Bay Boys Headed to State for the Second Time in Team History

Cedarburg’s baseball team looked strong and held Whitefish Bay’s potent offense in check on Saturday afternoon.

For three innings.

After having only one base runner the first time through the order, the team scored three runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth en route to an 11-3 win over Cedarburg in the WIAA sectionals to advance to state for just the second time in school history.

“The kids came out and played really well,” Whitefish Bay head coach Jay Wojcinski said. “Jack (Fagan) pitched really well again today. For the guys to turn in our three best pitching performances of the year, they picked the right time to do it.

“It’s something pretty cool.”

After somewhat of a shaky start that allowed Cedarburg to score two runs in the first two innings, Fagan settled in and locked down the Bulldogs’ bats and didn’t give up another run until the game was already in hand.

In similar fashion, the Blue Dukes’ hadn’t done anything at the plate before taking advantage of some suspect fielding by Cedarburg in the fourth and blowing the game open with a five-run fifth.

“We were a little more aggressive than we were in the first couple innings,” Wojcinski said. “We sat back and took some pitches (early) and we talked about it and trying to get on some pitches early in the count when he (Cedarburg’s pitcher) was throwing his fastball for strikes and all the sudden it clicked.”

With one on and still down 2-1 in the fourth, senior James Stecker stepped up to the plate. The speedy outfielder sent a shot to the outfield wall, scoring (#15) all the way from first. The throw from the cutoff man to home on the play went sailing into the overhead netting, allowing Stecker to score on the play as well.

From that point on, there was no stopping the Dukes.

“They (Cedarburg) had all the momentum for the first few innings when they scored on us early,” Wojcinski said.

“When we scored those three in that inning, you could kind of feel the momentum change and the tide turn. Once our kids got the lead you could just see it on the faces in the dugout.”

The Dukes batted around the following inning, scoring five runs, capped by (#15)’s two-run single to left to quickly make it 8-2.

Bay added three more in the sixth to extend their lead and Fagan continued to dominate on the hill, striking out three during a 123-pitch, seven-inning masterpiece.

“(Against Pewaukee), everyone told me I came out real calm,” Fagan said. “So I tried to come out calm again and stay positive, even through that 2-0 stretch. I knew what I could do and I just went out there and brought that (stuff).”

Added first baseman Garrett Demuth: “We came out with a new intensity in these playoffs. I’ve never seen a team so focused.”

The Dukes advance to play Sheboygan Falls in the WIAA state tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday at 3:35 p.m. at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point.