JUDA - Albany pitcher Tyler Bauman was far from the perfect against the Panthers, but with the way the Comets have been hitting the ball, he didn't need to be.
Three days after taking the mound and throwing the most impressive game a pitcher can against Faith Christian, Bauman went all seven innings Tuesday, striking out 10, while allowing eight hits - two homers - in a 21-8 win over Juda.
"He pitched good enough for the win tonight, but he didn't pitch too well," Albany head coach Brian Dahl said of Bauman. "However, we hit very well tonight. I was honestly a little surprised at how well we hit."
Albany had 22 hits (seven extra-base hits) four walks, and was hit by two pitches in a slugfest over the Panthers. The Comets opened the first inning smoking, getting a double from leadoff man Tyler Briggs and a single by Brandon Pfeuti. Mike Elmer walked, then cleanup hitter Phil Kauk blasted a 2-1 pitch over the fence for a grand slam.
"I'm glad to see how well we hit Jake Ramos," Dahl said of Juda's starting hurler. "In my mind, Jake is one of the top pitchers in the conference."
Ramos got himself out of the inning without any further damage.
In the bottom half of the first, catcher Steve West doubled to deep left and third baseman Tyler Pierce tattooed a ball off the high school in right field for a home run, trimming the score to 4-2.
In the second, the Comets added two more runs and the Panthers went down in order.
Albany knocked Ramos out of the game in the third by scoring two runs in the first four batters without getting an out.
"Jake hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days," Juda head coach Kyle Krueger said. "But when you throw the ball at the waist and keep it up, it's going to be a long day for any pitcher."
Senior shortstop Beau Benner swapped places with Ramos, but Albany scored three more runs before the hard-throwing Benner could get out of the inning.
"For three innings we got a little relaxed. We have to learn to play seven full innings all of the time," Dahl said.
In the bottom of the third, trailing 11-2, Juda scored three runs off of a deep blast by West to straightaway center field. The senior smoked a 1-1 pitch from Bauman 380 feet, taking just a single hop from the roof of the high school behind the fence before landing across the far street in a yard.
"Everyone's been doing a great job offensively," Krueger said. "A couple of our guys were swinging real well. I'm not worried offensively."
Juda continued to close the gap, plating two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Benner and Ramos both walked and West hit his second double of the game to trim the deficit to 11-7.
Neither team scored in the fifth, thanks to Juda freshman left fielder Brandon Bauman, who robbed a home run from Pfeuti. The Panthers thought they'd taken much of the Comets' early momentum.
Wrong. Albany scored four runs in the sixth with two men out, including a three-run rope over the center field fence by Briggs, who went 5-for-6 and was a triple away from the cycle, to open the score to 15-7. Juda could only get one back in the bottom half of the inning, and Albany continued rolling.
In the seventh, the Comets knocked Benner out of the game by scoring six more runs.
"We didn't play well at all. We didn't play with any confidence. So we scored eight runs - if we give up 21 it doesn't really matter," Krueger said. "That was a very poor effort and we weren't ready to play.
"Somebody has to step up and be a leader. We don't have a lot of leadership right now, and we're a better team than this."
Benner finished with a pair of singles and a walk with three runs scored. West went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI, and Pierce was 1-for-2 with two walks.
For Albany, Pfeuti was 2-for-3 with a sac fly, two RBI, a double and two runs scored. Mike Elmer finished 1-for-4 with two walks and three runs, and Kauk was 3-for-3 with two walks, two runs and six RBI.
Tyler Bauman had two hits, T.J. Zweifel two hits, including a double, and three runs, Boomer Detra had two hits and two runs, and Josh Peters was 3-for-5 in the nine hole with three runs.
"We have six home runs in three games so far this year. I just hope we can keep swinging the bat this well," Dahl said.
Albany (2-1) hosts Williams Bay on Thursday, and Juda travels to Black Hawk on Friday, April 17.
Three days after taking the mound and throwing the most impressive game a pitcher can against Faith Christian, Bauman went all seven innings Tuesday, striking out 10, while allowing eight hits - two homers - in a 21-8 win over Juda.
"He pitched good enough for the win tonight, but he didn't pitch too well," Albany head coach Brian Dahl said of Bauman. "However, we hit very well tonight. I was honestly a little surprised at how well we hit."
Albany had 22 hits (seven extra-base hits) four walks, and was hit by two pitches in a slugfest over the Panthers. The Comets opened the first inning smoking, getting a double from leadoff man Tyler Briggs and a single by Brandon Pfeuti. Mike Elmer walked, then cleanup hitter Phil Kauk blasted a 2-1 pitch over the fence for a grand slam.
"I'm glad to see how well we hit Jake Ramos," Dahl said of Juda's starting hurler. "In my mind, Jake is one of the top pitchers in the conference."
Ramos got himself out of the inning without any further damage.
In the bottom half of the first, catcher Steve West doubled to deep left and third baseman Tyler Pierce tattooed a ball off the high school in right field for a home run, trimming the score to 4-2.
In the second, the Comets added two more runs and the Panthers went down in order.
Albany knocked Ramos out of the game in the third by scoring two runs in the first four batters without getting an out.
"Jake hasn't been feeling well the last couple of days," Juda head coach Kyle Krueger said. "But when you throw the ball at the waist and keep it up, it's going to be a long day for any pitcher."
Senior shortstop Beau Benner swapped places with Ramos, but Albany scored three more runs before the hard-throwing Benner could get out of the inning.
"For three innings we got a little relaxed. We have to learn to play seven full innings all of the time," Dahl said.
In the bottom of the third, trailing 11-2, Juda scored three runs off of a deep blast by West to straightaway center field. The senior smoked a 1-1 pitch from Bauman 380 feet, taking just a single hop from the roof of the high school behind the fence before landing across the far street in a yard.
"Everyone's been doing a great job offensively," Krueger said. "A couple of our guys were swinging real well. I'm not worried offensively."
Juda continued to close the gap, plating two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Benner and Ramos both walked and West hit his second double of the game to trim the deficit to 11-7.
Neither team scored in the fifth, thanks to Juda freshman left fielder Brandon Bauman, who robbed a home run from Pfeuti. The Panthers thought they'd taken much of the Comets' early momentum.
Wrong. Albany scored four runs in the sixth with two men out, including a three-run rope over the center field fence by Briggs, who went 5-for-6 and was a triple away from the cycle, to open the score to 15-7. Juda could only get one back in the bottom half of the inning, and Albany continued rolling.
In the seventh, the Comets knocked Benner out of the game by scoring six more runs.
"We didn't play well at all. We didn't play with any confidence. So we scored eight runs - if we give up 21 it doesn't really matter," Krueger said. "That was a very poor effort and we weren't ready to play.
"Somebody has to step up and be a leader. We don't have a lot of leadership right now, and we're a better team than this."
Benner finished with a pair of singles and a walk with three runs scored. West went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI, and Pierce was 1-for-2 with two walks.
For Albany, Pfeuti was 2-for-3 with a sac fly, two RBI, a double and two runs scored. Mike Elmer finished 1-for-4 with two walks and three runs, and Kauk was 3-for-3 with two walks, two runs and six RBI.
Tyler Bauman had two hits, T.J. Zweifel two hits, including a double, and three runs, Boomer Detra had two hits and two runs, and Josh Peters was 3-for-5 in the nine hole with three runs.
"We have six home runs in three games so far this year. I just hope we can keep swinging the bat this well," Dahl said.
Albany (2-1) hosts Williams Bay on Thursday, and Juda travels to Black Hawk on Friday, April 17.
