ARGYLE - Andy Dieterich is too sharp a guy to let a couple of pesky errors get him down.
Argyle hung tough against the crafty senior pitcher for two innings, but the Vikings exploded for 10 runs in the third inning to turn a 3-2 Pec lead into a 13-2 landslide and, eventually, a 16-5 decision in five innings.
Dieterich, a front-runner for the valedictorian honor at Pecatonica High School, was right in the middle of all of the action as he struck out six in earning the win and also collected three hits and two RBIs. A finesse-pitching complement to hard-throwing junior Lee Vlasak, Dieterich used every breaking ball he could grip to keep the Orioles guessing.
Most importantly, after watching two unearned runs cross in as many opening innings, Dieterich didn't flinch.
"That's how I like to have my pitchers out there, I don't want anyone to tell anything by looking out there," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "He's just a student of the game."
And instead of over-analyzing the gaffes, Dieterich went back to buckling knees.
"He mixed things up and changed speeds very well," Argyle coach Sean Leary said. "His off-speed stuff is pretty good and kept us off-balance.
"He's got beautiful form and he looks like a pitcher out there."
Beautiful is likely not the word Leary would have used to describe the top of the third which included two errors after back-to-back doubles led things off for the Vikings.
But it was the damage after the errors that broke things open. The Vikings cracked three consecutive doubles, most notably a bases-clearing job off the bat of senior catcher Drew Moen.
"We had a nice big inning and hit the ball hard up and down the lineup," Strommen said. "Even the balls we hit at them were hit very hard."
Four Vikings had multiple hits and Devin Jeglum joined Dieterich with three knocks, one a triple. Jeglum also drove home three runs while Moen took top honors with four. Argyle starter Nick Martin was chased during the 10-run eruption. Leary was ecstatic with his 6-7-8 hitters going 2-for-6, but felt quite the opposite about his team looking unprepared for a rivalry matchup.
"We just weren't mentally ready to play tonight," Leary said.
Pecatonica, meanwhile, committed just three errors, two of them in the first two innings, in just their third encounter with dirt this season. With the Vikings' home diamond in Blanchardville covered by standing water, they'll host Black Hawk tonight in Hollandale after the softball game between the Warriors and Vikings wraps up.
Dieterich won't be in attendance. The outstanding distance runner will join his track and field team at a meet in Darlington.
Argyle hosts Highland today in a non-conference game.
Argyle hung tough against the crafty senior pitcher for two innings, but the Vikings exploded for 10 runs in the third inning to turn a 3-2 Pec lead into a 13-2 landslide and, eventually, a 16-5 decision in five innings.
Dieterich, a front-runner for the valedictorian honor at Pecatonica High School, was right in the middle of all of the action as he struck out six in earning the win and also collected three hits and two RBIs. A finesse-pitching complement to hard-throwing junior Lee Vlasak, Dieterich used every breaking ball he could grip to keep the Orioles guessing.
Most importantly, after watching two unearned runs cross in as many opening innings, Dieterich didn't flinch.
"That's how I like to have my pitchers out there, I don't want anyone to tell anything by looking out there," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "He's just a student of the game."
And instead of over-analyzing the gaffes, Dieterich went back to buckling knees.
"He mixed things up and changed speeds very well," Argyle coach Sean Leary said. "His off-speed stuff is pretty good and kept us off-balance.
"He's got beautiful form and he looks like a pitcher out there."
Beautiful is likely not the word Leary would have used to describe the top of the third which included two errors after back-to-back doubles led things off for the Vikings.
But it was the damage after the errors that broke things open. The Vikings cracked three consecutive doubles, most notably a bases-clearing job off the bat of senior catcher Drew Moen.
"We had a nice big inning and hit the ball hard up and down the lineup," Strommen said. "Even the balls we hit at them were hit very hard."
Four Vikings had multiple hits and Devin Jeglum joined Dieterich with three knocks, one a triple. Jeglum also drove home three runs while Moen took top honors with four. Argyle starter Nick Martin was chased during the 10-run eruption. Leary was ecstatic with his 6-7-8 hitters going 2-for-6, but felt quite the opposite about his team looking unprepared for a rivalry matchup.
"We just weren't mentally ready to play tonight," Leary said.
Pecatonica, meanwhile, committed just three errors, two of them in the first two innings, in just their third encounter with dirt this season. With the Vikings' home diamond in Blanchardville covered by standing water, they'll host Black Hawk tonight in Hollandale after the softball game between the Warriors and Vikings wraps up.
Dieterich won't be in attendance. The outstanding distance runner will join his track and field team at a meet in Darlington.
Argyle hosts Highland today in a non-conference game.
