BRODHEAD — Brodhead-Juda was clicking on all cylinders, as the Cardinals pitched a one-hit shutout and tallied 10 hits of their own in a 15-0 win over Monticello-Albany on Friday, April 5.
“I’m very impressed with the boys,” Brodhead-Juda head coach Aaron Guilbault said. “We’ve been itching to get out here. They’ve been putting in all the work. It’s easy for me to coach the Xs and Os when they are aggressive.”
The Cardinals jumped on the Ponies early with a 3-run first, aided by defensive errors. Gabe Bockhop reached, as Aiden Brewer and Tyler Constantini let a ball drop between them in the infield. Clayton Elliott doubled, and David Masloske drove in a run with a hit to shortstop. Ryan Searls hit into an RBI fielder’s choice and later scored on an error.
Brodhead-Juda looked to threaten again in the second inning, as Evan Senobe hit a two-out triple to center, but Monticello-Albany starting pitcher Carson Gafner escaped the jam by striking out Bockhop. Bockhop struck out just 11 times in 2023.
“We got ourselves into a little bit of trouble but got out of it without giving up another run,” Monticello-Albany head coach Richard Wachholz said. “We gave ourselves a shot to try and chip away and see if we could do something at the plate. Unfortunately, we just never got anything going on offense to put any pressure on them that way.”
The Cardinals put up four runs in the third thanks to 2 RBI singles from Kohen Sawle and Tyrin Foster. No. 9 hitter Foster’s RBIs came with two outs after Brady Malkow moved runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.
“I gave a game ball to Tyrin today,” Guilbault said. “Those were his first two RBIs as a varsity starter. Two-out RBIs are killers. You hope you get that from the top of the lineup. To see him do that in that spot — I’m so happy for him and proud of him.”
Brodhead-Juda enforced the 10-run rule with an 8-run fourth. Relief pitchers Cody Pryce and Constantini walked six batters and gave up three hits.
Both teams went 1-2-3 in the fifth with Sawle striking out the side.
All but one Cardinal starter tallied a hit. David Masloske led the squad, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Ryan and Sam Searls, Sawle and Foster also drove in two runs each. Sam Searls and Sawle combined for a one-hit shutout, striking out 10 batters.
Tyler Patchen accounted for the only Pony hit — a one-out single in the second. Monticello-Albany’s only other offensive spark came in the fourth, as Nate Stokstad launched a ball to deep center field. Senobe made the over-the-shoulder-catch and doubled up Gafner — who had already rounded second — back at first. The Pony pitching staff gave up just three earned runs on 10 hits.
“The great thing about baseball is we are going to be able to get right back at it again tomorrow,” Wachholz said. “We need to find a way to flush bad feelings and thoughts from today and try to make a new statement tomorrow.”
MONTICELLO-ALBANY 15, ORANGEVILLE 3
MONTICELLO — Just as Wachholz eluded, the Ponies rebounded in quick order with a nonconference win on Saturday, April 6. Monticello-Albany cut down its errors to just one and tallied eight hits. In comparison, the pitching staff allowed just three hits.
Constantini and Ty Durtschi led the offense, going a combined 4-for-7 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Patchen pitched three innings in the victory, surrendering just one hit. He struck out five and walked two.
IOWA-GRANT 14, MONTICELLO-ALBANY 3
MONTICELLO — A 10-run fifth lifted the Panthers over the Ponies on Saturday, April 6. Prior to the inning, Iowa-Grant had a slim 4-3 lead.
Monticello-Albany recorded more walks (7) than hits (3) and committed six errors. Pryce suffered the loss, giving up two earned runs on four hits.
