June 30, 2025 – West Bend, Wi – In a game that had all the makings of heartbreak, the West Bend Spirits instead authored one of the most memorable comebacks in Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic tournament history, exploding for six runs in the final inning to stun the Greenville Stars 7-3 Sunday afternoon at Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field to reach the tournament final against tournament co-host Kewaskum A’s.
Trailing 3-1 entering the final frame, the Spirits sent 10 men to the plate in a rally that featured four hits, three walks, and a hit batsman – transforming what seemed like certain defeat into a signature victory that almost felt like fate.
“Speechless!” said Spirits manager Willie Mueller, still catching his breath in the dugout afterward, trying to digest the last inning that almost wasn’t. “We had about everything that could go against us, go against us for six innings. We barely got the inning started due to the time limit and then every ball that was right at guys the first six innings, started finding green grass.”
The dramatic finish overshadowed what had been a classic pitcher’s duel through six innings. Spirits right-hander Gavin Hinckley rebounded from a shaky first inning to dominate the middle frames, while Stars starter Bo Anderson and reliever Kael Konrad kept the West Bend offense largely in check.
West Bend struck first in the opening inning when Ben Hurt Haller roped a double to center field and came home on Quinn Zills’ RBI single. But Greenville answered immediately in the bottom half, loading the bases with singles from Kameron Chronis and Brett Sommer before Camden Kuhnke nearly cleared them with a two-run double down the left field line. Kaden Kreski’s groundout made it 3-1, and that’s where the score sat as the teams traded zeros through the next five innings.
“Gavin settled down beautifully after that first,” Mueller said of his starter, who went the distance for the complete-game victory. “He started changing speeds, keeping them off balance, he started throwing that slider anywhere he wanted.”
Hinckley scattered seven hits while striking out seven and walking just two, keeping the Stars at bay while his offense searched for answers against Greenville’s pitching. Through six innings, West Bend had managed just four hits and drawn five walks, with several runners stranded in scoring position and four double plays that ended constant threats.
Then came the seventh.
Brandon Niedfeldt worked a leadoff walk against Konrad, who had been cruising since entering in the fourth inning. Hurt Haller was plunked by the next pitch, and Zills drew another walk to load the bases with nobody out – setting the stage for the kind of rally that can define a season.
After a strikeout, Caleb Horvath stepped into the box and delivered the game’s biggest hit, lacing a single to left field that scored Niedfeldt and Hurt Haller to tie the game at 3-3.
“Caleb keeps finding himself in big spots,” Mueller explained. “He got a good pitch to hit and it broke the dam open for us.”
The floodgates opened from there. Alex Pluta followed with his own two-run single to right field, putting the Spirits ahead 5-3 and bringing the Greenville coaching staff to the mound. The pitching change to Chayce Schultz couldn’t stem the tide, as pinch-hitter Adam Lucas doubled to center field to make it 6-3, and Nathan Crick capped the outburst with an RBI double of his own for the final 7-3 margin.
“That’s what good teams do,” Mueller said. “They put together quality at-bats, they work counts, they make good swings on good pitches. Having a guy like Adam coming off the bench with that double – that’s the kind of team we’ve been trying to build. Adam is so valuable to us. He’s the leader, the standard barrier we badly needed after Matt Parrent retired.”
The rally was even more impressive considering the Stars’ defensive work through the first six innings. Greenville played error-free baseball behind Anderson, who allowed just one earned run on five hits through his three-inning stint before yielding to Konrad.
For the Stars, the loss was particularly painful given their strong position entering the seventh. Kuhnke’s early two-run double had given them the lead, while Sommer and Ethan Peters had multiple hit games and provided consistent offensive production throughout the contest.
“Brett Wallenfang warned us about Greenville and that lineup,” Mueller said of the opposition, referencing the Appleton Legends manager. “That is one talented group of young men over there. They can really swing the bats. We were fortunate that we had Gavin left to throw.”
