MONTICELLO - There was no magic formula that helped the Monticello baseball team turn the tide in a 13-4 WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal comeback win over Albany Tuesday.
Albany (8-12) was snake bitten by fielding miscues. The Comets committed eight errors. For four innings, Albany senior pitcher Boomer Detra kept the Ponies at bay. The Comets led 4-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when the defensive gaffes cost the Comets as the Ponies batted around the order in a nine-run fifth inning. During the Ponies' explosion in the fifth, the Comets had four errors.
"That's baseball," said Ritschard, who went 3 for 5 with three runs scored. "It can switch at any time. All you need is base runners and base hits and that is what we did. There is a snowball effect. Once we get a run, everyone comes up there free swinging and putting the ball in play."
With the win, Monticello (12-9) moves on to play at Burlington Catholic Central in a regional championship today.
Monticello senior Trae Seffrood led off the fifth, ripping a single to center. Fellow senior Corey McGowan reached on an error. Monticello's Austin Steffen delivered an RBI single to right. Josh Kolasch reached on the Comets' second error of the inning and the Ponies scored to cut the Comets' lead to 4-3. That's when Albany coach Brian Dahl brought in Cody Schulz in relief. Schulz walked Chris Voegeli to load the bases. Bryce Klitzke hit a grounder to Detra at shortstop. Detra's throw home to Albany catcher Josh Peters was high and Josh Kolasch slid in to tie the game at 4. Monticello's Ritschard then reached on an error and Voegeli scored the go-ahead run to give the Ponies a 5-4 lead.
Monticello junior Lukas Kolasch, who was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, had a two-run double to center and Seffrood had a two-run single to give the Ponies a 9-4 lead.
"The reason I took Boomer out wasn't because he was pitching bad. The reason I made the move is because we needed it," Dahl said of his move of bringing in Schulz to pitch and moving Detra to shortstop. We just didn't make plays behind him. I'm a little awestruck we did that tonight. We had been playing better baseball. I feel bad for Boomer. It's just too bad it didn't work out. From then on, we couldn't catch a ball, throw a ball or field a ball. It's too bad it had to happen at this time of year."
Dahl didn't take anything away from the Ponies.
"Give Monticello credit," he said. "They did what they are supposed to do. They played defense and played error free baseball. That's what you need to do to win and go on in the playoffs."
As the top three hitters in the Ponies' lineup, Ritschard, Lukas Kolasch and Seffrood went a combined 7 for 14.
"There is no secret that we go as Tyler goes," Monticello coach Jason Pinnow said. "I knew we had to have one big inning. I kept telling the guys we need to get base hits and baserunners. We didn't need to hit a grand slam or a 500 foot fly ball. We just had to keep getting guys on and keep the pressure on them. That is what we did and it worked out."
Early on, it looked like the Comets, which had won seven of their last eight games heading into the regional semifinals, would be the team moving on. Detra came through with an RBI single in the first. However, the Ponies answered when Klitzke delivered a game-tying RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 1.
Pinnow is excited with the contributions of the lineup, including big hits from Klitzke, Steffen and Voegeli's ability to get on base.
"We are only as good as the bottom of our lineup," Pinnow said.
The Comets broke the game open with a three-run fourth generated from the bottom of their lineup to chase Monticello starting pitcher Lukas Kolasch. Albany's Patrick Deegan singled to right off Kolasch leading off the fourth. Mitchell Kauk then came through with an RBI single down the first base line to give the Comets a 2-1 lead. Austin Ross then beat out an infield single. Albany's Johnny Kallgren then delivered a two-run single that gave the Comets a 4-1 lead.
Pinnow then brought Ritschard to pitch and he got out of the jam. Ritschard pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief. He only gave up two hits.
"I felt like the game was slipping away a little bit," Pinnow said. "Lukas knew if he got into trouble that we would bring in Tyler. We were down 4-1 and we needed a change."
Ritschard didn't take all the credit for his pitching performance.
"I'm not an overpowering pitcher," he said. "I just have to throw strikes and let my defense make plays behind me. They did an awesome job tonight."
It's a quick turnaround. The Ponies will play at Catholic Central today for a regional title.
"Ironically, we have played Burlington Catholic Central five or six times in the last seven years," Pinnow said. "We are as familiar with Burlington as we can be. We know they are a good team. If we play our game and don't make mistakes I think we can go down there and take one from them."
