MONTICELLO - If the Pecatonica baseball team has a celebration for winning the Six Rivers East Conference title outright, the Vikings may want to invite Monticello.
The Ponies beat Barneveld 3-1, Tuesday, which allowed the Vikings to clinch the conference championship.
Monticello's Tyler Ritschard dazzled the Eagles by pitching a three-hitter. He struck out two and walked three. He pitched six scoreless innings after giving up one run in the first inning. He limited Barneveld's first four hitters to just 1-for-10 at the plate.
"He mixed his pitches well and he keeps the ball down," Monticello coach Jason Pinnow said. "He pitched with confidence and that always helps."
The Ponies came back from a 1-0 deficit by scoring two unearned runs in the third on two of Barneveld's three errors.
Ritschard walked to lead off the third and then stole second. Al Gierhart hit a comebacker to the pitcher who overthrew third and allowed Ritschard to score the Ponies' first run. Then Corey McGowan reached on an error and the Ponies scored to take a 2-1 lead.
"We didn't really blow the ball out of the water," Pinnow said. "We put the ball in play and made them make plays."
Monticello (5-9, 4-7 Six Rivers East) had two hits from both Ritschard and Casey Klossner.
Pecatonica 16, Belmont 13
BLANCHARDVILLE - According to Vikings head coach Jim Strommen, Tuesday's game had a little bit of everything.
"It was a different game. Anything that could have happen, probably happened," he said.
Pecatonica worked its way around seven errors and three pitchers on defense and pounded out 13 hits on offense.
"We had five walks and five guys hit by pitches. They had 14 hits, seven walks and five errors. It had everything," Strommen said.
Belmont scored four runs in the top of the first off of Vikings starter Devin Jeglum. Pecatonica countered with a seven-run first inning. By the time the fifth inning rolled around, the score was tied up at 8-8. Pecatonica scored four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to preserve the win. Belmont scored four in the seventh, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Taylor Berg relieved Jeglum in the fourth and Kevin Swenson finished off the seventh. Milton Kurschner was 4-for-4, Jeglum was 2-4 with a home run, Bryan Daley, 2-3, and Harley Demler, 2-4. Lee Vlasak had a double, a walk and was hit twice while scoring three runs. In all, the Vikings top four hitters each had three runs.
"You win games because of things like that. Our errors came in bunches, but sometimes so do hits. Tonight both were true," Strommen said.
Riverdale 10, Darlington 2
DARLINGTON - Taylor Wiegel struck out seven hitters in six innings, but Riverdale took advantage early and often to get the win Tuesday.
Riverdale scored three runs in the first and third innings, and added two runs in both the fourth and seventh. Darlington could only plate a run in each of the first two innings.
Ronnie Rush pitched in relief for the Redbirds and Colton Hackett was 2-2 with a double.
"(Riverdale was) hitting well," Darlington coach Andy Sawall said. "If we put a guy on, they seemed to bring that run around. We've got to get back on track."
Clinton 10, Brodhead 4
CLINTON - The Cardinals couldn't contain four errors on the road Tuesday. Clinton scored four runs in the first inning, two in the third and four more in the sixth.
Michael Peterson pitched 2 2/3 innings for Brodhead, allowing six hits and six walks. Tyler Welch pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and Billy Sangermano pitched the final two innings for the Cardinals.
Tyler Malcook was 2-4 for the Cardinals, who had seven hits as a team.
The Ponies beat Barneveld 3-1, Tuesday, which allowed the Vikings to clinch the conference championship.
Monticello's Tyler Ritschard dazzled the Eagles by pitching a three-hitter. He struck out two and walked three. He pitched six scoreless innings after giving up one run in the first inning. He limited Barneveld's first four hitters to just 1-for-10 at the plate.
"He mixed his pitches well and he keeps the ball down," Monticello coach Jason Pinnow said. "He pitched with confidence and that always helps."
The Ponies came back from a 1-0 deficit by scoring two unearned runs in the third on two of Barneveld's three errors.
Ritschard walked to lead off the third and then stole second. Al Gierhart hit a comebacker to the pitcher who overthrew third and allowed Ritschard to score the Ponies' first run. Then Corey McGowan reached on an error and the Ponies scored to take a 2-1 lead.
"We didn't really blow the ball out of the water," Pinnow said. "We put the ball in play and made them make plays."
Monticello (5-9, 4-7 Six Rivers East) had two hits from both Ritschard and Casey Klossner.
Pecatonica 16, Belmont 13
BLANCHARDVILLE - According to Vikings head coach Jim Strommen, Tuesday's game had a little bit of everything.
"It was a different game. Anything that could have happen, probably happened," he said.
Pecatonica worked its way around seven errors and three pitchers on defense and pounded out 13 hits on offense.
"We had five walks and five guys hit by pitches. They had 14 hits, seven walks and five errors. It had everything," Strommen said.
Belmont scored four runs in the top of the first off of Vikings starter Devin Jeglum. Pecatonica countered with a seven-run first inning. By the time the fifth inning rolled around, the score was tied up at 8-8. Pecatonica scored four runs in the fifth and sixth innings to preserve the win. Belmont scored four in the seventh, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Taylor Berg relieved Jeglum in the fourth and Kevin Swenson finished off the seventh. Milton Kurschner was 4-for-4, Jeglum was 2-4 with a home run, Bryan Daley, 2-3, and Harley Demler, 2-4. Lee Vlasak had a double, a walk and was hit twice while scoring three runs. In all, the Vikings top four hitters each had three runs.
"You win games because of things like that. Our errors came in bunches, but sometimes so do hits. Tonight both were true," Strommen said.
Riverdale 10, Darlington 2
DARLINGTON - Taylor Wiegel struck out seven hitters in six innings, but Riverdale took advantage early and often to get the win Tuesday.
Riverdale scored three runs in the first and third innings, and added two runs in both the fourth and seventh. Darlington could only plate a run in each of the first two innings.
Ronnie Rush pitched in relief for the Redbirds and Colton Hackett was 2-2 with a double.
"(Riverdale was) hitting well," Darlington coach Andy Sawall said. "If we put a guy on, they seemed to bring that run around. We've got to get back on track."
Clinton 10, Brodhead 4
CLINTON - The Cardinals couldn't contain four errors on the road Tuesday. Clinton scored four runs in the first inning, two in the third and four more in the sixth.
Michael Peterson pitched 2 2/3 innings for Brodhead, allowing six hits and six walks. Tyler Welch pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief and Billy Sangermano pitched the final two innings for the Cardinals.
Tyler Malcook was 2-4 for the Cardinals, who had seven hits as a team.
