MADISON — Hortonville made its tenth appearance in program history at the state tournament but faced a tough challenge from No. 6 Hartford Union's ace, Carter Kutz, one of the best pitchers in the state.
Kutz pitched a complete game, striking out 13 while allowing only one run, leading Hartford Union to a 4-1 victory in the state quarterfinals at Fox Cities Stadium.
"All credit to him; we got a good lineup too," said Hortonville senior catcher Tanner Kuhnke. "Once they found out that we have trouble with his offspeed, it was just like he got the boats moving, and we were just falling behind every time."
Hortonville head coach Greg Yeager, whose team made its second state appearance in the last three years, expressed pride in how his squad rallied to end the year, knocking off last year's state champ De Pere to get to state.
"Today wasn't our day. Just remember the journey, not the results today. It's tough today, but overall, I'm really proud of that group," Yeager said.
