By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
One bad inning spelled defeat, and the end of the season, for the Waterford High School baseball team Tuesday.
The Wolverine boys, just six outs away from advancing to the regional final, gave up seven runs to Westosha Central in the bottom of the sixth inning of a 7-6 regional semifinal loss at Paddock Lake.
Waterford led 4-0 going into the bottom of the sixth behind the pitching of senior Tanner Hunsucker. But by the time the inning was over, the Falcons led 7-4 and Waterford had just three outs to try to rally. Only three of the seven Falcon runs were earned.
The Wolverines did rally in the top of the seventh, pushing two runs across, but could not get the tying run home.
“Waterford battled hard but came up a little short as Tanner Hunsucker pitched his last game as a Wolverine,” head coach Lance Bestland said.
Hunsucker pitched 5-2/3 innings, giving up all seven runs (only three earned) on 10 hits. He walked three and struck out five.
Dylan Malecki got the final out in the sixth, striking out the only batter he faced.
Offensively, Waterford collected 10 hits, with Hunsucker, Zach Keller and Tommy Dugandzic having two hits apiece.
Keller had two RBIs, with Dugandzic and Yiannis Skapinakis each driving in one.
The loss ended the season for Waterford with a 9-14 record.
It also brought an end to the high school baseball careers of Hunsucker, Dugandzic and Jesse Bouffiou.
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