BLANCHARDVILLE - The Vikings had eight errors in the opening game of the year and still had the game-tying run at the plate in the seventh inning.
"If we're going to have that many errors we might as well get them out of the way in the first game of the year," said Pecatonica head coach Jim Strommen after his team lost to Mineral Point 9-6 Tuesday.
Mineral Point led 5-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth, but the Vikings were able to claw their way back in it, something Strommen was pleased to see.
"We had it back to 5-4 going into the seventh. We finished with 10 hits, a lot of them singles. We hit the ball pretty well for the first game," Strommen said. "Their center fielder, Grady Gorgen, had some nice plays out there. He ran down some pretty tough balls."
The biggest factor in the game was the top of the fourth inning. With Caleb Ruegsegger taking over for Evan Prust on the hill, the Vikings gave up three unearned runs on zero hits and five errors.
"They never hit the ball out of the infield, and every infielder of ours made an error," Strommen said of the inning.
Prust, Ruegsegger, Lane Busser and Colton Schraepfer all pitched for Pecatonica, striking out seven batters, walking three and hitting one. Liam Stumpf got the win for Mineral Point, pitching four innings. Stumpf and Curtis Cox combined walked four and struck out six.
Stumpf was 3-for-4 at the dish with two doubles and a triple, and Isaac Lindsey finished 2-for-4 for Mineral Point. Prust was 2-for-2 at the plate for Pecatonica, while teammates Zander Brunker (2-for-4) and Everett Johnson (3-for-4, double) also made solid contributions from the batter's box.
Pecatonica next takes the field April 3 at home against New Glarus.
Whitewater 11,
Brodhead-Juda 2
WHITEWATER - The Whippets scored eight runs in the fifth inning to pull away for an 11-2 Rock Valley Conference win over Brodhead-Juda Tuesday.
Brodhead-Juda's Almanzo Friedly went 1-for-3 with one run scored and one walk. The other hit for the Cardinals came from Cade Walker.
Brodhead-Juda's Luke Skoumal pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on six hits. He struck out one and walked three. Friedly pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and gave up three earned runs on two hits.
Evansville 3,
New Glarus 2
EVANSVILLE - Johannes Haakenson hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to score Logan Wardwell to help the Blue Devils escape New Glarus 3-2 in the season opener Tuesday.
New Glarus got doubles from Reeve Binger and Zach Feller. The Glarner Knights lost despite giving up just three hits, but were plagued by five errors.
"If we're going to have that many errors we might as well get them out of the way in the first game of the year," said Pecatonica head coach Jim Strommen after his team lost to Mineral Point 9-6 Tuesday.
Mineral Point led 5-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth, but the Vikings were able to claw their way back in it, something Strommen was pleased to see.
"We had it back to 5-4 going into the seventh. We finished with 10 hits, a lot of them singles. We hit the ball pretty well for the first game," Strommen said. "Their center fielder, Grady Gorgen, had some nice plays out there. He ran down some pretty tough balls."
The biggest factor in the game was the top of the fourth inning. With Caleb Ruegsegger taking over for Evan Prust on the hill, the Vikings gave up three unearned runs on zero hits and five errors.
"They never hit the ball out of the infield, and every infielder of ours made an error," Strommen said of the inning.
Prust, Ruegsegger, Lane Busser and Colton Schraepfer all pitched for Pecatonica, striking out seven batters, walking three and hitting one. Liam Stumpf got the win for Mineral Point, pitching four innings. Stumpf and Curtis Cox combined walked four and struck out six.
Stumpf was 3-for-4 at the dish with two doubles and a triple, and Isaac Lindsey finished 2-for-4 for Mineral Point. Prust was 2-for-2 at the plate for Pecatonica, while teammates Zander Brunker (2-for-4) and Everett Johnson (3-for-4, double) also made solid contributions from the batter's box.
Pecatonica next takes the field April 3 at home against New Glarus.
Whitewater 11,
Brodhead-Juda 2
WHITEWATER - The Whippets scored eight runs in the fifth inning to pull away for an 11-2 Rock Valley Conference win over Brodhead-Juda Tuesday.
Brodhead-Juda's Almanzo Friedly went 1-for-3 with one run scored and one walk. The other hit for the Cardinals came from Cade Walker.
Brodhead-Juda's Luke Skoumal pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on six hits. He struck out one and walked three. Friedly pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and gave up three earned runs on two hits.
Evansville 3,
New Glarus 2
EVANSVILLE - Johannes Haakenson hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to score Logan Wardwell to help the Blue Devils escape New Glarus 3-2 in the season opener Tuesday.
New Glarus got doubles from Reeve Binger and Zach Feller. The Glarner Knights lost despite giving up just three hits, but were plagued by five errors.
