearance in the WIAA state baseball tournament, Columbus Catholic has snagged its first Division 4 gold ball in program history after an 8-4 come-from-behind victory over Potosi/Cassville.
After a back and forth affair amid the first two innings, Columbus Catholic’s Tyler Hargraves continued his highly-efficient postseason at-bats, belting a triple that drove in three runs and helped ultimately swing the game.
The Dons – snagging 10 hits on the day – capped off a five-run third inning to take a 6-2 edge heading into the fourth inning.
Potosi/Cassville’s Kolton Vogelsberg got the Cheiftains on the board first in the championship game with a double that scored one run.
Columbus Catholic responded when junior Carter Sommer hit a sacrifice fly, helping the Dons tie the game at one in the bottom of the first inning. Then the Chieftains retook the lead at the top of the second inning when Damian Bauer belted a single that scored one run granting the Chieftains a temporary edge.
Columbus Catholic’s Rocco Maher and Ryan Bernick both provided sparks at the plate for the Dons, finishing as the only players within the group with multiple hits in the championship game. Maher belted the Dons sole double of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning to drive in Holden Lomax and further push the Dons ahead 7-2.
Petosi/Cassvilee snagged an additional two runs in the top of the sixth inning, but went out quietly in the seventh, succumbing to Columbus Catholic’s game-defying blow in the bottom of the third.
On the mound, Bernick earned the win for the Dons. Impacting the game as a two-way player, Bernick yielded five hits and two runs over five innings while striking out three and walking two.
Over two innings pitched, Carson Eckes led things off on the mound for Columbus Catholic. Eckes finished yielding three hits and one earned run while striking out one and walking four en route to championship glory.
The Dons last appearance at Goodman Diamond in the state tournament resulted in a 9-8 loss to Bangor in the WIAA Division 4 state semifinal.
Now with the Dons’ resilient victory over Potosi/Cassville they have immortalized themselves as the program’s inaugural group to bring home a baseball state championship.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@usatoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: Columbus Catholic keys five-run inning to snag first-ever D4 title
Reporting by Alfred Smith III, Marshfield News-Herald / Marshfield News-Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alfred Smith III, Marshfield News-Herald | USA TODAY Network
