Mosinee shut down in sectional semifinal

WAUPACA - Oconto Falls’ Evan Sigmund became the latest source of playoff frustration for the Mosinee baseball team Tuesday morning.

The Panthers’ senior righthander held Mosinee to a single hit as Oconto Falls downed Mosinee 3-0 in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal at Waupaca High School.

“He’s a good pitcher and he did a really good job of keeping (the pitches) down and keeping low strikes,” Mosinee coach Adam Olson said. “And he was around the strike zone all game.”

Sigmund had just two strikeouts but recorded 10 groundouts, the majority to the left side of the Panthers infield.

RELATED:West falls to Preble in extra innings

RELATED:Baseball teams battle for state berths

“Our guys don’t swing and miss too often,” Olson said. “We hit it right at guys (today).”

Waupaca went on to down Oconto Falls 8-3 in the sectional title game.

It was the fourth straight year that Mosinee has lost in the sectional semifinal round. Notre Dame ended Mosinee’s season the previous three years.

“It’s pretty frustrating,” Mosinee senior Bryce Graveen said of the sectional round that has been the program’s stumbling block. “We just couldn’t hit (Sigmund) at all.”

Oconto Falls scored all three runs in the sixth inning, including a two-run single by Michael Manns to break a scoreless deadlock.

Sigmund allowed a base hit to Graveen with two outs in the fourth inning for Mosinee’s only base runner of the game.

Graveen held the Panthers to three hits and retired the first 10 Oconto Falls batters in order before Sigmund singled to center with one out in the fourth.

Graveen struck out six and walked two in the final start of his prep career.

“He was one of the best pitchers we’ve seen all year,” Sigmund said. “He was keeping the ball low in the strike zone and mixing his pitches up a little bit. He had us off-balance for a little bit, but we came around and figured him out and we were able to put some hits out there.”

The first three Oconto Falls batters reached on two walks sandwiched around a lined single over second base that Mosinee’s Logan Miller nearly grabbed on a diving attempt.

Manns followed with the two-run single and Manns scored later in the inning after a collision at first base between Miller and the Panthers Kamin Vandelangenberg that left both players on the ground.

Manns beat a relay throw home from Miller on the play.

“When you get the leadoff on, especially in a game where there hasn’t been many baserunners, was huge,” Sigmund said. “That played a big key in getting those three runs that inning.”

WP-Evan Sigmund. LP-Bryce Graveen. Leading hitters: M, Graveen 1 for 3. OF, Michael Manns 1 for 3, 2 RBI.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter@timmyjo11