Sheboygan A’s Win Second Straight NEWBL Championship in 14-Inning Classic
Posted: August 5, 2026
SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Five days. Three championships.
The Sheboygan A’s completed one of the most memorable stretches in franchise history Tuesday night, defeating the Menasha Macs 3-2 in a 14-inning thriller at a packed Wildwood Park to capture their second consecutive Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League championship.
The title capped an unforgettable week for the A’s, who also claimed their first Wisconsin State League championship since 2000 on Thursday before successfully defending their Wisconsin State League Tournament title on Sunday.
Connor Lasch delivered the championship-winning hit, lining a single to left field in the bottom of the 14th inning to score Harry Steldt and send the home crowd into celebration.
The dramatic finish came after Chase Hanselman walked, then Steldt reached via a fielder’s choice that resulted in Hanselman being out at second. Moxson Kernz followed up with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third. Menasha intentionally walked Cal Casper to load the bases, bringing Lasch to the plate. He worked the count before shooting a single into left field, scoring Steldt with the winning run and setting off the championship celebration.
The game featured a pitching masterpiece from Jared Reklaitis, who delivered one of the finest postseason performances in club history. The right-hander threw 11 innings, allowing just one unearned run on six hits while striking out 17 and walking only one. During his dominant outing, Reklaitis also recorded the 500th strikeout of his A’s career.
Menasha grabbed a 1-0 lead in the opening inning after an error allowed Ryan Csida to score, and that advantage held until the bottom of the ninth as Reklaitis and Menasha starter Hudson Ludwig traded scoreless innings.
With their season down to the final out in the ninth, the A’s finally broke through. Jimmy Juergensen doubled, Casper walked, and Lasch ripped a game-tying double into left field to score pinch runner Kernz and force extra innings.
Menasha regained a 2-1 lead in the top of the 12th on Jackson Anderson’s RBI single against reliever Jason Bunton. But once again, the A’s had an answer. Hanselman led off the bottom half of the inning by crushing a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 2-2 and sending the championship showdown even deeper into extra innings. Bunton settled in from there, retiring eight of the final 10 hitters he faced. After a pair of errors put the potential go-ahead run in scoring position in the 14th, the veteran right-hander struck out the final three Menasha batters to give Sheboygan one last chance to win it.
Lasch finished 3-for-6 with a double and two RBIs, driving in both the game-tying run in the ninth and the championship-winning run in the 14th. Hanselman added the clutch home run in the 12th, while Steldt collected two hits and scored the winning run. Casper reached base five times with four walks, helping fuel the offense throughout the marathon contest.
Bunton earned the victory with three innings of relief, allowing one unearned run while striking out five. Combined, Reklaitis and Bunton struck out 22 Menasha hitters in the championship clincher.
The championship is Sheboygan’s second straight NEWBL title and completes a remarkable finish to the season, as the A’s captured three championships in five days: the Wisconsin State League regular-season championship, the Wisconsin State League Tournament championship, and the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League championship.
The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
