Despite improved play, Grafton can’t find winning touch against Homestead

Try as they might, the Grafton Black Hawks could not make the third time a charm in the WIAA baseball playoffs.

After being soundly beaten by Homestead in two North Shore Conference games this season, the Hawks stepped up their play in a regional-final rematch July 19 but came up short again, 5-3.

“It really was the best game of the three we played against them,” Grafton coach Brian Durst said.

“We stayed right with them, but we couldn’t get the big hit when we needed to, and Homestead did.”

Trailing, 5-2, Grafton put a scare into the Highlanders one last time in the final inning at Rennicke Field.

With one out, Robbie Doring singled and reached second base on a ground out by Kevin Scholz. When Alex Nennig followed by legging out a grounder for an infield hit, Doring raced all the way home to score with the plate uncovered.

Beau Benzschawel then came up as the potential tying run, but reliever Tommy Martin got the freshman to fly to right field for the final out.

“We did everything we could,” said Durst, whose team had a four-game winning streak snapped and finished the season 13-11.

“We kept playing hard the whole game. We had our chances but just came up a little short.”

Grafton outhit the Highlanders, 9-6, but had to play catch-up the entire game after falling behind, 2-0, in the first inning.

The Hawks answered in the second when Ryan Donahue hit the first homer of his career, a solo shot to right field. Later in the same inning, Grafton narrowly missed
tying the game when it had a runner thrown out at the plate on a close play.

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