WAUSAU’S WIN, LAKESHORE’S LOSS BRINGS PLAYOFF RACE DOWN TO FINAL TWO GAMES

KENOSHA, WI- There were points in Friday night’s action in the Northwoods League where, if results stood, Wausau would be eliminated from playoff contention. Instead, the Woodchucks right back in the hunt with two games to play, after a razor thin 5-4 win at Kenosha in the Woodchucks’ final road game of the 2026 regular season.

That win, and Lakeshore’s 7-6 loss at home in 10 innings to Madison, means the Woodchucks are only a half game behind the Chinooks for the second and final playoff place in the Great Lakes West, with each team set to play two games. The Woodchucks now need to win both of their games and depend on one Lakeshore loss, or split the final two games of the summer and depend on Lakeshore losing both of their final games in order to clinch a playoff spot.

There were multiple heroes on the evening, most notably Caleb Karll (Montevallo), who hit his first home run of the summer and had three RBIs, including the go-ahead RBI that would prove to bring in the winning run in the ninth inning. Pete Jezerinac (Kennesaw State) pitched 2.1 hitless innings out of the bullpen, earning the win after walking just one batter and striking out four down the stretch.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

For the fourth successive game, the Woodchucks took the lead at the start. In the top of the first, a groundout from Ryan Chase (Santa Fe CC/Kansas) scored Keagen Jirschele (South Dakota State). However, Kenosha responded with a run in the bottom of the first, and took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the third.

A Joey McLaughlin (Arkansas State) RBI triple cut the lead to one in the top of the fourth, but Kenosha cancelled out that run with a run of their own in the bottom half, making the score 4-2. But remarkably, in the fifth inning, everything changed when Caleb Karll hit his first home run of the season, a two-run bomb to left field after an eight-pitch battle, that tied the game at four.

Late on, when the Woodchucks’ needed players to step up, they rose to the occasion. Kenosha loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh, and when Pete Jezerinac entered the game from the bullpen, he struck out the last hitter of the inning to make it through unscathed. Then, in the ninth, Wausau loaded the bases, and with two outs an nobody on base, the Woodchucks loaded the bases on three consecutive walks.

The next batter, Caleb Karll, was hit by a pitch, giving the Woodchucks their biggest run of the summer to take the lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the winning run came to the plate, but a deep fly out to center field ended the game, reviving Wausau’s chances of making the postseason.

NOTES AND NUMBERS

• Caleb Karll’s bases-loaded hit-by-pitch gave Wausau a go-ahead run in the ninth inning as the road team for just the second time this season, and the first time since June 13.
• After 47 games and 148 at bats, stretching across three seasons, Caleb Karll hit his first Northwoods League home run of his career tonight.
• Ryan Chase moved into the top 10 among all Northwoods League players this summer in total RBI, now with 49 in 52 total games played.
• Wausau is now 10-2 this summer when Pete Jezerinac pitches.
• With his RBI triple Thursday, Joey McLaughlin picked up his 14th extra base hit on the summer.

WHAT’S NEXT

Wausau improves to 43-21, and 22-12 in the second half. Once again, Wausau moves to just a half game back of the Lakeshore Chinooks, who lead the Great Lakes West Division for the final playoff spot in the division, with two games left in the regular season. The Chinooks host the Rockford Rivets on Friday, before travelling to Rockford to end the regular season on Saturday, and the Woodchucks will be looking for help from the Rivets for a path to be opened to the postseason.

Wausau now returns home for the final two games of the regular season, both against the Minnesota Mud Puppies. The first game of the final series comes Friday, August 7, with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. The stakes of Wausau’s playoff race are also complimented by the Summer Hits Post Game Firework Show, the last firework show of the year! Come celebrate the sounds of the summer, presented by Sanford Health Marshfield Clinic! There’s also other events at the ballpark, one of them being “Strike Out Hunger Night” presented by Sanford Health Marshfield Clinic, as fans can help us Strike Out Hunger with a community driven food drive, and stay for a phenomenal firework show. Finally, it’s the fundraiser night for the DC Everest Band! Tickets for this weekend’s massive two-game set are still available online for purchase at woodchucks.com.