DARLINGTON - Sophomore Nick Andrae hit a grand slam in the first inning to power the Darlington baseball team to an 11-8 win over Shullsburg-Benton in a WIAA Division 3 regional championship game Wednesday.
"Nick hit the ball really well to right center," Darlington coach Brad Solberg said. "He got into it when we needed him to."
Andrae's grand slam sparked a seven-run first inning.
It marks the first time Darlington has won a spring regional title in baseball. The last regional title for the Redbirds came in 1994 during summer baseball.
Andrae's blast was one of three home runs by the Redbirds. Senior Ryan Glendenning, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI, hit a solo home run in the fifth. Senior Will Schwartz crushed a two-run home run in the sixth.
"Shullsburg-Benton is a lot like us," Solberg said. "They have a big group of seniors who have won a lot of games in football, basketball and baseball. It was fitting to play them in the regional championship."
Darlington (16-7) advances to a sectional semifinal where the Redbirds will play Wisconsin Heights at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehall High School. Wisconsin Heights edged Poynette 8-7 in eight innings to win a regional title.
Glendenning pitched five innings to get the win Wednesday. He gave up seven runs - two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked four. Senior Chad Golackson tossed 11/3 innings in relief and gave up one unearned run, struck out two and walked three. Preston Banfield recorded the final two outs to get the save for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds now gear up for a sectional semifinal matchup against Wisconsin Heights.
"We don't care who we play or where we play," Solberg said. "We are just excited to be on the field every time we get the opportunity."
Pecatonica 17, Barneveld 0 (5)
BLANCHARDVILLE - Senior Jake Dearth went 2-for-4 with four RBI to help Pecatonica roll to a shutout in five innings over Barneveld in a WIAA Division 4 regional final.
Pecatonica (21-1), ranked No. 1 in the Division 4 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association state poll, scored 11 runs in the first inning. Every player in the Vikings' lineup had at least one hit, and six players collected multiple hits.
"It was a good (offensive performance) for us to have in a game like this," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "In four of our last five games we have kind of struggled at the plate."
It marks the second straight year Pecatonica has advanced to the sectional. Pecatonica will play Johnson Creek (19-6) in a sectional semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Barneveld.
Sophomore Carter Ruegsegger went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, and senior A.J. Hendrickson was 2-for-2 with one RBI. Senior Dakota Conwell finished 2-for-2, and senior Presly Hauser went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Senior Cory Linder went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Junior Evan Prust also drove in two runs.
Ruegsegger pitched a complete game to get the win. He tossed a four-hit shutout, struck out eight, walked none and hit one.
"Carter pitched really well for us," Strommen said. "It was his best performance of the year. He did a nice job from the get-go."
In a WIAA Division 2 regional championship game, Beloit Turner, ranked second in Division 2, defeated Brodhead-Juda 12-2 in six innings.
"Nick hit the ball really well to right center," Darlington coach Brad Solberg said. "He got into it when we needed him to."
Andrae's grand slam sparked a seven-run first inning.
It marks the first time Darlington has won a spring regional title in baseball. The last regional title for the Redbirds came in 1994 during summer baseball.
Andrae's blast was one of three home runs by the Redbirds. Senior Ryan Glendenning, who went 3-for-3 with two RBI, hit a solo home run in the fifth. Senior Will Schwartz crushed a two-run home run in the sixth.
"Shullsburg-Benton is a lot like us," Solberg said. "They have a big group of seniors who have won a lot of games in football, basketball and baseball. It was fitting to play them in the regional championship."
Darlington (16-7) advances to a sectional semifinal where the Redbirds will play Wisconsin Heights at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Whitehall High School. Wisconsin Heights edged Poynette 8-7 in eight innings to win a regional title.
Glendenning pitched five innings to get the win Wednesday. He gave up seven runs - two earned runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked four. Senior Chad Golackson tossed 11/3 innings in relief and gave up one unearned run, struck out two and walked three. Preston Banfield recorded the final two outs to get the save for the Redbirds.
The Redbirds now gear up for a sectional semifinal matchup against Wisconsin Heights.
"We don't care who we play or where we play," Solberg said. "We are just excited to be on the field every time we get the opportunity."
Pecatonica 17, Barneveld 0 (5)
BLANCHARDVILLE - Senior Jake Dearth went 2-for-4 with four RBI to help Pecatonica roll to a shutout in five innings over Barneveld in a WIAA Division 4 regional final.
Pecatonica (21-1), ranked No. 1 in the Division 4 Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association state poll, scored 11 runs in the first inning. Every player in the Vikings' lineup had at least one hit, and six players collected multiple hits.
"It was a good (offensive performance) for us to have in a game like this," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "In four of our last five games we have kind of struggled at the plate."
It marks the second straight year Pecatonica has advanced to the sectional. Pecatonica will play Johnson Creek (19-6) in a sectional semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Barneveld.
Sophomore Carter Ruegsegger went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, and senior A.J. Hendrickson was 2-for-2 with one RBI. Senior Dakota Conwell finished 2-for-2, and senior Presly Hauser went 2-for-3 with one RBI. Senior Cory Linder went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Junior Evan Prust also drove in two runs.
Ruegsegger pitched a complete game to get the win. He tossed a four-hit shutout, struck out eight, walked none and hit one.
"Carter pitched really well for us," Strommen said. "It was his best performance of the year. He did a nice job from the get-go."
In a WIAA Division 2 regional championship game, Beloit Turner, ranked second in Division 2, defeated Brodhead-Juda 12-2 in six innings.
