By Reagan Hoverman

The River Falls High School baseball team had its season end heartbreakingly – a walk off single with the bases loaded in the WIAA Division 1 Regional Championship game against Eau Claire Memorial at historic Carson Park in Eau Claire.

If the Thursday night, June 2, D1 Regional Championship game would have been covered on TV, it would have been con sidered an ESPN Instant Classic – it had everything a sports fan could want. The game had outstanding starting pitching, clutch plays in the field, timely hitting, and controversial calls that po tentially swung the game in one team’s favor.

The meeting with fellow Big Rivers Conference opponent Eau Claire Memorial was the two programs’ third contest of the sea son. The Old Abes of Memorial won the first two. However, those two meetings were makeup games due to weather, meaning nei ther team had seen the other’s true ace pitcher.

For River Falls, that was junior pitcher Keenan Mork. For Eau Claire Memorial, it was Dylan O’Connell, who helped pitch the Old Abes to an 11 3 second place finish in the Big Rivers Con ference this season.

“When you have two aces like Mork and O’Connell, it’s only fitting we got to see them square off,” River Falls head coach Ryan Bishop said. “They gave everything they had and both threw well enough to win the game.”

Through the first three innings of the game, both teams com

bined for one total hit, which was a Memorial single up the mid dle in the bottom of the third inning that didn’t lead to any scoring. River Falls opened the game up in the top of the fourth when senior center fielder Michael Schurman hit a triple off the right field wall.

The next batter, senior Ragan Pinnow, hit an RBI single back up the middle to score Schurman from third which also gave River Falls a 1 0 lead. After an infield single by senior Jack Gehl and a double steal to get the runners to second and third, the Wild

cats scored on a fielder’s choice that gave RF a 2 0 lead.

In a pitching dominant, defensive style game, the aforemen tioned center fielder, Schurman, might have made the play of the year. In the bottom of the fourth inning with one on base and one out, Schurman made a diving catch in center field to second the second out.

He immediately got back up and rifled the ball to second base to double up the runner who was trying to get back to the bag. His game changing double play saved at least one for River Falls. Bishop spoke about Schurman’s highlight reel play.

“Michael’s play in center field was highlight reel stuff,” Bishop said. “His speed and athleticism shined through in the biggest of moments. I’m not sure I’ve seen many better high school plays in that big of a situation before.”

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Eau Claire Memorial scored its first run of the game to make it a 2 1 contest, still in favor of River Falls. However, in the sixth inning, River Falls faced its toughest adversity of the season.

Mork induced a routine pop fly to right field in the bottom of the sixth. However, the Wildcats lost it in the lights and the ball dropped for a double that should have been an out. After a passed ball, the runner moved to third base with no outs. The next Old Abes batter hit an RBI single to shallow center field to make it a 2 2 ball game.

“You lose a ball in the lights, that’s just bad luck, there’s no other way to say it, and that was a big time situation,” Bishop said. “We’ve got to remind ourselves these are 16, 17 year old kids who are playing their hearts out. This was an intense envi ronment with as much at stake as some of these kids might ever have in their career.”

After Memorial tied the game 2 2 in the bottom of the sixth, Mork struck out a Memorial batter with two outs already gone in the inning. Junior catcher Elijah Baker, who was behind the plate, dropped the ball which meant that the runner could run to first base and be safe if he made it before Baker threw it down to first for the out.

There was confusion among the players, as both the batter and ECM baserunner began walking to the dugout before realizing the play was still alive. The batter rushed to first base as Baker sailed the ball over Gehl’s head at first into the right field grass.

River Falls argued that the batter and runner were both out be cause they were out of the baseline. Instead, the umpires ruled them safe in the 2 2 contest. The very next ECM batter hit an RBI single to left field which gave the Old Abes a 3 2 lead.

After two walks to start the top of the seventh, junior Eli Con don put down a beautiful sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third base with only one out. Senior outfielder Jeffrey Schurman blasted an RBI single to left field to tie the game 3 3.

“Jeffrey (Schurman) has been our most consistent hitter all spring,” Bishop said. “I couldn’t have been happier for Jeffrey (Schurman) to get that knock and tie the game back up in the sev enth.”

River Falls held ECM scoreless in the bottom of the seventh inning to force an extra frame. The Old Abes forced a three up, three down top of the eighth for River Falls, and then hit a single to deep center field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure the 4 3 win over River Falls. Bishop spoke about his team battling through adversity.

“There are a few things I think both teams would like to have a chance to execute a little better,” Bishop said. “I’m really proud of our guys tonight and how they battled, especially coming back to score that run in the seventh. A couple of things that didn’t go our way. The reality is it was a well played, fun baseball game with sectionals at stake.”

Based on how the game ended and how hard the Wildcats fought, there was no surprise when there were lots of tears in the eyes of the players as they met for the final time after the loss. Bishop spoke about that emotion and how important it is to see that after a game, win or lose.

“It’s a good thing when you’re hurting at the end of the season, win or lose,” Bishop said. “It’s a good thing when you’re hurting because you know you left it out there for your brothers and that’s what this is all about.”

Bishop ended the season by speaking about this senior class of boys, which includes star athletes not just in baseball, but in multiple sports. He spoke about what that group of boys has been through in their high school career and what they’ve meant to the program.

“They’ve been through a lot these last few years,” Bishop said. “This is their first normal season of spring sports that they’ve had since they were freshmen. They didn’t even have a sophomore season. Their junior year was cut short with a shortened season. Most of them don’t even remember that freshman year.”

Bishop reminded everyone that the scoreboard doesn’t define the success or failures of a season. There are more important things than a black and white box score.

We have to keep reminding ourselves that the scoreboard keeps your season going, but it doesn't define who we are or what we do,” Bishop said. “It’s a good thing when you feel like that at the end of the season – win or lose.”

River Falls High School senior Ryan Langer takes a cut during the road regional championship game against Eau Claire Memorial on Thursday, June 2, the final game of his high school baseball career. Langer is one of nine River Falls senior baseball players who graduate this season. Photo by Reagan Hoverman