ATHENS BASEBALL SLIDES PAST ABBOTSFORD/COLBY TO MOVE INTO TIE FOR FIRST IN MARAWOOD NORTH

Zaleski Sports

ATHENS – Dayne Diethelm scattered seven hits in a complete-game effort to lead Athens to a 5-1 win over Abbotsford/Colby in a Marawood Conference North Division baseball game Thursday.

The win moves Athens (5-3 overall) into a three-way tie with Phillips and Rib Lake for first place in the Marawood North at 3-1 after earning a split in the conference series with the Falcons. Abby/Colby (8-3, 2-2 Marawood North) beat Athens 7-3 on Tuesday.

Athens took a 1-0 lead with a successful squeeze bunt by Kyler Ellenbecker in the fourth innings.

Abbotsford/Colby tied the game in the top of the fifth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Brandon Diedrich, but that was all the Falcons would muster against Diethelm, who struck out seven and walked two in his seven innings of work.

Athens pulled ahead 2-1 as a run scored on a two-out error in the fifth, then put the game away with a three-run sixth.

Damien Haines had an RBI single, Cooper Diedrich knocked in a run with a double, and Jake Denzine had an RBI with a groundout to push the Bluejays’ lead to 5-1.

Both teams return to action Friday with nonconference road games. Abby/Colby is at Wausau Newman Catholic and Athens will be at Stratford.

Bluejays 5, Falcons 1

Abbotsford/Colby 000 010 0 - 1 7 4

Athens 000 113 x - 5 6 1

WP: Dayne Diethelm. LP: Ross Elmhorst.

SO: Elmhorst (5 inn.) 4, Marco Olvera (1 inn.) 0; Diethelm 7. BB: Elmhorst 2, Olvera 2; Diethelm 2.

Top hitters: AC, Hunter Soyk 2x4; Olvera 2x4. ATH, Cooper Diedrich 3x3, 2B, RBI; Kyler Ellenbecker 2B, RBI.

Records: Abbotsford/Colby 8-3, 2-2 Marawood Conference North Division; Athens 5-3, 3-1 Marawood North.