135th Article at the Independent

Hadley advances to semifinals

Chris Drummond

Sports reporter

HADLEY — After surviving a hard-fought three-game series with the Jackson Bulls, the Hadley Buttermakers are advancing to the semifinals Wednesday against the No.1 seeded Milroy Irish.

No one seemed to want to take control of game three Sunday. The Hadley Buttermakers walked off by scoring the game winning run against the Bulls and winning 10-9.

The Bulls started off fast again scoring two runs on the board in the first putting the Buttermakers in an early deficit 2-0. The Buttermakers would respond. Zwart would have a RBI groundout and Derek Platt would have a RBI single to tie the game up two all at the end of three innings.

Then the game would be a back and forth affair with Hadley getting three runs in the very next inning getting a sacrifice fly from Alex Peterson and Justin Banda hitting a fast ball deep to center left field for a two RBI triple to put the Buttermakers up 5-2 after four innings. However, the lead wouldn’t last, Jackson would score four in their top half of the inning, with #13 ripping a single right up the middle scoring two and they would add two more retaking the lead 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth. Again, the Buttermakers would respond.

Bruning for Hadley, hit a go-ahead two-run home-run just over the left field wall exciting the crowd here in Hadley and retaking the lead from the Bills 7-6 heading into the sixth. Then Jackson would add a run and tie the game up at seven all and Hadley took the lead back in the seventh due to a RBI single by #6 going up one but the resilience of the Bulls showed when they got a two out two RBI hit to again retake the lead from the Buttermakers going up 9-8 in the top half of the eighth. It was the third hot of the game from the Bulls where they laced the ball up the middle scoring runs.

The Buttermakers we’re down to their final two outs trailing by one run with runners on first and second, then first baseman Wieneke hit a fast past the shortstop scoring the tying run and setting up a chance to walk off at home and head to the semifinals. Up next was designated hitter and Hadley native Peterson hit a line drive single to center to score the winning run and win a hard fought contest over the Bulls 10-9.

Peterson spoke on his performance and game winning hit.

“I was struggling early on, but I wanted to stay focus,” Peterson said. “I was looking for the fastball and to drive something in the air. I was lucky enough to do so.”

Wieneke also spoke on his team’s performance and tying up the game with his hit in the ninth.

“It’s a team game, my teammates were able to get on base and I knew the kid was going to challenge me,” Wieneke said. “I saw him on Thursday and I was looking for the fastball, put a good bat on it and glad it went through for a hit.”

Both Peterson and Wieneke each had one hit in the game that counted the most to send their team to the semifinals. Teammate Justin Banda had a triple and two RBI’s as well in ballgame. With the victory, Bennett exhibited his elation on win and perspective on next series with the Irish.

“It is really exciting to have walkoff wins,” Bennett said. “We had the same kind of series with this team last year and both teams fought hard but we were able to stick it out and win it. We played the Irish twice this year and they beat us both times, but we’ll go and put up a fight.”

The Hadley Buttermakers will face off against the #1 seeded Milroy Irish in the Region 13C playoff best of three series starting on Wednesday evening in Milroy at 7:30 p.m

Game two: Jackson wins 8-5

On The Hadley Buttermakers were looking to close out the Jackson Bulls at home in game two of the Region 13C best of three playoff series. However, the first inning didn’t go the Buttermakers way and led them to a game two loss at home 8-5. This will be the second consecutive year where these two teams will go the distance in the playoffs. The Bulls put together a four run first inning and jumping out to an early lead trying to stave off elimination.

As Hadley started to settle in the game, Jackson bats went cold for the next four innings and the Buttermakers we’re able to cut the deficit to two, with a Max Zwart RBI single and Joe Larson with a RBI groundout heading to the top of the sixth inning.

Then the Bulls outfielder Lucas Gardner hit a two-run home-run deep over the left field wall extending their lead to 6-2 but the Buttermakers weren’t done. In the ensuing inning Lincoln Graven would have a sacrifice fly and due to an error committed by the Bulls, the deficit was cut to two again at 6-4. With two runners on and the go-ahead run at the plate, but the Buttermakers would ground out to end the inning.

The Bulls would strike again by scoring two more runs and doubling their output from game one going into the bottom of the ninth with a four run lead. The Buttermakers wouldn’t easily give in.

After securing a couple of hits, Hadley loaded the bases up and had the tying run at the plate with two outs. Nick Bruning drew a walk and then outfielder Justin Banda came to the plate with the same scenario as bases were loaded but he was the game winning run. Banda would go on to strike out looking ending game two and Jackson winning 8-5, forcing a game three tomorrow afternoon in Hadley. Zwart and Eric Wieneke both had two hits and a RBI in the ballgame to lead the Buttermakers in today’s contest.

Manager of the Buttermakers Myron Bennett spoke on the missed opportunity to close out a series and team’s performance in tonight’s game.

“We got off to a slow start and we were playing catch up, we could just never recover,” Bennett said. “We do live to play another day although that wasn’t our plan obviously going into the game. We gotta come out play great defense and get the bats going early tomorrow.”

Hitting: Buttermakers ( Platt 1H; Wieneke 2H, RBI; Zwart 2H, RBI; Brining 1H, RBI; Deacon 1H;