By Reagan Hoverman

The Prescott Pirates lost a low-scoring defensive pitching battle against the top-seeded Tilden Tigers in the 2022 Wisconsin Baseball Association (WBA) State hampionship Semifinal at Legion Post 336 Field in Onalaska on Sunday, Aug. 21.

Getting to hampionship Sunday against Tilden for the 2022 season was essentially house money for Prescott, as the Pirates trailed 5-3 in the first game of the state tournament on Saturday, Aug. 20, against the Haugen Knights entering the bottom of the ninth inning. A loss would have ended any hope of getting to hampionship Sunday right then and there.

Instead of rolling over, Prescott's two leadou hitters, Michael Lytle and Evan Bayer walked and singled respectively to start the comeback. A sacrifice bunt by Bryan Early moved Lytle and Bayer to second and third base with only one out in the inning.

That's when Luke Murphy ripped a single to shallow center field which scored Lytle from third and made it 5-4. The ensuing batter, Dylan Gausman, got hit by a pitch and a passed ball scored Bayer from third base to make it 5-5. Two batters later with a 3-0 count and runners on base, veteran shortstop Billy Brookshaw knocked a walk-ou RBI single into the outfield and gave Prescott a 6-5 victory. Brookshaw spoke about trailing entering the ninth inning and how it was a second life for their championship hopes.

"We're just playing now," Brookshaw shrugged and said with a smile after the walk-ou against Haugen. "I thought we played really tight those first two or three innings. Now we just play like we should have lost. Going into (that ninth inning trailing by two) we thought it was over. We got a leadou walk, and suddenly we had some life." After mounting that comeback against Haugen and then winning the Saturday evening game against the Tony Hayshakers 7- 1, the Pirates went into hampionship Sunday playing with second life. However, Prescott matched up with the top-seeded Tilden Tigers, a team that went 16-2 in their league this year and entered the state tournament as one of the heavy favorites.

See PIRATES, Page B-3

Prescott catcher Dylan Gausman applies a tag at home plate to a Haugen Knights baserunner in the top of the fourth inning to prevent a crucial run from scoring that kept Prescott within striking distance. Prescott left fielder Hunter Daymond lasered a ball in from left field into perfect position for Gausman to apply the game-changing tag. Photo by Reagan Hoverman

Prescott starting pitcher Evan Bayer delivers a strike during the Pirates’ game against the Tony Hayshakers on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Legion Post 336 Field in Onalaska. Photo by Reagan Hoverman Pirates

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In that Sunday morning WBA State Semi – final contest, Prescott sent Connor Cress to the mound to face one of the best lineups in the state. The Tigers drew first blood in the bottom of the first inning with two singles and a walk to load the bases with only one out. Catcher Dane Weiland stepped up to the plate and cranked an RBI single down the left field line to make it 1-0 for the Tigers.

Prescott responded in the top of the second inning when veteran pitcher/first baseman Kevin Woebke squared up on a fastball and blasted it deep over the right field fence for a solo home run. Woebke's solo jack tied the game 1-1.

After each starter made a mistake early, both Cress and opposing pitcher PJ Lequia settled in during the middle innings of the game and began delivering exquisite per – formances against tough Prescott and Tilden lineups.

When the bottom of the sixth inning rolled around and the game was still knotted up 1-1, Cress started running out of gas and gave up a walk, a sac bunt, and a groundout that moved the runner to third with two outs.

The Pirates decided to turn to veteran re – liever Eric Munson, who came into the game and walked the first batter he faced. During the ensuing at-bat, a pitch got away from Munson, reached the backstop, and allowed the runner from third to score and give Tilden a 2-1 lead. Prescott player/manager Michael Lytle spoke about Cress' six great innings on the mound.

"He pitched really well and threw consis – tently like how he always does," Lytle said. "We expect that out of him and he did all he needed to do." While Cress was done for the day and the Pirates trailed 2-1, Munson settled in after the wild pitch that scored a Tilden run. Munson retired six of the next seven batters he faced, which included a three up, three down bottom of the eighth to keep Prescott in the game.

Prescott's ouense again came to life in the top of the seventh inning when Lytle started the action with a leadou single back up the middle, which Bayer followed up with an in – field single that went ou of Tilden's pitcher. The Tigers scrambled, tried to make a throw to first base, and sailed it into the dugout which moved Lytle to third with no outs.

That's when Early hit a sac fly which scored Lytle from third to make it a 2-2 game. Munson retired three of Tilden's first four batters in the ninth inning to send it to extra innings with a spot in the state championship on the line.

A fruitless top of the tenth for Prescott made way for a Tilden walk-ou opportunity which is exactly what the Tigers did. After a leadou fly out, the Tigers hit a single to shal – low right field and followed it up with a sac bunt to get the runner into scoring position.

A Tilden pinch runner gave the Tigers all the speed they needed when the ensuing bat – ter roped an RBI single to center field, ending the game and Prescott's season in extra in – nings. Although he gave up two runs, Lytle said Munson gave Prescott an opportunity to win, and that's all they ask for out of a re – lief pitcher. He stated it was the ouense that didn't come through when needed.

"We for sure trust him in that spot. He's been with us for years and he was our num- ber one guy for years," Lytle said. "He's got a nasty changeup that he keeps in his back pocket. We trust him. We just left runners on base. We had two runs on 10 hits, the big hit is honestly what we're missing. Big hits and scoring runs have been our kryptonite the last month." After the game was over and players had a few minutes to let it sink in, Lytle began to reflect on the 2022 season and essentially coming within one pitch of getting to a state championship game for the first time in more than half a decade.

"It's been a few years since we played Sunday (Championship Sunday) baseball," Lytle said. "It's good to get here and play a third game. You run into a good team that can hit the ball like that, that's just how it goes. I'm happy with how we played and I'm proud of our guys." The core group of guys that have com – prised the Prescott roster are all expected to return for the 2023 season, including the Brookshaw boys, Mike and Billy, Michael Lytle, Kevin Woebke, Eric Munson, Evan Bayer, and a lot of other everyday Pirates.

"We've got a really core group of 11 or 12 guys that are going to be around," Lytle said. "That's the assumption and the expectation, we'll see how the winter goes and see where we're at next spring."