BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica senior J.J. Hogan is making more quality pitches this season and is not getting easily distracted on the mound.
The latest evidence of those facts came Friday.
The Vikings struggled behind their starting pitcher, but Hogan limited the damage and kept the Pecatonica within striking distance in an eventual 5-1 loss to Shullsburg-Benton in the first game of a doubleheader. The Miners completed a sweep with an 8-4 triumph in the nightcap.
Hogan went 6 1/3 innings and allowed all of the Miners' runs, but Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said his starter deserved a better fate.
"J.J. pitched a hell of a game for us, kept us in the game, and we didn't make plays for him," Strommen said, alluding to his team's four errors.
"We've struggled in the field. We've either played well or we've played really bad. That's just the mindset of wanting the ball and making plays."
The Miners manufactured a run on one hit, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then turned three hits and two walks into three more runs in the second. An unearned run in the third pushed Shullsburg-Benton's lead to 5-1.
Hogan shut down the Miners over the next three innings.
"He's been real consistent for us," Strommen said of Hogan. "He's pitched on the varsity since he was a sophomore, so we expect that and he expects that, too."
Hogan's pitching record dropped to 1-3, but he said he's definitely an improved pitcher this season.
"I think I've been throwing all right," Hogan said. "Not the greatest, but a lot better than I did last year. I'm throwing a lot more strikes this year.
"The whole idea is to keep your head in the game and not let anything throw you off. Coach Strommen always stresses mental toughness and I've worked hard on that."
Shullsburg-Benton starter Nathan Henderson went the distance, allowing six hits and six walks with six strikeouts. Pecatonica's run came in the second inning on senior leadoff hitter Tanner Kleppe's RBI single to center.
The Vikings left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, and put the first two batters on in the fifth inning without scoring.
Kleppe was 2-for-3 and Hogan had a hit and three walks, but Henderson dominated the middle of the Vikings' order. Pecatonica left 11 on base.
"Struggling at the plate - I can live with that. That's just part of (the game)," Strommen said. "But when you have a baserunning mistake and mental errors ... you have to do the little things right and we need to do a better job of that."
The Vikings struggled defensively in the nightcap as well, committing six errors - one more than their hit total.
Senior Matt Goldthorpe started and went four innings, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
"Our pitchers did a good job," Strommen said of Hogan, Goldthorpe and sophomore Tyler Hodgson, who relieved in both games.
The Vikings fell behind 5-0 in the nightcap, then rallied to make it 5-4 after the top of the sixth. But in the bottom of the inning, Pecatonica committed three errors and Shullsburg-Benton opened the 8-4 cushion.
Hodgson went 2-for-4 with a with an RBI, and senior Karson Feller had an RBI single.
The latest evidence of those facts came Friday.
The Vikings struggled behind their starting pitcher, but Hogan limited the damage and kept the Pecatonica within striking distance in an eventual 5-1 loss to Shullsburg-Benton in the first game of a doubleheader. The Miners completed a sweep with an 8-4 triumph in the nightcap.
Hogan went 6 1/3 innings and allowed all of the Miners' runs, but Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said his starter deserved a better fate.
"J.J. pitched a hell of a game for us, kept us in the game, and we didn't make plays for him," Strommen said, alluding to his team's four errors.
"We've struggled in the field. We've either played well or we've played really bad. That's just the mindset of wanting the ball and making plays."
The Miners manufactured a run on one hit, a walk and a sacrifice fly in the first inning, then turned three hits and two walks into three more runs in the second. An unearned run in the third pushed Shullsburg-Benton's lead to 5-1.
Hogan shut down the Miners over the next three innings.
"He's been real consistent for us," Strommen said of Hogan. "He's pitched on the varsity since he was a sophomore, so we expect that and he expects that, too."
Hogan's pitching record dropped to 1-3, but he said he's definitely an improved pitcher this season.
"I think I've been throwing all right," Hogan said. "Not the greatest, but a lot better than I did last year. I'm throwing a lot more strikes this year.
"The whole idea is to keep your head in the game and not let anything throw you off. Coach Strommen always stresses mental toughness and I've worked hard on that."
Shullsburg-Benton starter Nathan Henderson went the distance, allowing six hits and six walks with six strikeouts. Pecatonica's run came in the second inning on senior leadoff hitter Tanner Kleppe's RBI single to center.
The Vikings left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, and put the first two batters on in the fifth inning without scoring.
Kleppe was 2-for-3 and Hogan had a hit and three walks, but Henderson dominated the middle of the Vikings' order. Pecatonica left 11 on base.
"Struggling at the plate - I can live with that. That's just part of (the game)," Strommen said. "But when you have a baserunning mistake and mental errors ... you have to do the little things right and we need to do a better job of that."
The Vikings struggled defensively in the nightcap as well, committing six errors - one more than their hit total.
Senior Matt Goldthorpe started and went four innings, allowing five runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
"Our pitchers did a good job," Strommen said of Hogan, Goldthorpe and sophomore Tyler Hodgson, who relieved in both games.
The Vikings fell behind 5-0 in the nightcap, then rallied to make it 5-4 after the top of the sixth. But in the bottom of the inning, Pecatonica committed three errors and Shullsburg-Benton opened the 8-4 cushion.
Hodgson went 2-for-4 with a with an RBI, and senior Karson Feller had an RBI single.
