BLANCHARDVILLE - Appropriately, the Bullets made their long-awaited return to the postseason with a bang Wednesday night.
That is, unofficially.
Blanchardville (6-10) used an 11-run third inning at the sunken gem of McKellar Park to rout Richland Center in seven innings, 16-5.
Rod Olson, who along with his son Aaron, took over the Bullets in 2002, is the Western Section representative. After double-checking his information with Southest Section co-champion Evansville's manager Jon Frey, Olson says his team is postseason bound for the first time during the Olson administration.
"Based on my information ... as I speak right now, that's how the standings finish out," Olson said.
If New Glarus should defeat the Royals at home in another rain makeup tonight, the Tourists will have the sixth seed, while the Bullets fit in the seventh slot and Dodgeville rounds out the field in eighth.
When the tiebreakers shake out, the 6-10 Monroe Brewers are left out in the cold after getting red hot to win the last three games of the season. Wiota (5), Ridgeway (4), Argyle (3), Hollandale (2) and Verona (1) round out the qualifying teams.
There was a pregame bang as a stray batting practice pitch caught Will Hodgson in the mouth.
The third batter in the third-inning eruption, Hodgson had a two-run double and added an RBI-single before the second out was recorded, making the most of his only two official at-bats.
Blanchardville rolled over its order before Aaron Theobald, who started the rally with a single, rolled a tailor-made double-play ball to short. But the Bullets' starter, Milton Kurschner, took out the second baseman with an aggressive slide.
"He just took the second baseman out," Olson beamed.
Hodgson then cracked his second RBI-hit before Adam Hughes slapped his second hit of the inning to plate Luke Syse and seize a 12-2 lead.
Kurschner, who went 3-for-4 to lead five Bullets with multi-hit games, relied on his curveball on the hill to keep the Royals' batters honest. His pitch-to-contact approach got him in trouble early, as Center took a 2-0 lead through an inning.
But Aaron Gifford pilfered back-to-back bases with one out off lefty starter Jason Noble in the bottom of the second before scoring on a groundout to cut the early lead in half.
Olson is a sucker for a manufactured run.
"That was a run we really needed at the time; very important run," Olson said.
After the third-inning avalanche, the Bullets answered a two-run Royals sixth with four of their own in the bottom half, all but sealing up an abbreviated victory.
A victory that resonates with Olson and his grassroots operation.
"We've had a long dry spell here and I'm just proud to say that we've done this with homegrown kids," Olson said.
That is, unofficially.
Blanchardville (6-10) used an 11-run third inning at the sunken gem of McKellar Park to rout Richland Center in seven innings, 16-5.
Rod Olson, who along with his son Aaron, took over the Bullets in 2002, is the Western Section representative. After double-checking his information with Southest Section co-champion Evansville's manager Jon Frey, Olson says his team is postseason bound for the first time during the Olson administration.
"Based on my information ... as I speak right now, that's how the standings finish out," Olson said.
If New Glarus should defeat the Royals at home in another rain makeup tonight, the Tourists will have the sixth seed, while the Bullets fit in the seventh slot and Dodgeville rounds out the field in eighth.
When the tiebreakers shake out, the 6-10 Monroe Brewers are left out in the cold after getting red hot to win the last three games of the season. Wiota (5), Ridgeway (4), Argyle (3), Hollandale (2) and Verona (1) round out the qualifying teams.
There was a pregame bang as a stray batting practice pitch caught Will Hodgson in the mouth.
The third batter in the third-inning eruption, Hodgson had a two-run double and added an RBI-single before the second out was recorded, making the most of his only two official at-bats.
Blanchardville rolled over its order before Aaron Theobald, who started the rally with a single, rolled a tailor-made double-play ball to short. But the Bullets' starter, Milton Kurschner, took out the second baseman with an aggressive slide.
"He just took the second baseman out," Olson beamed.
Hodgson then cracked his second RBI-hit before Adam Hughes slapped his second hit of the inning to plate Luke Syse and seize a 12-2 lead.
Kurschner, who went 3-for-4 to lead five Bullets with multi-hit games, relied on his curveball on the hill to keep the Royals' batters honest. His pitch-to-contact approach got him in trouble early, as Center took a 2-0 lead through an inning.
But Aaron Gifford pilfered back-to-back bases with one out off lefty starter Jason Noble in the bottom of the second before scoring on a groundout to cut the early lead in half.
Olson is a sucker for a manufactured run.
"That was a run we really needed at the time; very important run," Olson said.
After the third-inning avalanche, the Bullets answered a two-run Royals sixth with four of their own in the bottom half, all but sealing up an abbreviated victory.
A victory that resonates with Olson and his grassroots operation.
"We've had a long dry spell here and I'm just proud to say that we've done this with homegrown kids," Olson said.
