BARNEVELD - The WBCA's No. 1-ranked baseball team in Division 4 took a step backward on a wet and windy afternoon Monday.
Pecatonica (5-1) lost a Six Rivers East conference showdown to Barneveld (5-0), 6-4, in an error-filled game.
Milton Kurschner took the mound for the Vikings and pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits, six strikeouts and walked just one.
"Milton pitched a good game," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "He deserved a better fate than what he got."
Kurschner gave up all six hits in the first inning, leading to four runs. After the inning, Kurschner held the Eagles hitless the rest of the day.
"We just didn't play well defensively," Strommen said, after the Vikings committed six errors compared to Barneveld's one.
"And, we made baserunning mistakes. Early in the season, those mistakes didn't hurt us, but tonight they did," he said.
Barneveld scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, both unearned.
Pecatonica scored one run in each of the first four innings, highlighted by a solo home run by Devin Jeglum in the third. The Vikings mustered up only five hits, with Lee Vlasak, Tannar Johnson, Kaleb Feller and Kurschner each collecting the other hits.
Barneveld used three pitchers, with the final two, Shawn Monson and Patrick Clerkin, holding the Vikings scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out seven batters.
"Their pitching was very good at the end. They threw strikes. And, on offense, they put the ball in play throughout the game, and we didn't," Strommen said.
Pecatonica (5-1) lost a Six Rivers East conference showdown to Barneveld (5-0), 6-4, in an error-filled game.
Milton Kurschner took the mound for the Vikings and pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs, six hits, six strikeouts and walked just one.
"Milton pitched a good game," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "He deserved a better fate than what he got."
Kurschner gave up all six hits in the first inning, leading to four runs. After the inning, Kurschner held the Eagles hitless the rest of the day.
"We just didn't play well defensively," Strommen said, after the Vikings committed six errors compared to Barneveld's one.
"And, we made baserunning mistakes. Early in the season, those mistakes didn't hurt us, but tonight they did," he said.
Barneveld scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning, both unearned.
Pecatonica scored one run in each of the first four innings, highlighted by a solo home run by Devin Jeglum in the third. The Vikings mustered up only five hits, with Lee Vlasak, Tannar Johnson, Kaleb Feller and Kurschner each collecting the other hits.
Barneveld used three pitchers, with the final two, Shawn Monson and Patrick Clerkin, holding the Vikings scoreless over the final 3 1/3 innings, striking out seven batters.
"Their pitching was very good at the end. They threw strikes. And, on offense, they put the ball in play throughout the game, and we didn't," Strommen said.
