EVANSVILLE — An RBI single from Patrick Alt in the ninth and a shut down inning from Leyton Mihlbauer was the difference in a 6-5 New Glarus extra-inning win over Evansville on Thursday, March 28. The late-game efforts made up for three errors in the field.
Knotted up at five with one out in the ninth, Nolan Julseth roped a double to right. Alt then drove him home with a single to left, proving to be the game-winning run. Leyton Mihlbauer, who came in for relief in the seventh, induced two pop ups and struck the final batter out to secure the win.
Julseth finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs scoring, including the game winner. He was the only Knight to record a multiple-hit game. Alt was 1-for-5 with two RBIs. While New Glarus tallied eight hits, the team drew 10 walks — five combined from Leyton and Ashlin Mihlbauer.
The Knights used three pitchers in the contest. Alt got the start and gave up one earned run on two hits. He struck out six. Julseth pitched two innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits. He walked four and struck out two. Leyton Mihlbauer got the win, throwing three innings. He didn’t allow a run and struck out four.
MONTICELLO-ALBANY 11, PARKVIEW 6
MONTICELLO — The Ponies, who had just four wins in 2023, won their 2024 season opener on Thursday, March 28.
Monticello-Albany pounded out 12 hits, a vast improvement from their average of 3.16 hits per game a season ago. Tyler Patchen led the squad, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Carson Gafner and Cody Pryce also recorded a multiple-hit game. Leadoff hitter Tyler Constantini was 1-for-2 but drew three walks and drove in two runs.
The Ponies also cut down on their strikeouts. Last season, they averaged 9.4 strikeouts per game, and in Thursday’s contest, they struck out five times.
Head coach Richard Wachholz used a full arsenal on the bump, as no pitcher saw more than two innings. Patchen got the start, striking out six batters without surrendering a run. Gafner and Pryce pitched two innings each, combining for seven strikeouts. Tanner Hilliard and Ty Durtschi split an inning.
MINERAL POINT 3, PECATONICA 0
MINERAL POINT — Coming off their Division 4 state runner-up season, the Vikings fell to the Pointers in a low-scoring nonconference affair on Thursday, March 28. Pecatonica defeated Mineral Point 11-1 last year and was never shutout in 2023.
Gavyn Loomis recorded the only hit for Pecatonica — a single in the fifth. The Vikings greatest scoring opportunities came in the second and third.
Carson Kurschner reached on an error to lead off the second, and Max Steele walked. Tanner Havens moved them over with a sacrifice bunt, but Mineral escaped the jam with a groundout and flyout.
Loomis led off the third with a full-count walk, and leadoff batter Tyler McKeon was hit by a pitch. The Pointers then got through the heart of the order with two flyouts and a groundout.
Drew Hendrickson suffered the loss, giving up three unearned runs on two hits. Johnson got the start and allowed just one hit through two innings. He struck out four and walked two. Kurschner and McKeon pitched one inning each in relief.
WARREN 4, MONROE 2
WARREN, Ill. — Two hits weren’t enough for the Cheesemakers in a nonconference loss to Warren on Thursday, March 28.
Eli Schaefer tied the game at two in the top of the fifth with a two RBI double to right, but Monroe gave up two runs in the bottom of the frame resulting in the loss.
Schaefer finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Cole Meighan recorded the other hit and also reached base on a walk. Keegan Dahmen suffered the loss, giving up three earned runs on five hits. He struck out five and walked two.
TURNER 19, MONROE 7
BELOIT — Despite tripling its offensive output from the day prior, Monroe fell to Turner in a conference crossover game on Friday, March 29. The Cheesemakers committed seven errors resulting in 15 unearned runs.
Schaefer had another successful day at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and a walk. Cam Newcomers also recorded a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Marcus Ott suffered the loss, giving up 11 runs on four hits. Only three of those runs were earned.
MCFARLAND 3,
BRODHEAD-JUDA 1
BRODHEAD — A two-run fifth inning from the Spartans proved to be the difference in a nonconference loss for the Cardinals on Thursday, March 28. The score came an inning after Ryan Searls scampered home on an error to tie the game at one.
The Cardinals mustered just two hits — one each from Gabe Bockhop and Searls. Clayton Elliott and David Masloske also reached base on walks. Evan Senobe suffered the loss, giving up one earned run on three hits. He struck out seven and walked three.
EAST DUBUQUE 15, ARGYLE-BLACK HAWK 0
ARGYLE — The Orioles gave 17 free passes to the Warriors in a nonconference loss on Thursday, March 28. Argyle-Black Hawk had given up just one run in each of the first three innings before the flood gates opened in the fourth, resulting in 12 runs for East Dubuque. The Oriole pitching staff gave up six consecutive runs in the frame.
Argyle-Black Hawk out hit East Dubuque 4-3. Ike Waage went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases. Will Helfvogt and Trent Bidlingmaier accounted for the other two hits. Max Godfrey suffered the loss, giving up two earned runs on one hit. He struck out five but walked six. Waage gave up eight earned runs on two hits and six walks. Deacon Kuebli finished the game, giving up four unearned runs on five walks.