Albany (8-12) was snake bitten by fielding miscues. The Comets committed eight errors. For four innings, Albany senior pitcher Boomer Detra kept the Ponies at bay. The Comets led 4-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. That's when the defensive gaffes cost the Comets as the Ponies batted around the order in a nine-run fifth inning. During the Ponies' explosion in the fifth, the Comets had four errors.
"That's baseball," said Ritschard, who went 3 for 5 with three runs scored. "It can switch at any time. All you need is base runners and base hits and that is what we did. There is a snowball effect. Once we get a run, everyone comes up there free swinging and putting the ball in play."
With the win, Monticello (12-9) moves on to play at Burlington Catholic Central in a regional championship today.
Monticello senior Trae Seffrood led off the fifth, ripping a single to center. Fellow senior Corey McGowan reached on an error. Monticello's Austin Steffen delivered an RBI single to right. Josh Kolasch reached on the Comets' second error of the inning and the Ponies scored to cut the Comets' lead to 4-3. That's when Albany coach Brian Dahl brought in Cody Schulz in relief. Schulz walked Chris Voegeli to load the bases. Bryce Klitzke hit a grounder to Detra at shortstop. Detra's throw home to Albany catcher Josh Peters was high and Josh Kolasch slid in to tie the game at 4. Monticello's Ritschard then reached on an error and Voegeli scored the go-ahead run to give the Ponies a 5-4 lead.
Monticello junior Lukas Kolasch, who was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, had a two-run double to center and Seffrood had a two-run single to give the Ponies a 9-4 lead.
"The reason I took Boomer out wasn't because he was pitching bad. The reason I made the move is because we needed it," Dahl said of his move of bringing in Schulz to pitch and moving Detra to shortstop. We just didn't make plays behind him. I'm a little awestruck we did that tonight. We had been playing better baseball. I feel bad for Boomer. It's just too bad it didn't work out. From then on, we couldn't catch a ball, throw a ball or field a ball. It's too bad it had to happen at this time of year."
Dahl didn't take anything away from the Ponies.
"Give Monticello credit," he said. "They did what they are supposed to do. They played defense and played error free baseball. That's what you need to do to win and go on in the playoffs."
As the top three hitters in the Ponies' lineup, Ritschard, Lukas Kolasch and Seffrood went a combined 7 for 14.
"There is no secret that we go as Tyler goes," Monticello coach Jason Pinnow said. "I knew we had to have one big inning. I kept telling the guys we need to get base hits and baserunners. We didn't need to hit a grand slam or a 500 foot fly ball. We just had to keep getting guys on and keep the pressure on them. That is what we did and it worked out."
Early on, it looked like the Comets, which had won seven of their last eight games heading into the regional semifinals, would be the team moving on. Detra came through with an RBI single in the first. However, the Ponies answered when Klitzke delivered a game-tying RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 1.
Pinnow is excited with the contributions of the lineup, including big hits from Klitzke, Steffen and Voegeli's ability to get on base.
"We are only as good as the bottom of our lineup," Pinnow said.
The Comets broke the game open with a three-run fourth generated from the bottom of their lineup to chase Monticello starting pitcher Lukas Kolasch. Albany's Patrick Deegan singled to right off Kolasch leading off the fourth. Mitchell Kauk then came through with an RBI single down the first base line to give the Comets a 2-1 lead. Austin Ross then beat out an infield single. Albany's Johnny Kallgren then delivered a two-run single that gave the Comets a 4-1 lead.
Pinnow then brought Ritschard to pitch and he got out of the jam. Ritschard pitched 3 2/3 innings of shutout relief. He only gave up two hits.
"I felt like the game was slipping away a little bit," Pinnow said. "Lukas knew if he got into trouble that we would bring in Tyler. We were down 4-1 and we needed a change."
Ritschard didn't take all the credit for his pitching performance.
"I'm not an overpowering pitcher," he said. "I just have to throw strikes and let my defense make plays behind me. They did an awesome job tonight."
It's a quick turnaround. The Ponies will play at Catholic Central today for a regional title.
"Ironically, we have played Burlington Catholic Central five or six times in the last seven years," Pinnow said. "We are as familiar with Burlington as we can be. We know they are a good team. If we play our game and don't make mistakes I think we can go down there and take one from them."
