By Natalie Dillon
ndillon@
themonroetimes.com
BLANCHARDVILLE — Solo home runs from Brooks Chandler and Kyle Kleppe in the fifth inning did little to chip away at the Knights’ lead, as Dodgeville went on to defeat Blanchardville 15-3 on Saturday, June 29.
After a scoreless first, Dodgeville jumped on Blanchardville starting pitcher Jared Carney for four runs in the second. Dom McVay led off with a home run. Carney responded with a strikeout of Tarron Boekop, but he walked the bases loaded. Leadoff batter Leyton Bowers lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring one. Carney hit the next batter, loading the bases with two outs. Sean Reilly hit a bloop single behind first base, scoring two.
Blanchardville responded immediately in the bottom of the frame with a run. Cole Breuer led off with a four-pitch walk. AJ Hendrickson grounded into a fielder’s choice and designated hitter Riley Gould struck out. Hunter Enloe kept the inning alive, hitting a jammed blooper right behind the pitcher’s mound. Carson Kurschner made the Knights pay, singling through the ride side to score Hendrickson from second.
Dodgeville tacked on three runs in the third, chasing Carney. He nearly escaped unscathed, but No. 9 hitter Grant Roh lined a two-RBI triple in the right center gap. Bowers followed with a RBI single on the first pitch of his at bat.
A mound visit calmed Carney, as he struck out Grant Bossert to end the inning.
Although the Bullets were unable to respond in the third, Hendrickson launched a ball out to center that Bossert caught just shy of the fence. Had it been a home run, the score would have been 7-3.
Instead, Dodgeville tagged relief pitcher Enloe with three runs in the fourth. After falling behind Jordan Williams 2-0, Enloe intentionally walked him to load the bases and create a force at each base with two outs. Jakob Kastenholz made Enloe pay for the decision, hitting a bases-clearing double to left.
Miscommunication on defense led to another run for the Knights. Bossert hit a bloop single in no-man’s land behind second. All three fielders — center, shortstop and second — went for the ball, leaving second base open to Bossert. Reilly beat out an infield single to third, and Bossert took third as no one covered for Kleppe, who fielded the ball. Justin Baehler then hit an RBI ground out to the right side.
Chandler led off the bottom of the fifth with a first-pitch bomb over the center field fence. After a full-count strikeout, Kleppe sent a two-strike hit out in right.
The home runs — combined with tighter defense — ensured the game went the full nine innings.
In the top of the frame, Dodgeville tacked on its final four runs on a passed ball and a three-run home run from Baehler.
Blanchardville pinch hitters went down quietly in the bottom of the inning for the 15-3 final.
Carney suffered the loss, giving up seven runs in three innings. He struck out four and walked three. Enloe pitched five innings of relief, allowing eight runs. He struck out eight.
Kleppe led the Bullets at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a double, home run and RBI. Chandler also had a multiple-hit game, finishing 2-for-4 with a home run. Kurschner, who was 1-for-3, had the other RBI.
