Indees drop two of three to fall back in DC race
If the Independence/Gilmanton baseball team is going to contend for the Dairyland Conference title, it’s going to need a strong finish and a little luck.
The Indees began last week tied with Eleva-Strum and Whitehall atop the standings, but fell to second with a 4-3 loss to Cochrane-Fountain City last week Tuesday and to third with a 15-4 loss to Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on Thursday, coupled with Whitehall’s loss to E-S.
While they started this week two games back of E-S, by the time this week’s edition hits newsstands, the Indees will know where they stand in the conference. They played at home against Whitehall on Monday and at E-S on Tuesday. The Indees are scheduled to play at Alma Center Lincoln on Friday.
The regular season comes to an end next week as the Indees host Melrose-Mindoro on Monday and Pepin/Alma on Tuesday before Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association play is set to begin on Thursday.
C-FC 4 I/G 3
An error allowed the winning run to score in the bottom of the seventh, knocking the Indees out of first place.
Andrew Bissen doubled for C-FC with one out in the bottom of the seventh, then he moved to third on a groundout. The Indees issued an intentional walk was issued to Abraham Henderson, then allowed him to take second with the winning run already 90 feet away. Stevie Meyer hit a grounder to Eric Rojas Lopez, who was unable to field it cleanly as the winning run scored.
C-FC took the lead with three runs in the third, but the Indees responded with three in the top of the fifth. Two scored on a double by Ben Pyka then Pyka scored on an errant pickoff throw.
Nathan Pyka had two of I/G’s five hits, including a double.
Brandon Sylla took the loss, starting and pitching 4.2 innings. Sylla struck out eight while allowing two walks and three hits. Guenther closed out the game, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four in two innings.
I/G 11 B-T 1
The Indees picked up where they left off a few days earlier with a 3-0 lead. It looked like that might be in jeopardy early, but then I/G pulled away.
I/G took a 3-0 lead when the game began on May 5 and that’s where the score stood when the game was postponed until last Wednesday due to rain.
The Wildcats scored on a walk, a single and an error to get within striking distance. But that’s as close as they’d end up getting.
Xavier Santillian led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to center field, the first of what would end up being six runs scored in the inning. Another run scored on a walk with the bases loaded before Sylla singled to make the score 6-1. Nathan Pyka singled in two more runs before Santillian picked up his second RBI of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
A two-run home run by Guenther ended the game by rule as it put the Indees ahead by 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Guenther had three RBIs in the game as did Nathan Pyka, who had a team-high two hits.
Guenther was the winning pitcher, striking out 11 while holding B-T to three walks and two hits.
Ryan Flynn took the loss for B-T, pitching the first 3.2 innings with six walks, seven hits and one strikeout before Brayden Paulson came on and pitched less than one complete.
ECI 15 I/G 4
The Lancers took an early lead then broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning.
ECI scored two runs on five walks before a single made the score 3-0 in the top of the first. They added another run in the third before a two-run single by Sylla gave the Indees life in the bottom half of that inning.
I/G couldn’t hold onto the momentum. With two on and two outs, the Lancers strung together four straight hits before a walk and a double put them ahead 11-2.
Dillon Lessman and Sylla had RBIs for the Indees in the bottom of the fourth, but the Lancers got those runs back in the sixth as they went ahead by 11.
Sylla and Lessman both had two hits for I/G as they finished with five as a team.
Kingsbury took the loss on the mound, pitching 3.2 innings with five strikeouts, six walks and seven hits. Nathan Pyka finished the game.
