SHEBOYGAN FALLS -- Cole Heili blew the door wide open and Nate Heili slammed it shut.
It was Cole Heili who drove in three runs in the first two innings to spark Sheboygan Falls' baseball team to an early 5-0 lead over Kewaskum in a WIAA sectional final, and Nate Heili fired a complete-game three-hit shutout as the Falcons advanced to State for the second consecutive year with a 6-0 win Monday at Falls.
"I'm so proud of them," Falls coach Ryan Fladvid said of his team. "I couldn't be more proud. I coached them harder this year than I did last year because I knew we had more talent. I knew we had a good chance of getting back (to State) this year."
These two teams met three times in the regular season, with each game coming down to the end.
This time around, however, the Falcons (25-4) jumped on the Indians (23-6) and starter Brad Boegel early, and didn't let up.
After leadoff hitter Bobby Musil drove a single to left field on the first pitch of the game, Zach Van Engen laid down a sacrifice bunt, followed by Cole Heili driving an RBI-double to left and later scoring on an infield error.
Then in the top of the second, Cole Heili ripped a two-out, two-run triple to right center before again scoring on a Kewaskum error to put Falls up comfortably, 5-0.
"(Boegel's) been getting me out lately with his fastball," Cole Heili said. "He's been blowing it by me. I switched to a lighter bat and I told myself I'm going to sit fastball and hit that."
After his older brother staked him to a five-run lead, Nate Heili went to work on the Indians' order.
He scattered singles in the second, sixth and seventh innings and seemed to get stronger as the game went on. All six of his strikeouts came in the fourth inning or later.
"I was feeling good," Nate Heili said. "Coach gave me a week off to rest. My fastball was working. Our team had a lot of energy tonight and we came out scoring first, that really boosted me up."
"He's a bulldog," Fladvid said of his sophomore pitcher. "He's a sophomore but he plays a lot older than a sophomore. I couldn't be more proud of how he handled the pressure out there."
After the early fireworks, Falls' bats quieted until the seventh, when Van Engen led off with a single and Cole Heili followed with another single that got by the centerfielder and allowed Van Engen to score.
"That last (at-bat)," said Fladvid. "He just stayed within himself, got on top of the ball and drove it."
Cole Heili finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI and was a home run shy of the cycle. Van Engen added a 2-for-3 performance with two runs.
Falls will face Oak Creek (26-7) in a state semifinal Friday at 3:15 p.m. at Kapco Park in Mequon.
Sheb. Falls 7, Plymouth 0
Cole Heili threw a complete-game three-hitter as Falls advanced. Heili struck out six and walked one.
The Falcons scored four runs in the third inning and three in the sixth. Two Plymouth (20-8) fielding errors helped lead to five unearned runs, dooming the Panthers' chances.
Johnny Sneen went 2-for-2 and Jake Meyer also had two hits for Falls. Jake Klemme took the loss for Plymouth, which got hits from Klemme, Zach Cain and Tyler Willeford
Kewaskum 9, Two Rivers 0
Four Indians pitchers combined on a nine-hit shutout to move on to the finals.
Sam Olla went had two hits, two runs and two RBI, and Garrett Yahr and Tony Gonring also knocked in two runs for the Indians.
Bo Skornicka and Brett Kasper each had two hits for TR (10-13).
