BRODHEAD - After falling behind by three runs, Brodhead-Juda coach Tom Nipple understands how doubt could creep into a player's head.
Argyle jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Brodhead-Juda Saturday, April 5, but the Cardinals rallied for a 6-3 comeback win over the Orioles.
"Some kids will get their heads down and have a 'woe is me' type of attitude," Nipple said. "I think we kept battling for every pitch. We didn't hang our heads."
Argyle senior Alec Treuthardt walked to lead off the first inning. He stole second and scored on a passed ball. Colton Ploessl was hit by a pitch and junior Brock Bruehlman doubled. Sophomore Riley Ostby came through with an RBI single to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, the Orioles squandered an opportunity to add to their lead.
Ploessl delivered an RBI double in the second. The Orioles had two on and one out in the second, but couldn't score more than one run. The Orioles, ranked No. 7 in the preseason Baseball Coaches Association Division 4 poll, left five of their seven runners on base in the first two innings.
"I think we thought it was going to be easy after the first two innings," Argyle coach Chuck Bredeson said. "I don't know if it was the first game or not. We really didn't do anything right offensively or defensively after the first two innings. We thought this year was going to be easy because we pretty much have everyone back. It will be tougher this year because we have higher expectations."
Nipple understands that even though the Cardinals fell behind early, the damage could have been much worse.
"They (Argyle) had the potential to score five, six or seven runs," Nipple said. "We got out of those first two innings giving up just two runs. That was huge."
Brodhead-Juda's Griffin Day delivered a two-out double in the third that sparked the Cardinals to a two-run inning off Treuthardt. Treuthardt pitched three innings and gave up two runs.
"That relaxed everybody," Nipple said of the two-run third to cut the Orioles' lead to 3-2.
The Cardinals rallied with Tyler Schwartzlow delivering a game-tying RBI single to center in the fourth off Argyle relief pitcher Ploessl to score Day to tie the game at 3. Ploessl pitched three innings and took the loss after giving up four runs.
Brodhead-Juda's Daniel Skoumal pitched five shutout innings in relief to get the win. Both Schwartzlow and Day each had two hits to lead the Cardinals.
"He (Skoumal) had a good fastball and he got ahead of hitters," Nipple said. "He was keeping the ball down. It's the best I have seen him pitch in two years. He had a lot of confidence. He was rolling."
Bredeson said committing four errors, striking out six times looking and making about four mental errors were tough to overcome.
"It's a credit to their pitchers," Bredeson said. "When we got on base, they threw strikes and struck us out."
Argyle will host Wisconsin Heights, ranked No. 2 in the preseason Division 3 poll, on Thursday, April 10. It won't get any easier for Brodhead-Juda. The Cardinals will host Edgerton, ranked ninth in the preseason Division 2 poll, on Tuesday, April 8 and will play at East Troy Thursday, April 10 and have games later this season against No. 1 ranked Jefferson and No. 6 ranked Big Foot.
"It's very important to get a win because there are three teams in our conference state ranked," Nipple said.
Argyle jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Brodhead-Juda Saturday, April 5, but the Cardinals rallied for a 6-3 comeback win over the Orioles.
"Some kids will get their heads down and have a 'woe is me' type of attitude," Nipple said. "I think we kept battling for every pitch. We didn't hang our heads."
Argyle senior Alec Treuthardt walked to lead off the first inning. He stole second and scored on a passed ball. Colton Ploessl was hit by a pitch and junior Brock Bruehlman doubled. Sophomore Riley Ostby came through with an RBI single to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead. With the bases loaded and one out, the Orioles squandered an opportunity to add to their lead.
Ploessl delivered an RBI double in the second. The Orioles had two on and one out in the second, but couldn't score more than one run. The Orioles, ranked No. 7 in the preseason Baseball Coaches Association Division 4 poll, left five of their seven runners on base in the first two innings.
"I think we thought it was going to be easy after the first two innings," Argyle coach Chuck Bredeson said. "I don't know if it was the first game or not. We really didn't do anything right offensively or defensively after the first two innings. We thought this year was going to be easy because we pretty much have everyone back. It will be tougher this year because we have higher expectations."
Nipple understands that even though the Cardinals fell behind early, the damage could have been much worse.
"They (Argyle) had the potential to score five, six or seven runs," Nipple said. "We got out of those first two innings giving up just two runs. That was huge."
Brodhead-Juda's Griffin Day delivered a two-out double in the third that sparked the Cardinals to a two-run inning off Treuthardt. Treuthardt pitched three innings and gave up two runs.
"That relaxed everybody," Nipple said of the two-run third to cut the Orioles' lead to 3-2.
The Cardinals rallied with Tyler Schwartzlow delivering a game-tying RBI single to center in the fourth off Argyle relief pitcher Ploessl to score Day to tie the game at 3. Ploessl pitched three innings and took the loss after giving up four runs.
Brodhead-Juda's Daniel Skoumal pitched five shutout innings in relief to get the win. Both Schwartzlow and Day each had two hits to lead the Cardinals.
"He (Skoumal) had a good fastball and he got ahead of hitters," Nipple said. "He was keeping the ball down. It's the best I have seen him pitch in two years. He had a lot of confidence. He was rolling."
Bredeson said committing four errors, striking out six times looking and making about four mental errors were tough to overcome.
"It's a credit to their pitchers," Bredeson said. "When we got on base, they threw strikes and struck us out."
Argyle will host Wisconsin Heights, ranked No. 2 in the preseason Division 3 poll, on Thursday, April 10. It won't get any easier for Brodhead-Juda. The Cardinals will host Edgerton, ranked ninth in the preseason Division 2 poll, on Tuesday, April 8 and will play at East Troy Thursday, April 10 and have games later this season against No. 1 ranked Jefferson and No. 6 ranked Big Foot.
"It's very important to get a win because there are three teams in our conference state ranked," Nipple said.
