MINERAL POINT — After entering the season with lofty expectations, the Pecatonica Vikings exited the WIAA Division 4 playoffs with an 11-2 loss in the regional final to Mineral Point May 29.

“They made plays and we didn’t. That’s the bottom line. They played better than us,” Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said.

The Vikings, sectional qualifiers in 2017 and 2018, collected just three hits and had four errors in the field. That allowed Mineral Point to score five unearned runs in the middle innings and to take a comfortable lead.

“Big credit to them today. They just played better than us, and that’s flat out what happened,” Pecatonica senior shortstop Colton Schraepfer said.

Freshman lefty Hunter Enloe got the start on the hill for the Vikings. Strommen said Enloe had been consistent in the final weeks of the season, hitting his spots and throwing strikes. Against Mineral Point, state qualifiers in Division 3 a season ago, Enloe struggled from the second pitch he threw.

Grady Gorgen took a strike on Enloe’s opening offering of the game and kept the bat on his shoulders for three straight balls. Gorgen later walked on eight pitches, and No. 2 hitter Liam Stumpf singled on a bloop into left center, and both runners advanced to second and third on a misplay by the outfield. The next batter, Justin Baehler, doubled home both runners on the first pitch he saw to make it 2-0 out of the gates. 

Enloe’s second pitch to Isaac Lindsey escaped catcher Everett Johnson, allowing the runner to move to third, and Strommen called timeout and brought in senior southpaw Lane Busser to try to limit the damage.

“(Strommen) didn’t really say anything to me — I just knew I was in relief today. I knew I had to throw strikes,” Busser said.

Lindsey eventually walked and promptly stole second on a first-and-third situation. Grant Bossert brought in a run on a groundout and Curtis Cox laid down a perfectly executed safety squeeze to plate another run before Pecatonica could get out of the inning.

“I know it was kind of a quick hook, but I didn’t want it to be a really big inning. Lane came in and got us out of the inning and pitched well for us,” Strommen said.

While an early 4-0 deficit can seem like a large hole, the Vikings have been known to score runs in a hurry. With two outs in the bottom of the second, the bottom of Pecatonica’s order came up big to set up the top of the order. 

Dakota Doescher walked and then Enloe doubled to center to put two ducks on the pond. The Pointers opted to intentionally walk Colton Schraepfer to load the bases, only for Busser to walk in a run. With Carter Ruegsegger at the plate with bases juiced and a 1-0 count, Busser got caught flat-footed and was picked off at first to end the threat. On the first pitch of the next inning, Ruegsegger would hit a leadoff single.

“That hurt, because then Carter leads off the next inning with a hit, so that’s another run and maybe two,” Strommen said.

Both offensives halted for a few turns, then in the bottom of the fourth the wheels fell off for the visiting Vikings.

After the leadoff batter in the frame reached on an error, Busser was able to get the next two batters out. But Gorgen walked and Stumpf, who entered the game with a batting average over .460, singled to left to plate a run. Another passed ball allowed Gorgen and Stumpf to each advance 90 feet, and on a 2-2 count Baehler stroked a 2-RBI single to left. Two pitches later, Lindsey singled to center, driving home another run to make it 8-1.

“A couple of errors kept us from getting out of another inning, and then they got four. They are too good of a team to give them second chances — and when we did, they made us pay. That’s what a good team does,” Strommen said.

In the next half-inning frame, Pecatonica loaded the bases with one out after three walks. Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to left that allowed the speedy Schraepfer to score from third, but Zander Brunker went down swinging on three pitches to end the inning. Mineral Point scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on another in the sixth on a squeeze for insurance. The Vikings put a baserunner on to lead off the seventh, but a pop up in foul territory and two fielder’s choice groundouts ended the season.

“That’s baseball for you. Whoever plays the best on whatever day wins — that’s just baseball,” Schraepfer said. “We came into the huddle and said that we needed to do whatever we could to inch back into this game, but it didn’t work out.”

Busser went five-plus innings on the mound in relief, allowing seven runs — just two earned — on 102 pitches, seven hits and three walks. Busser also struck out three batters. Enloe, who started the game, came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth. He allowed four runs on two hits and two walks on just 21 pitches.

“Unless you win it all, your season is always going to end with a loss. That’s always hard, especially for seniors,” Strommen said. “Great season though, we just didn’t end on a very good note. That’s not how we play normally.”

Pecatonica had just three hits in the game — Enloe’s double and two singles from Ruegsegger, who was recently named the Six Rivers East player of the year. Pecatonica (21-4) had five first-team all-conference players. Of the Vikings’ other three losses, two came at Shullsburg-Benton, then ranked in the top-5, during the regular season. The other loss was the season opener to Edgar, which also lost in the regional final to top-seeded Athens.

Pecatonica opened the season with expectations of reaching the school’s first-ever trip to state. After back-to-back years ending at sectionals, the Vikings, now conference champions for four straight years, also had a solid nucleus returning with four pitchers as potential aces on most staffs — Ruegsegger, Busser, Johnson and Schraepfer. Enloe developed into a solid arm throughout the season to bolster the rotation.

But the road to a state berth went from tough to grueling with the addition of Mineral Point — a qualifier in Division 3 last season but dropped to Division 4. Pecatonica’s regional of seven teams contained three teams ranked in the top 6 in the state. Three other top-10 teams awaited in the sectional semifinals and sectional final rounds.

“My four seniors were great for me this year — Colton, Everett, Carter, Lane. It’s not easy to win a conference championship, and they have been a part of four themselves,” Strommen said. “They’ve been a cornerstone for us. Great leaders, great teammates, great students, smart kids passionate about playing baseball.”

Busser said that despite how the season ended, he was proud to play with the group of guys that surrounded him.

“We never gave up and trusted the process. (I’ll take away) what baseball has taught me throughout my years,” Busser said.

Schraepfer, the first Pecatonica athlete to participate in all three state all-star games — football, basketball and baseball — said he is a better player for playing under Strommen’s tutelage. He also enjoyed the support from the community these past four years.

“Just being able to be coached by Coach Strommen is one of the greatest things that I have ever been able to experience,” Schraepfer said. “Being able to do it with all these guys over here (in the dugout) is just awesome. Everyone that comes out in our community to support us in every sport — it’s awesome.”

Pecatonica 5, Shullsburg-Benton 1

SHULLSBURG — Vanquishing a mid-season loss to the Miners, the Vikings got a key timely hit to save a gem on the mound. 

Johnson hit a grand slam in the third inning and Pecatonica scored another run in the fifth to beat the state’s third-ranked team May 28.

On the hill, Ruegsegger tossed a complete game, allowing just one unearned run to score on four hits, a walk, and two hit-by-pitches. Ruegsegger also struck out 10 batters.

“Carter was great,” Strommen said. “Carter pitched two great games for us this postseason.”

Johnson was 3 for 4 in the game, while Enloe was 3 for 3 with two runs scored. Schraepfer walked twice and Busser had a hit and a walk.

“Everett had the big hit,” Strommen said. “The first time we played them we had baserunners, but could never get that big hit. He came up with a big one this time.”