Boyceville bounced by Black Sox

During summer baseball league action, the Boyceville high school age baseball team fell behind early then tried to make a comeback before dropping a 12-8 contest to the Colfax Black Sox July 9 in Colfax.

 Boyceville pitcher Jordan Kuhn gave up just five hits in seven innings but 13 errors by his fellow teammates spelled the difference in the game. Kuhn struck out the first two batters he faced and actually the third one too, but the pitch was too tough to handle for the catcher allowing the runner to reach first. After a walk, two infield errors and a double, Colfax held a 4-0 lead.

Boyceville got one of those runs back in the second when Matt Leach reached on a Colfax error, stole second and came home on a ground ball by Kevin Clark. After giving up three more runs to the Black Sox in the second, in part by several throwing errors, Boyceville tacked on another run in the third when Kuhn walked and moved around the bases via a steal and a couple of passed balls.

Down 11-2 in the fourth, Boyceville came up with back to back hits with one out by Alex  Lovett and Clark to put runners on first and third and they loaded the bases when MaCadin Kahl beat out a bunt. Lovett came home on a fielder’s choice but  the inning ended with a pop up, leaving two ducks on the pond.

Colfax added another run on two more Boyceville errors in the fifth, then Boyceville began to make their move in their half of the inning. Kuhn reached on an infield error, Max Engel set down a perfect bunt, resulting in a throwing error by the catcher putting runners at second and third with no outs. Kuhn scored on a wild pitch and Nick Wathke brought Engel home on a single past first. Leach beat out a ground ball to the shortstop and Lovett picked up an RBI with another bunt. But a pop up and a ground out left two more runners on the basepaths.

Kuhn held the Black Sox in check the rest of the way and Boyceville scored a run in the sixth when Hunter Anderson singled, moved all the way to third on another bunt,this time by Kuhn, and yet another successful bunt off the bat of Engel brought Anderson home. Their final run came in the seventh as Leach drew a walk, stole second, moved to third on a ground out and crossed the plate on a passed ball. After Kahl and Patrick Cipriano drew walks, a groundout ended the game.

Kuhn went the distance and struck out seven batters and walked seven to absorb the loss.

Boyceville   0  1  1  1  3  1  1 –  8

Colfax          4  3  4  1 0  0  X – 12