BLANCHARDVILLE — Down to their final two outs trailing by a score 5-0, the Shullsburg/Benton Fever had an outbreak and rallied to take down the host Blanchardville Bullets in extra innings.
The Fever (6-3 overall) plated five runs in the top of the ninth inning to even the score, and then rallied to take the lead on a two-run home run by catcher Connor Crotty in the top of the 10th before holding on to defeat the Bullets, 7-6, in a thrilling Home Talent League baseball game at Blanchardville’s McKellar Park on Aug. 1.
The Bullets grabbed a 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. Kyle Kleppe put the hosts up 1-0 with an RBI-single and Colton Schraepfer scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
Schraepfer scored again in the third on an RBI-single by Drew Schliem, and Brooks Chandler tacked on RBI-singles in the fourth and sixth frames to put the Bullets ahead 5-0.
The Fever loaded the bases to begin the ninth inning on a hit batter, a walk and a single before the Bullets recorded the first out on a fly ball to right. Leadoff hitter Jacob Berendes put the guests on the board with a two-run single.
With two down, Jim Pavlik singled in the Fever’s third run, while Justin Crotty and Jayson Haldiman followed with back-to-back bases loaded walks to deadlock the score at five all.
The Bullets went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. The Fever took their first lead of the game in the top of the 10th when Connor Crotty blasted a two-out, two-run home run over the centerfield fence to make it 7-5.
Evan Prust sliced to deficit down to 7-6 in the bottom of the 10th when he singled in Schliem, which also put the go-ahead runner on the base path. However, Fever pitcher Nathan Mowry buckled down and struck out the Bullets’ Payton Sawdey to end the game as the Fever held on for their sixth straight victory on the diamond.
Mowry picked up the win in relief, working six strong innings and allowing just two runs— one earned— on six hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Berendes worked the first four innings yielding four runs on five hits with four Ks and two walks.
Everett Johnson took the loss for the Bullets allowing two runs on two hits and a walk in the 10th.
At the plate, Connor Crotty went 2-for-6 with the game-winning homer and two RBI. Pavlik finished 3-for-6 with an RBI and Nathan Hendrickson was 3-for-6 with a run scored, while Berendes drove in two runs and scored twice for the Fever.
Chandler, Schraepfer and Schliem each had two hits for the Bullets. Chandler drove in two runs and scored once, while Schraepfer scored twice and Schliem had a run and an RBI.
The Fever have won six games in a row dating back to July 16 with Thursday night wins over Hollandale, 8-0; Blanchardville, 5-3; and Belleville, 9-7; and Sunday wins over Argyle, 10-5; Dodgeville, 3-1; and Blanchardville, 7-6.
Next up, Shullsburg/Benton is scheduled to play at Hollandale at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9.
