ARGYLE - A heads-up play by Argyle senior Kevin Berg led the Orioles to a thrilling 5-4 baseball win over Potosi on Thursday.
With two runners in scoring position, Potosi walked Nick Martin and Berg, standing at third, scored the game-winning run on a passed ball.
"Everyone was waiting for the walk so they could have the force out anywhere," Argyle coach Travis Erickson said. "I was walking over to the on-deck circle and telling them on the second pitch, we would squeeze."
It didn't come to that for Argyle (1-2, 0-1 Six Rivers East) after Berg's bolt for home.
"It was a good heads-up play on his part," Erickson said.
Berg led the Orioles at the plate, going 3-for-3. Fellow senior Andy Bohlman was 2-for-4.
Argyle sophomore Nate Thomas pitched five innings, yielding five hits and walking four. Senior Matt Cash relieved and pitched two shutout innings for the win. He struck out four and allowed no hits.
"We avoided the big inning," Erickson said. "That's what killed us the first two games."
PECATONICA 19, HIGHLAND 2
BLANCHARDVILLE - Walks are a pitcher's worst nightmare and the Vikings took advantage of some wildness to beat Highland.
Pecatonica (2-0) scored eight runs in the first inning. The Vikings were patient at the plate and batted around the order in the first with five walks. The big hit was senior Lee Vlasak's two-run single. Vlasak was 3-for-4 with a double and Tannar Johnson was 2-for-4.
Pecatonica senior Milton Kurschner earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked none. Vlasak pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
"He's one of the leaders on our team," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said of Kurschner. "He's played a lot of baseball. He has a lot of baseball smarts on the mound and in the infield."
Highland pitchers combined to walk 13 and hit two batters.
"That was the story of the game," Strommen said. "With the multiple number of runners, we were able to take advantage of that."
ALBANY 11, WILLIAMS BAY 3
ALBANY - The Comets overcame a tough fielding day to slug their way to a win.
Albany (3-1, 1-0 Six Rivers East) committed four of its six errors in the first inning as Williams Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three unearned runs.
"We started the game really sluggish," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "It took us a while to wake up. Once we did, we got rolling."
The Comets scored five runs in both the fourth and sixth innings. The Comets did all of their damage with two outs. Josh Peters had an RBI single. Tyler Briggs singled and senior Brandon Pfeuti came through with an RBI single. The big blow came on senior Mike Elmer's two-run double, which gave the Comets a 6-3 lead.
Albany had four players with multiple hits, including Pfeuti (2-for-3), Elmer (2-for-4), Boomer Detra (2-for-4) and Phil Kauk (2-for-4). The Comets had three others hit doubles in addition to Elmer, including Pfeuti, Detra and T.J. Zweifel. Junior Bryce Hulbert pitched a complete game, striking out nine and walking five.
WISCONSIN HEIGHTS 12, MONTICELLO 0
MONTICELLO - The Ponies' offense couldn't match the hitting ability of the Vanguards. Wisconsin Heights pounded out 12 runs in the first two innings, putting Monticello (1-1), and sophomore starting pitcher Corey McGowan, on their heels.
"They hit the ball really hard," Ponies head coach Jason Pinnow said. "They put it in play with some nice hits that went into gaps and just past the stretch of our fielders."
Monticello's two errors in the game came in the second inning, when the Vanguards scored nine runs.
"We gave them over three extra runs," Pinnow said.
McGowan allowed nine earned runs in five innings, walking two and striking out one.
"I thought Corey pitched pretty well. He was throwing strikes. (Wisconsin Heights was) just hitting gaps. And we didn't score any runs, either," Pinnow said.
Tyler Ritschard was 2-for-2 at the dish for the Ponies.
MINERAL POINT 4, NEW GLARUS 3
MINERAL POINT - The Glarner Knights gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to fall to the Pointers.
Mineral Point called upon freshman Brady Tibbits to pinch-hit in the sixth, and he came through with a two-run single.
Kirbe French pitched all six innings for New Glarus, striking out two, while allowing five hits and two earned runs. The Knights had two errors in the game, and had six hits.
Mineral Point pitchers Nick Smith and Bobby Noland combined for nine strikeouts and zero walks. Noland struck out the side in his lone inning of work in the seventh.
Matt Felt had a double for New Glarus.
CUBA CITY 11, BLACK HAWK 1
SOUTH WAYNE - Cuba City pounded out 11 hits as the Cubans slugged their way past Black Hawk.
The Cubans scored five runs in the fifth to open up a 9-1 lead.
Black Hawk senior Payton Schliem led the Warriors, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Warrior freshman Mike Walker pitched five innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
McFARLAND 19, BRODHEAD 6
MCFARLAND - The Cardinals couldn't stop the McFarland's bats as the Spartans pounded their way to a win.
Brodhead jumped 2-0, but the Cardinals couldn't hold the lead. The Spartans scored 10 runs in the third inning and never looked back. The Cardinals had five hits and were led by Michael Peterson, who was 2-for-3 at the plate.
