BRODHEAD - Clayton Hale doesn't want to take anything for granted after breaking his wrist last year and missing a big chunk of Brodhead's season.
Now a junior for the Cardinals, Hale has his hitting stroke back and went 2-for-3 in a Rock Valley loss to Evansville, 9-4, Tuesday. Even though Hale returned to play a couple of games at the end of last year, he hated having to sit on the bench and worked in the offseason on improving his swing.
"It just hurt not being able to play with my team last year and not be able to help them out," Hale said. "To cheer them on is all I could do. I still don't feel like my wrist is completely 100 percent yet. At the start of the summer, I was a little scared with it. (This) season my coaches have helped me work with it and I have made adjustments along the way and it slowly has gotten better. I think I've had a pretty good comeback season and been consistent."
Evansville scored two runs in the first inning off Brodhead-Juda junior pitcher Quinton Kammerer with RBI sacrifice flies by Sam Urquhart and Tyler Aase. The Blue Devils had a two-run second to take a 4-0 lead. With two outs, Kammerer hit Owen Hurst. Evansville's Dayne Acker then singled to left. Alex Wille delivered an RBI single to left to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead. Evansville teammate Johannes Haakenson followed with an RBI single to extend the Blue Devils' lead to 4-0.
"Like I told them we played alright except one inning," Brodhead-Juda coach Aaron Guilbault said. "It's kind of been our M.O. all season. We kind of shoot ourselves in the foot. We have to overcome ourselves before we can beat a team. We did it again today. It's
frustrating in that regard and aspect."
The Cardinals (2-12, 1-10) rallied with a three-run third. Brodhead-Juda senior Dakota Davis lined a single to center and Kammerer singled to center. Sophomore teammate Marco Bueno then singled to load the bases. Freshman Andrew Rockwell came through with a two-run single. After Evansville made a wild throw to third base, Buneo also scored on the play to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 4-3.
Evansville answered with a three-run fourth, highlighted by three unearned runs. Blue Devils picked up a key run when Zach Mielke hit a comebacker to Kammerer on the mound who threw to the plate to catcher Jake Miller, who dropped the ball and allowed Wille to scored. Later in the fourth, Evansville's Logan Wardwell reached when it was ruled that Brodhead-Juda first baseman Almonzo Friedly pulled his foot. When the ball got away a second run scored on the play to give the Blue Devils a 7-3 lead.
"We have been struggling with that," Guilbault said of the mental lapses. "You are not going to get those little breaks when you are not playing good. That's just the way baseball goes. We have to make our own breaks. Those little things are indicative of how things have gone for us this year. Our kids keep playing hard and fighting and that's all we can ask from them."
Brodhead-Juda freshman Cade Walker singled to left leading off the second. Hale then smoked a double down the right field line. Senior teammate Luke Skoumal then delivered an RBI single to left.
"The fight was good," Guilbault said. "I like to see that. We put together some quality at-bats in the seventh inning. We just didn't just chip it in."
Kammerer pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits, while striking out four and walking two and hitting two. Walker pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and gave up one unearned run and struck out one.
Aasen went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Wille finished 2-for-4 and Haakenson was 2-for-5 for the Blue Devils.
The Cardinals have two freshmen starters in Rockwell and Walker. Rockwell is leading the team in hitting this year hitting about .500, according to Guilbault. Despite four young starters, Guilbault doesn't want to hear that used as an excuse.
"We made it a point a couple of games ago to stop referring to these kids as young because it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy," he said. "They have had to learn on the job. I think we will be better for it in a year or two. They are getting experience they wouldn't have had with some older upperclassmen. It's good to see. They continue to keep growing and heading in the right direction."
Hale is confident the Cardinals can learn something in the loss to Evansville.
"Probably one of the biggest things is never quit," Hale said. "As long as we keep fighting and play together we will always have a chance at the end."
Now a junior for the Cardinals, Hale has his hitting stroke back and went 2-for-3 in a Rock Valley loss to Evansville, 9-4, Tuesday. Even though Hale returned to play a couple of games at the end of last year, he hated having to sit on the bench and worked in the offseason on improving his swing.
"It just hurt not being able to play with my team last year and not be able to help them out," Hale said. "To cheer them on is all I could do. I still don't feel like my wrist is completely 100 percent yet. At the start of the summer, I was a little scared with it. (This) season my coaches have helped me work with it and I have made adjustments along the way and it slowly has gotten better. I think I've had a pretty good comeback season and been consistent."
Evansville scored two runs in the first inning off Brodhead-Juda junior pitcher Quinton Kammerer with RBI sacrifice flies by Sam Urquhart and Tyler Aase. The Blue Devils had a two-run second to take a 4-0 lead. With two outs, Kammerer hit Owen Hurst. Evansville's Dayne Acker then singled to left. Alex Wille delivered an RBI single to left to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 lead. Evansville teammate Johannes Haakenson followed with an RBI single to extend the Blue Devils' lead to 4-0.
"Like I told them we played alright except one inning," Brodhead-Juda coach Aaron Guilbault said. "It's kind of been our M.O. all season. We kind of shoot ourselves in the foot. We have to overcome ourselves before we can beat a team. We did it again today. It's
frustrating in that regard and aspect."
The Cardinals (2-12, 1-10) rallied with a three-run third. Brodhead-Juda senior Dakota Davis lined a single to center and Kammerer singled to center. Sophomore teammate Marco Bueno then singled to load the bases. Freshman Andrew Rockwell came through with a two-run single. After Evansville made a wild throw to third base, Buneo also scored on the play to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 4-3.
Evansville answered with a three-run fourth, highlighted by three unearned runs. Blue Devils picked up a key run when Zach Mielke hit a comebacker to Kammerer on the mound who threw to the plate to catcher Jake Miller, who dropped the ball and allowed Wille to scored. Later in the fourth, Evansville's Logan Wardwell reached when it was ruled that Brodhead-Juda first baseman Almonzo Friedly pulled his foot. When the ball got away a second run scored on the play to give the Blue Devils a 7-3 lead.
"We have been struggling with that," Guilbault said of the mental lapses. "You are not going to get those little breaks when you are not playing good. That's just the way baseball goes. We have to make our own breaks. Those little things are indicative of how things have gone for us this year. Our kids keep playing hard and fighting and that's all we can ask from them."
Brodhead-Juda freshman Cade Walker singled to left leading off the second. Hale then smoked a double down the right field line. Senior teammate Luke Skoumal then delivered an RBI single to left.
"The fight was good," Guilbault said. "I like to see that. We put together some quality at-bats in the seventh inning. We just didn't just chip it in."
Kammerer pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs on seven hits, while striking out four and walking two and hitting two. Walker pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and gave up one unearned run and struck out one.
Aasen went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Wille finished 2-for-4 and Haakenson was 2-for-5 for the Blue Devils.
The Cardinals have two freshmen starters in Rockwell and Walker. Rockwell is leading the team in hitting this year hitting about .500, according to Guilbault. Despite four young starters, Guilbault doesn't want to hear that used as an excuse.
"We made it a point a couple of games ago to stop referring to these kids as young because it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy," he said. "They have had to learn on the job. I think we will be better for it in a year or two. They are getting experience they wouldn't have had with some older upperclassmen. It's good to see. They continue to keep growing and heading in the right direction."
Hale is confident the Cardinals can learn something in the loss to Evansville.
"Probably one of the biggest things is never quit," Hale said. "As long as we keep fighting and play together we will always have a chance at the end."
