GRAND CHUTE — Ira Hilbelink had himself a heck of a night at the WIAA Division 3 state baseball tournament.
Hilbelink, a Minnesota verbal commit, was 4-for-4 with a D3 state record three triples, a double, four RBIs, two runs scored and an intentional walk in Cedar Grove-Belgium’s 13-4 win over Marathon on Tuesday, June 16.
It’s the third-ever trip to state in baseball for the program, and first since the summer tournament in 1984.
Oh, he also picked up the win on the mound after throwing 5 1/3 with six strikeouts, five hits and four walks issued.
When he was intentionally walked with runners at second and third the fans booed the decision heartily.
It certainly was the correct decision by Marathon, but the fans simply wanted to see him smack another big blast.
The Rockets bats were as hot as molten lava, racking up 12 hits while being walked nine times.
Austin Knapp was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored for Cedar Grove-Belgium while Seth Race and Carter Schmitz each had two RBIs.
Next up will be the D3 state championship, the first time Cedar Grove-Belgium will technically have ever played for a baseball title on Thursday, June 18.
Cedar Grove reached the summer state title in 1977 before the merger of the two districts.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Ira Hilbelink makes state history in Cedar Grove-Belgium victory
Reporting by Tom Dombeck, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
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By Tom Dombeck, Sheboygan Press | USA TODAY Network
