JUDA - If Aaron Duecker's teammates have good memory, they'll be thanking their sophomore slugger weeks from now when postseason play opens.
Duecker hit a clothesline home run to dead center in the top of the seventh inning to salvage a 3-2 victory for Juda in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Tuesday, after Monticello won the 4-0 opener with a complete-game shutout by senior pitcher Dusty Ritschard.
"Duecker's homer was a line drive that didn't take a lot of time getting out," Juda coach Brent Bockhop said.
Earning a split was vital, as the clubs are the only two from the Six Rivers East in their WIAA Divison 4 regional.
"This was a huge seeding series for us," Bockhop said as his Panthers improved to 5-4.
The Ponies, meanwhile, slid to 2-4. Ritschard pounded the strike zone as he fanned five and walked four in the opener.
SIX RIVERS EAST
PECATONICA 11, ALBANY 2
Lee Vlasak sort of picked up where he left off in Tuesday's victory over Albany, a completion of a rain-suspended game.
The game resumed with the Vikings up 4-0 and runners at the corners with no one out in the bottom of the second. Pecatonica added three more runs and never looked back.
"This was a nice bounce back and a step in the right direction for us," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "It was good to get a win after last night's game."
After working a clean seventh in Monday's 7-3 loss at Black Hawk, Lee Vlasak cracked an RBI single in a two-run third to pull away. The junior had driven in two with a single before the game was suspended in addition to working the first two innings on the mound.
Senior catcher Drew Moen went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Thursday, the Vikings lose a home game as they travel to Argyle while the Lady Vikings will play softball in Hollandale and the Vikings' home diamond in Blanchardville remains under water.
NON-CONFERENCE
ORANGEVILLE 8, BLACK HAWK 5
There are a lot of games to play in little time, and Black Hawk coach Todd Strang is excited to get to them after Tuesday's ballgame.
"It wasn't pretty on either side," Strang said. "There wasn't a ball that was hit as a rope all night."
The Broncos took advantage of nine Warrior errors and never scored more than two runs in an inning. Three Warriors had multiple hits in the losing effort.
Duecker hit a clothesline home run to dead center in the top of the seventh inning to salvage a 3-2 victory for Juda in the second game of a baseball doubleheader Tuesday, after Monticello won the 4-0 opener with a complete-game shutout by senior pitcher Dusty Ritschard.
"Duecker's homer was a line drive that didn't take a lot of time getting out," Juda coach Brent Bockhop said.
Earning a split was vital, as the clubs are the only two from the Six Rivers East in their WIAA Divison 4 regional.
"This was a huge seeding series for us," Bockhop said as his Panthers improved to 5-4.
The Ponies, meanwhile, slid to 2-4. Ritschard pounded the strike zone as he fanned five and walked four in the opener.
SIX RIVERS EAST
PECATONICA 11, ALBANY 2
Lee Vlasak sort of picked up where he left off in Tuesday's victory over Albany, a completion of a rain-suspended game.
The game resumed with the Vikings up 4-0 and runners at the corners with no one out in the bottom of the second. Pecatonica added three more runs and never looked back.
"This was a nice bounce back and a step in the right direction for us," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "It was good to get a win after last night's game."
After working a clean seventh in Monday's 7-3 loss at Black Hawk, Lee Vlasak cracked an RBI single in a two-run third to pull away. The junior had driven in two with a single before the game was suspended in addition to working the first two innings on the mound.
Senior catcher Drew Moen went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Thursday, the Vikings lose a home game as they travel to Argyle while the Lady Vikings will play softball in Hollandale and the Vikings' home diamond in Blanchardville remains under water.
NON-CONFERENCE
ORANGEVILLE 8, BLACK HAWK 5
There are a lot of games to play in little time, and Black Hawk coach Todd Strang is excited to get to them after Tuesday's ballgame.
"It wasn't pretty on either side," Strang said. "There wasn't a ball that was hit as a rope all night."
The Broncos took advantage of nine Warrior errors and never scored more than two runs in an inning. Three Warriors had multiple hits in the losing effort.
