BRODHEAD - If the Brodhead-Juda baseball team can count on one thing, it's the bats of Jacob Covert and Tyler Malcook. The duo continued to terrorize pitching Monday by going a combined 5-for-7 at the plate in the Cardinals' 10-7 win over New Glarus.
"They are the leaders of the team," Brodhead-Juda head coach Paul Ritschard said. "The people are already looking towards them. It's nice to have the youth and the seniority come together so well out there."
Malcook, a sophomore who was 2-for-3, had two key RBI doubles in both the first and sixth innings, adding two RBIs and two runs.
"I was just looking for a fastball," Malcook said. "I just want to drive the ball. I'm not looking for home runs, just line drives."
Covert, a senior, was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs. The rest of the Cardinals had just two combined hits.
"The guys saw a pitcher they thought they could hit off of," Ritschard said. "They went up to bat with no plan and were just trying to hit home runs. We are not a home run hitting team. Luckily, we reigned them in and finished it out."
The two teams opened the game in opposite fashions. New Glarus went three-up, three-down with a strike out and two first-pitch flies. Brodhead-Juda batted around, scoring five runs and collecting two walks against Knights starter Tyler Kreklow.
"We didn't come out ready to play and spotted them five runs," New Glarus head coach Warren Howard said. "We told (Kreklow) to just keep plugging away. He's young, he's a sophomore."
The lead didn't last, in large part to mistakes. New Glarus scored twice in the third on one crazy play - a wild pitch by Brodhead-Juda starter Aaron Duecker allowed Brendan Pittman to cross the plate and an errant throw by Covert, the catcher, to Duecker, who was covering home, brought in Ryan Bright all the way from second.
"We have to get rid of these errors. Against McFarland (last week) we had some errors that really killed us," Ritschard. "Our pitching has been good. We haven't been throwing many walks. I'm really happy with our bats as well. We just have to get rid of those mistakes in the field."
In the top of the fifth, New Glarus made a second run, this time to tie the game. Pittman walked with one out, Bright singled to left and Lane Sunde walked to load the bases, prompting a pitching change by Ritschard. Thomas Rear took over for Duecker.
"(Rear) is a senior leader. He's a guy we'd like to turn to in this spot. He did well," Ritschard said. "I like what I've seen from Aaron. Him coming over from Juda, I didn't really get a chance to see what he can do in game situations. To see him have success and do a nice job - the runs they had were off of our errors - he pitched very well."
Nick Stuessy doubled on a ball that freshman right fielder Matt Trotter misplayed, bringing in two runs. Kirbe French then walked to load the bases and a passed ball brought in a third run to make it a 1-run game. Carlin Moen later grounded out to first, scoring the tying run.
"I was very proud of the way we came back. We just came up a little short," Howard said.
In the bottom of the sixth the Cardinals retaliated. Designated hitter Hunter Colden walked and Trotter reached when a double-play ball was thrown off of Colden on his way to second. Covert drove in a run with a one-out single, and Malcook doubled to the fence in right center to make it 8-6. Two batters later, Duecker hit a sacrifice fly to center and Christian Melton singled in the Cardinals' last run.
Bright walked and came around the bases in the seventh, but the damage was done.
"We just came up short. We've been playing hard and we keep improving. We have some young guys on the team and we need our seniors to start leading us," Howard said. "Hopefully we can get it done at Lodi (today) with Nick Stuessy on the mound."
Brodhead-Juda is also back in action today - on the road at Whitewater.
"They are the leaders of the team," Brodhead-Juda head coach Paul Ritschard said. "The people are already looking towards them. It's nice to have the youth and the seniority come together so well out there."
Malcook, a sophomore who was 2-for-3, had two key RBI doubles in both the first and sixth innings, adding two RBIs and two runs.
"I was just looking for a fastball," Malcook said. "I just want to drive the ball. I'm not looking for home runs, just line drives."
Covert, a senior, was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs. The rest of the Cardinals had just two combined hits.
"The guys saw a pitcher they thought they could hit off of," Ritschard said. "They went up to bat with no plan and were just trying to hit home runs. We are not a home run hitting team. Luckily, we reigned them in and finished it out."
The two teams opened the game in opposite fashions. New Glarus went three-up, three-down with a strike out and two first-pitch flies. Brodhead-Juda batted around, scoring five runs and collecting two walks against Knights starter Tyler Kreklow.
"We didn't come out ready to play and spotted them five runs," New Glarus head coach Warren Howard said. "We told (Kreklow) to just keep plugging away. He's young, he's a sophomore."
The lead didn't last, in large part to mistakes. New Glarus scored twice in the third on one crazy play - a wild pitch by Brodhead-Juda starter Aaron Duecker allowed Brendan Pittman to cross the plate and an errant throw by Covert, the catcher, to Duecker, who was covering home, brought in Ryan Bright all the way from second.
"We have to get rid of these errors. Against McFarland (last week) we had some errors that really killed us," Ritschard. "Our pitching has been good. We haven't been throwing many walks. I'm really happy with our bats as well. We just have to get rid of those mistakes in the field."
In the top of the fifth, New Glarus made a second run, this time to tie the game. Pittman walked with one out, Bright singled to left and Lane Sunde walked to load the bases, prompting a pitching change by Ritschard. Thomas Rear took over for Duecker.
"(Rear) is a senior leader. He's a guy we'd like to turn to in this spot. He did well," Ritschard said. "I like what I've seen from Aaron. Him coming over from Juda, I didn't really get a chance to see what he can do in game situations. To see him have success and do a nice job - the runs they had were off of our errors - he pitched very well."
Nick Stuessy doubled on a ball that freshman right fielder Matt Trotter misplayed, bringing in two runs. Kirbe French then walked to load the bases and a passed ball brought in a third run to make it a 1-run game. Carlin Moen later grounded out to first, scoring the tying run.
"I was very proud of the way we came back. We just came up a little short," Howard said.
In the bottom of the sixth the Cardinals retaliated. Designated hitter Hunter Colden walked and Trotter reached when a double-play ball was thrown off of Colden on his way to second. Covert drove in a run with a one-out single, and Malcook doubled to the fence in right center to make it 8-6. Two batters later, Duecker hit a sacrifice fly to center and Christian Melton singled in the Cardinals' last run.
Bright walked and came around the bases in the seventh, but the damage was done.
"We just came up short. We've been playing hard and we keep improving. We have some young guys on the team and we need our seniors to start leading us," Howard said. "Hopefully we can get it done at Lodi (today) with Nick Stuessy on the mound."
Brodhead-Juda is also back in action today - on the road at Whitewater.
