‘Menster Mash’: Jack Menster powers Cascade past Woodward-Granger in Class 2A state baseball quarterfinal

CARROLL — Jack Menster?

More like Jack Monster.

As in the monster game the Cascade senior produced Tuesday.

Menster tallied two hits and four RBIs, including a bases-clearing triple that put the Cougars ahead for good in a 7-6 victory over Woodward-Granger in a Class 2A state baseball quarterfinal at Merchants Park. The Cougars (25-8) advance to Thursday’s semifinal against the winner of Williamsburg and Underwood at 4:30 p.m.

“I’ve been seeing the ball decent all year,” said Menster, who entered the game with a .320 average and 23 RBIs. “I just went up there and I swung and do what I can do.”

The Cougars reached the semifinals for the second time in school history and first time since 2015.

“It feels awesome,” Cascade’s Cade Rausch said. “I really wanted to come back. it feels amazing to come back again.”

Menster’s biggest rip came in the bottom of the third with the Cougars down a run. The Hawks elected to intentionally walk Rausch to load the bases and face Menster. He made it a big mistake, belting a line-drive triple over the head of the center fielder. Cass Hoffman, Will Hosch and Jake Hosch rumbled around to score, making it 6-4.

“When Jack walked up to the plate, it was a little bit of a different aura about him in that moment,” Cascade Coach Roamn Hummel said. “He hit that ball and that ball was smoked.”

The intentional walk to Rausch didn’t set well with Menster.

“They put the runner on in front of me,” Menster said. “I just love it when they do that. It puts me in a good spot.”

The big hit was preceded by small ball earlier in the inning. Mason Otting led off with a single and Hoffman and Will Hosch had consecutive bunt singles. Mick Hoffman’s sacrifice fly plated Otting to pull Cascade within one.

Menster also had an RBI single in the two-run second, driving in Nathan Schockemoehl and cutting Woodward-Granger’s early lead in half. Mick Hoffman scored the Cougars’ first run, reaching on an error and coming in on Rausch's second hit of the game.

Getting on the scoreboard helped boost the confidence of the Cougars, who remained confident in a comeback.

“That helped a lot,” Menster said. “That let us know that we can play with these guys, start hitting again and play our baseball.”

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Photos: Cascade vs. Woodward-Granger in state baseball quarterfinals

Menster added a single in the fifth. He finished 3-for-3 with a walk.

Woodward-Granger struck first in its opening at-bat. Sam Sejnoha and Brody Nardini started the game with back-to-back singles. An errant pick-off throw from the catcher skipped into right field, allowing Sejnoha to score from second. Tanner Ramsey’s RBI single drove in Nardini for a 2-0 early lead.

The Hawks doubled their lead the following inning. Landon Chambers drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a bunt. He moved to third on a wild pitch, crossing the plate on No. 9 batter Ethan Moats’ base hit. Moats scored on a Nardini infield single.

Hummel sensed the Cougars’ tension when trailing earlier in the postseason. Their demeanor was different this time. He had faith they would climb back into the game.

“I just told them to be calm,” Hummel said. “I just told our guys we were going to score runs. We just have to calm ourselves down, trust what we’re going to do, believe in the process of what we’ve done all year long and good things will happen.”

Woodward-Granger (20-6) made things interesting in the sixth, getting a two-run single from Sejnoha to cut the deficit to one.

Rausch weathered the storm and limited Woodward-Granger after the sixth. He had nine strikeouts with all but one coming after the second.

“I started them off with more fastballs in the beginning, and they smoked them,” Rausch said. “I started off with more curveballs ahead of the count, the whole count actually. I kept them off their toes.”

Cascade received a balanced effort at the plate. Each starter reached base with eight getting at least one hit.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com