The Gibraltar/Washington Island Vikings won their second straight regional title on Thursday night, beating Iola-Scandinavia 4-1.
The Vikings' Aaron Brey and the Thunderbirds' Wyatt Wolberg bent but didn't break through the first three innings, allowing baserunners but never a critical hit that would have driven in runs. The Vikings finally broke through in the fourth inning thanks to three straight singles that led to Luke Rericha driving in the first run of the game. The biggest blow came two batter later when a sky-high pop-up by Liam Lindenberg when over the head of the left fielder to drive in a pair.
The Vikings pushed across an insurance run one inning later when Bennett Isaacson-Krueger followed up a walk and a single with a RBI single of his own to make it 4-1. The Thunderbirds threatened in the sixth with two on and one out and scratched across a run in the seventh on a RBI single by Wolberg, but Brady Kita was able to lock down the save and the win for the Vikings.
Isaacson-Krueger went 2-3 with an RBI in his final game as a Viking with Kita, Owen Dannhausen, Jaxin Lindgren, Rericha and Lindenberg also tallying hits. Brey struck out nine and was charged with one run (1 ER) across 6.1 innings.
The Vikings will battle a familiar foe in the sectional semifinal when they play Pacelli in Plover at 1 p.m. Tim Kowols will have the call on 105.1 The GOAT and NEW Radio Sports Network beginning at 12:45 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the first pitch at 1 p.m.