Hinckley, meanwhile, continued to do what he’s come to do over his illustrious West Bend career. The veteran right-hander faced 31 batters and needed just 101 pitches to complete the seven-inning gem.
“Gavin is such a weapon,” Mueller said. “He’s been our horse for a few seasons, and today he showed again why. When you can get a complete game, against a lineup like that, from someone who drove straight to the ballpark from Minneapolis prior to the game, it sets the tone for everyone else.”
The statistical line told the story of a game that turned on a dime. West Bend managed just four hits through six innings before collecting six in the decisive seventh, while drawing seven walks total to keep pressure on the Greenville pitching staff throughout the contest.
For a Spirits team that has preached the importance of grinding out at-bats and staying patient at the plate, Sunday’s comeback served as validation of their approach – particularly with four double plays working against them through the first six innings.
“This is the kind of win that can spark you for weeks,” Mueller said, watching his team try to regroup and reset for the upcoming WABC championship game. “We’ll be able to enjoy and appreciate this one a little more tomorrow, right now we have to refocus and get ready for Kewaskum and try to tap into some more energy for one win.”
The Spirits have moved on to the championship game of the Wisconsin Amateur Baseball Classic in their return to the tournament they’ve co-hosted with the Kewaskum A’s for the past 11 seasons.
Box Score
West Bend Spirits 7, Greenville Stars 3
Game Info:
-
Date: Sunday, June 29, 2025
-
Location: Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field – West Bend, WI
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Weather: Sunny – 89 degrees
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Records: West Bend Spirits (11-3), Greenville Stars ()
Line Score
Team |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
R |
H |
E |
West Bend |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
X |
X |
7 |
10 |
2 |
Greenville |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
X |
X |
3 |
7 |
0 |
WP: Gavin Hinckley (3-0) LP: Kael Konrad ()
WEST BEND SPIRITS
# |
Player |
Position |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
3 |
Ben Hurt Haller |
CF |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
24 |
Quinn Zills |
2B |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
Camden Hoier |
1B |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
Caleb Horvath |
C |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
25 |
Colyn Lessila |
SS |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
Alex Pluta |
RF |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
Drake Grod |
3B |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
Adam Lucas |
3B |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
Nathan Crick |
DH |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
Brandon Niedfeldt |
LF |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
TEAM TOTALS |
26 |
7 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
-
2B: Adam Lucas, Ben Hurt Haller, Quinn Zills, Nathan Crick
-
HBP: Camden Hoier, Alex Pluta, Ben Hurt Haller
-
CS: Brandon Niedfledt
-
E: Colyn Lessila 2
# |
Pitcher |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decision |
18 |
Gavin Hinckley |
7.0 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
W (3-0) |
TEAM TOTALS |
7.0 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
-
Pitches-Strikes: Gavin Hinckley 101-66
-
Batters Faced: Gavin Hinckley 31
GREENVILLE STARS
# |
Player |
Position |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
00 |
Kameron Chronis |
CF |
4 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
18 |
Brett Sommer |
SS |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
19 |
Camden Kuhnke |
3B |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
30 |
Joe Fischer |
1B |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
Kaden Kreski |
RF |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
Ethan Peters |
LF |
3 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
Griffin Jens |
2B |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
36 |
Rashaud Kastner |
C |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
Turner Kuhnke |
C |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
Kael Konrad |
DH/P |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
TEAM TOTALS |
29 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
-
2B: Camden Kuhnke
# |
Pitcher |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
Decision |
35 |
Bo Anderson |
3.0 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
– |
8 |
Kael Konrad |
3.0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
L () |
1 |
Chayce Schultz |
1.0 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
|
TEAM TOTALS |
7.0 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
-
HBP: Kael Konrad 3
-
Pitches-Strikes: Bo Anderson 55-32, Kael Konrad 58-23, Chayce Schultz 19-15
-
Batters Faced: Bo Anderson 14, Kael Konrad 15, Chayce Schultz 7