Wildcats lose five games in as many days

The arms of the Blair-Taylor High School baseball team are likely as sore as they have been all season after playing five games in as many days last week.

The Wildcats (1-9 this season) lost all five but mixed in a pair of close efforts against Eleva-Strum on Monday as well as against Melrose-Mindoro on Wednesday.

Blair-Taylor was set to play a pair of doubleheaders this week, the first against Independence on Tuesday followed by another at Alma Center Lincoln on Friday.

E-S 8 Blair-Taylor 5

After matching the Cardinals 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning by scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning, the Wildcats couldn’t climb all the way back on Monday.

Blair-Taylor watched Eleva-Strum take a two-run lead in the fifth inning, but they again matched the offense with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth. A trio of runs in the top of the sixth was too much of a cushion to overcome.

Jackson Shramek had a triple for the Wildcats, which recorded six hits a team. Three pitchers combined for eight walks and two strikeouts for Blair-Taylor.

C-FC 11 Blair-Taylor 0

The hosts scored eight runs in the third inning to pull away from Blair-Taylor for good on Tuesday, and seven fielding errors for the Wildcats proved to be the difference.

Cain Fremstad and Zach Nitek had the only hits for Blair-Taylor, which allowed seven hits on four earned runs. 

Pitchers Tavian Shramek, Ryan Flynn and Brue Parker recorded four strikeouts to two walks.

Mel-Min 12 Blair-Taylor 11

Plenty of offense was shared in a Dairyland Conference match at Melrose-Mindoro on Wednesday, but the Wildcats eventually fell short.

Blair-Taylor faced a 9-4 disadvantage through five innings before the Wildcat offense came to life. They scored four runs in the top of the sixth inning to get within a run of the Mustangs, who responded with a trio of runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.

The Wildcats added three more scores in the top of the sixth but couldn’t bring home the tying run despite finishing with 11 hits.

Isaiah Washington finished three-for-four with two RBI, and Shramek hit a double and a triple. Fremstad went two-for-three with a double.

Shramek and Eli Swenson combined to allow eight hits and 10 walks, striking out four.

ECIL 14 Blair-Taylor 3

The unbeaten Lancers remained without a blemish on their record by building a comfortable lead over the Wildcats quickly on Thursday.

Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran worked to an eight-run advantage through two and a half innings, tacking on four more after Blair-Taylor got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the third.

Fremstad had a pair of singles and the Wildcats finished with six hits to the Lancers’ 12.

E-S11 Blair-Taylor 1

The Wildcats played a tight effort against the Cardinals for the second time in a week on Friday, but a sixth inning surge for the hosts ended the game.

Blair-Taylor tied the game at one in the top of the third inning, but Eleva-Strum quickly regained the lead in the bottom of the third. They scored nine unanswered runs after taking the lead back.

The Wildcats had five hits, two off the bat of Fremstad, who finished with a stolen base as well.

Tavian Shramek threw a handful of strikeouts to one walk through five innings, allowing six hits.