ARGYLE - Pecatonica's Everett Johnson needed to break out of a slump. A 4-for-4 performance with two RBIs that helped lead the Vikings to a 7-1 win over Argyle Tuesday might have done the trick.
"I would like to thank my hitting coach (Larry Schliem) for fixing me," Johnson said. "I have been in a slump lately. I just wasn't getting my hands back."
With the win, Pecatonica (9-3, 6-1 Six Rivers East) now has a two-game lead in the conference over Argyle (7-7, 5-3).
"It definitely means a lot especially with it being a rivalry game," Johnson said. "It's feels pretty good to take first place and have a nice spot moving on. We are looking to get more conference wins as we go on."
Pecatonica's Evan Prust pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits to get the win. He struck out nine and walked one. Teammate Carter Ruegsegger tossed 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief and struck out four.
"Pec is always the team to beat until someone knocks them off," Argyle coach Jeff Solberg said. "I think we played well, but our bats just didn't show up for us tonight."
The Vikings jumped out to an early lead with a three-run second off Argyle pitcher Mitch Flannery. Ruegsegger walked leading off the second and scored when teammate Lane Busser reached on an error. Johnson then ripped an RBI double to left and later Easton Schraepfer knocked in a run on a groundout to extend the Vikings' lead to 3-0.
"We did enough offensively to score," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "Evan and Carter did a great job for us on the mound. Our pitching was a key because they had been scoring a lot of runs and hitting the ball pretty well from what I've seen in the paper. They have a formidable attack there. We did a good job of slowing down their running game a little bit."
Flannery pitched after missing eight days due to a dislocated right shoulder injury. He is not cleared to bat or run, but he has the go-ahead to pitch.
"I thought he showed a little bit of rust walking a few guys," Solberg said. "It was good to get him back. We will still pitch him and use a DH. When you lose someone like that it's hard to replace."
Strommen understands the significance of the game in the race to win a Six Rivers East title. Pecatonica is looking to repeat as conference champions.
"It's always a very competitive game and close game when these two schools get together," Strommen said. "All of these kids know each other. They play football together and wrestle together."
The Vikings limited the Orioles' running chances. Argyle's Brent Ritschard was coming off a five-steal game against Monticello-Albany Monday.
"He's kind of the table setter for them," Strommen said of Ritschard. "He was lead off today. I saw he had been batting second most of the year. Not having Mitch Flannery in the lineup to bat with his bad shoulder, that hurts them considerably. Mitch is usually lead off with Brent second. We kept Brent off the bases for the most part. When we got into trouble our pitchers made big pitches to get out of innings."
Prust crushed a triple to right and later scored on a balk to give Pecatonica a 4-0 lead in the third. The Orioles looked to rally in the bottom of the frame as Brent Ritschard walked and Mason Wagge, who went 2-for-3, singled to left. B.J. Penniston then delivered a two-out RBI single to right to make it 4-1.
After Pecatonica's Bo Hendrickson (2-for-2, two walks) and Colton Schraepfer (2-for-4) both singled to lead off the fourth, an errant pickoff throw allowed Hendrickson to score from second, which made it 5-1.
Johnson added an RBI single in the fifth and the Vikings scored one run in the seventh. Pecatonica was 4-for-16 hitting with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
"We left a number of guys on base today," Strommen said. "Credit their pitchers - Mitch and Miken - for making big pitches when they had to."
The Orioles had three errors - one fielding and two on errant pickoff throws.
"I think we played a lot better defensively than we did last night and we won last night," Solberg said. The Orioles defeated Monticello-Albany 19-4 Monday. "We didn't have errors on errors. We had one error and then we got out of it. We didn't compile them."
Solberg is confident the Orioles can use the game as a learning experience.
"We kind of know where we stand," he said. "It was close the whole game. We just have to get our bats going a little bit more."
"I would like to thank my hitting coach (Larry Schliem) for fixing me," Johnson said. "I have been in a slump lately. I just wasn't getting my hands back."
With the win, Pecatonica (9-3, 6-1 Six Rivers East) now has a two-game lead in the conference over Argyle (7-7, 5-3).
"It definitely means a lot especially with it being a rivalry game," Johnson said. "It's feels pretty good to take first place and have a nice spot moving on. We are looking to get more conference wins as we go on."
Pecatonica's Evan Prust pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up one run on three hits to get the win. He struck out nine and walked one. Teammate Carter Ruegsegger tossed 3 1/3 shutout innings in relief and struck out four.
"Pec is always the team to beat until someone knocks them off," Argyle coach Jeff Solberg said. "I think we played well, but our bats just didn't show up for us tonight."
The Vikings jumped out to an early lead with a three-run second off Argyle pitcher Mitch Flannery. Ruegsegger walked leading off the second and scored when teammate Lane Busser reached on an error. Johnson then ripped an RBI double to left and later Easton Schraepfer knocked in a run on a groundout to extend the Vikings' lead to 3-0.
"We did enough offensively to score," Pecatonica coach Jim Strommen said. "Evan and Carter did a great job for us on the mound. Our pitching was a key because they had been scoring a lot of runs and hitting the ball pretty well from what I've seen in the paper. They have a formidable attack there. We did a good job of slowing down their running game a little bit."
Flannery pitched after missing eight days due to a dislocated right shoulder injury. He is not cleared to bat or run, but he has the go-ahead to pitch.
"I thought he showed a little bit of rust walking a few guys," Solberg said. "It was good to get him back. We will still pitch him and use a DH. When you lose someone like that it's hard to replace."
Strommen understands the significance of the game in the race to win a Six Rivers East title. Pecatonica is looking to repeat as conference champions.
"It's always a very competitive game and close game when these two schools get together," Strommen said. "All of these kids know each other. They play football together and wrestle together."
The Vikings limited the Orioles' running chances. Argyle's Brent Ritschard was coming off a five-steal game against Monticello-Albany Monday.
"He's kind of the table setter for them," Strommen said of Ritschard. "He was lead off today. I saw he had been batting second most of the year. Not having Mitch Flannery in the lineup to bat with his bad shoulder, that hurts them considerably. Mitch is usually lead off with Brent second. We kept Brent off the bases for the most part. When we got into trouble our pitchers made big pitches to get out of innings."
Prust crushed a triple to right and later scored on a balk to give Pecatonica a 4-0 lead in the third. The Orioles looked to rally in the bottom of the frame as Brent Ritschard walked and Mason Wagge, who went 2-for-3, singled to left. B.J. Penniston then delivered a two-out RBI single to right to make it 4-1.
After Pecatonica's Bo Hendrickson (2-for-2, two walks) and Colton Schraepfer (2-for-4) both singled to lead off the fourth, an errant pickoff throw allowed Hendrickson to score from second, which made it 5-1.
Johnson added an RBI single in the fifth and the Vikings scored one run in the seventh. Pecatonica was 4-for-16 hitting with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.
"We left a number of guys on base today," Strommen said. "Credit their pitchers - Mitch and Miken - for making big pitches when they had to."
The Orioles had three errors - one fielding and two on errant pickoff throws.
"I think we played a lot better defensively than we did last night and we won last night," Solberg said. The Orioles defeated Monticello-Albany 19-4 Monday. "We didn't have errors on errors. We had one error and then we got out of it. We didn't compile them."
Solberg is confident the Orioles can use the game as a learning experience.
"We kind of know where we stand," he said. "It was close the whole game. We just have to get our bats going a little bit more."
