BRODHEAD - The Brodhead-Juda baseball team weathered a couple of storms from McFarland, but the Cardinals couldn't overcome some fielding miscues and lost to the Spartans 16-5 in five innings Thursday.
"We have good players on this team," Brodhead coach Paul Ritschard said. "We can't have the errors and the baserunning mistakes. If we get rid of all those things, it's a different ballgame."
After the Spartans jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead, the Cardinals answered in their half of the first. Brodhead senior Jacob Covert ripped a double and sophomore Tyler Malcook followed with a single. Senior Thomas Rear then lined an RBI single to left to cut the Spartans' lead to 2-1.
The Cardinals exploded for six runs in the second off Malcook. Then, Sean Engelhart crushed an RBI double to left. Brady Steinberg followed with an RBI single to give the Spartans a 4-1 lead. The big blow came on Jake Thomas' two-run double, which he lined to left. Hunter Christensen followed with an RBI single to give the Spartans an 8-1 lead.
"McFarland is a good team," Ritschard said. "They hit with men on base and that is what will win some games."
The Cardinals bounced back in their half of the second. Christian Melton doubled to center and Matt Trotter reached on an infield single. Junior Carson Scheidegger was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Malcook followed up by crushing a three-run double to center to slice the Spartans' lead to 8-5, but that's as close as they would get.
"He's a kid that expects it every time," Ritschard said of Malcook. "He comes through. He's a gamer."
The Spartans put up a seven-run third to put the game away. The Cardinals committed four errors including a dropped fly ball in the third.
"We are not a team that gives up," Ritschard said. "That's for sure."
"We have good players on this team," Brodhead coach Paul Ritschard said. "We can't have the errors and the baserunning mistakes. If we get rid of all those things, it's a different ballgame."
After the Spartans jumped out to a 2-0 first-inning lead, the Cardinals answered in their half of the first. Brodhead senior Jacob Covert ripped a double and sophomore Tyler Malcook followed with a single. Senior Thomas Rear then lined an RBI single to left to cut the Spartans' lead to 2-1.
The Cardinals exploded for six runs in the second off Malcook. Then, Sean Engelhart crushed an RBI double to left. Brady Steinberg followed with an RBI single to give the Spartans a 4-1 lead. The big blow came on Jake Thomas' two-run double, which he lined to left. Hunter Christensen followed with an RBI single to give the Spartans an 8-1 lead.
"McFarland is a good team," Ritschard said. "They hit with men on base and that is what will win some games."
The Cardinals bounced back in their half of the second. Christian Melton doubled to center and Matt Trotter reached on an infield single. Junior Carson Scheidegger was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Malcook followed up by crushing a three-run double to center to slice the Spartans' lead to 8-5, but that's as close as they would get.
"He's a kid that expects it every time," Ritschard said of Malcook. "He comes through. He's a gamer."
The Spartans put up a seven-run third to put the game away. The Cardinals committed four errors including a dropped fly ball in the third.
"We are not a team that gives up," Ritschard said. "That's for sure."