With two runners in scoring position, Potosi walked Nick Martin and Berg, standing at third, scored the game-winning run on a passed ball.
"Everyone was waiting for the walk so they could have the force out anywhere," Argyle coach Travis Erickson said. "I was walking over to the on-deck circle and telling them on the second pitch, we would squeeze."
It didn't come to that for Argyle (1-2, 0-1 Six Rivers East) after Berg's bolt for home.
"It was a good heads-up play on his part," Erickson said.
Berg led the Orioles at the plate, going 3-for-3. Fellow senior Andy Bohlman was 2-for-4.
Argyle sophomore Nate Thomas pitched five innings, yielding five hits and walking four. Senior Matt Cash relieved and pitched two shutout innings for the win. He struck out four and allowed no hits.
"We avoided the big inning," Erickson said. "That's what killed us the first two games."
PECATONICA 19, HIGHLAND 2
BLANCHARDVILLE - Walks are a pitcher's worst nightmare and the Vikings took advantage of some wildness to beat Highland.
Pecatonica (2-0) scored eight runs in the first inning. The Vikings were patient at the plate and batted around the order in the first with five walks. The big hit was senior Lee Vlasak's two-run single. Vlasak was 3-for-4 with a double and Tannar Johnson was 2-for-4.
Pecatonica senior Milton Kurschner earned the win, pitching four innings and giving up two runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked none. Vlasak pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
"He's one of the leaders on our team," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said of Kurschner. "He's played a lot of baseball. He has a lot of baseball smarts on the mound and in the infield."
Highland pitchers combined to walk 13 and hit two batters.
"That was the story of the game," Strommen said. "With the multiple number of runners, we were able to take advantage of that."
ALBANY 11, WILLIAMS BAY 3
ALBANY - The Comets overcame a tough fielding day to slug their way to a win.
Albany (3-1, 1-0 Six Rivers East) committed four of its six errors in the first inning as Williams Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead with three unearned runs.
"We started the game really sluggish," Albany coach Brian Dahl said. "It took us a while to wake up. Once we did, we got rolling."
The Comets scored five runs in both the fourth and sixth innings. The Comets did all of their damage with two outs. Josh Peters had an RBI single. Tyler Briggs singled and senior Brandon Pfeuti came through with an RBI single. The big blow came on senior Mike Elmer's two-run double, which gave the Comets a 6-3 lead.
Albany had four players with multiple hits, including Pfeuti (2-for-3), Elmer (2-for-4), Boomer Detra (2-for-4) and Phil Kauk (2-for-4). The Comets had three others hit doubles in addition to Elmer, including Pfeuti, Detra and T.J. Zweifel. Junior Bryce Hulbert pitched a complete game, striking out nine and walking five.
WISCONSIN HEIGHTS 12, MONTICELLO 0
MONTICELLO - The Ponies' offense couldn't match the hitting ability of the Vanguards. Wisconsin Heights pounded out 12 runs in the first two innings, putting Monticello (1-1), and sophomore starting pitcher Corey McGowan, on their heels.
"They hit the ball really hard," Ponies head coach Jason Pinnow said. "They put it in play with some nice hits that went into gaps and just past the stretch of our fielders."
Monticello's two errors in the game came in the second inning, when the Vanguards scored nine runs.
"We gave them over three extra runs," Pinnow said.
McGowan allowed nine earned runs in five innings, walking two and striking out one.
"I thought Corey pitched pretty well. He was throwing strikes. (Wisconsin Heights was) just hitting gaps. And we didn't score any runs, either," Pinnow said.
Tyler Ritschard was 2-for-2 at the dish for the Ponies.
MINERAL POINT 4, NEW GLARUS 3
MINERAL POINT - The Glarner Knights gave up two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to fall to the Pointers.
Mineral Point called upon freshman Brady Tibbits to pinch-hit in the sixth, and he came through with a two-run single.
Kirbe French pitched all six innings for New Glarus, striking out two, while allowing five hits and two earned runs. The Knights had two errors in the game, and had six hits.
Mineral Point pitchers Nick Smith and Bobby Noland combined for nine strikeouts and zero walks. Noland struck out the side in his lone inning of work in the seventh.
Matt Felt had a double for New Glarus.
CUBA CITY 11, BLACK HAWK 1
SOUTH WAYNE - Cuba City pounded out 11 hits as the Cubans slugged their way past Black Hawk.
The Cubans scored five runs in the fifth to open up a 9-1 lead.
Black Hawk senior Payton Schliem led the Warriors, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Warrior freshman Mike Walker pitched five innings and gave up seven runs on nine hits. He struck out eight and walked two.
McFARLAND 19, BRODHEAD 6
MCFARLAND - The Cardinals couldn't stop the McFarland's bats as the Spartans pounded their way to a win.
Brodhead jumped 2-0, but the Cardinals couldn't hold the lead. The Spartans scored 10 runs in the third inning and never looked back. The Cardinals had five hits and were led by Michael Peterson, who was 2-for-3 at the plate.
