Bulldog baseball bedeviled by PC, blank Vikings

By Cara L. Dempski

The Bulldogs earned a split in their most recent contests, both against Dunn-St. Croix foes, losing at home to Plum City on April 24 before rebounding for a road shutout in Colfax April 27.  

The Boyceville baseball team is still working to find its footing this season, and coach Michael Roemhild was blunt in his assessment of the Bulldogs’ most recent loss at Plum City.

The Dogs hosted an April 24 contest where they held a 3-1 lead going into the fifth inning, but wound up losing 6-3 as the Blue Devils scored five unanswered runs – three in the fifth and a pair in the sixth. Roemhild noted his team will not see success if it strands runners and commits errors like he saw against the Blue Devils.

Boyceville went next to Colfax, after a hard two days’ practice. The Dogs rebounded nicely as it shut out the Vikings 8-0.

The Bulldogs finished the week with an overall record of 3-4, and are now 2-2 in the Large D-SC.

Rain and cold delayed the  Bulldogs contest against division leader Elk Mound by a day as the pair was rescheduled to play yesterday. Boyceville will take to the road for a pair of games, heading to Spring Valley Thursday, May 4 and Clear Lake on Friday, May 5. The Dogs return to Evenson Field next Monday, May 8 to host Durand.

SECOND HIT — Logan Knudtson slapped this single to left field during Boycevilles’ four-run seventh inning in Colfax April 27. Logan finished with a pair of hits and a run scored in the Bulldogs 8-0 road shutout of the Vikings. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
Plum City

Boyceville held a 3-1 lead over Plum City until the fifth inning, and then the wheels fell off.

The Blue Devils saw Ben Glaus, Anthony Ebensperger and Noah Gansluckner cross the plate to lift Plum City to 4-3 lead over the Bulldogs.

The Blue Devils followed with two more scores in the top of the sixth frame of April 25 contest to secure a 6-3 win.

The Bulldogs, who scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings, were kept off the board in the final three frames.

Boyceville’s coach said the loss was, in part, due to some errors and stranded runners.

The Bulldogs finished with five errors while the Blue Devils committed three.

“We won’t win very many games if we leave 11 guys on base and commit six errors,” Coach Roemhild noted. “I thought my pitchers did their jobs. I asked them to throw strikes, and they did. We just didn’t have their backs in the field, or when we were up to bat.”

Senior Micadin Kahl, who was injured later in the contest, put up Boyceville’s first run in the first inning with a lead-off home run over the head of Plum City center fielder Ben Glaus.

The hit gave Boyceville a temporary spark, but could not keep the team’s bats going.

Luke Knudtson scored for the Bulldogs in the third, and Brendan Sempf scored in the fourth after slapping a single and then making it home off a sacrifice fly from Kahl.

Plum City scored three run in the fifth when it opened with four straight base hits and made the most of three Boyceville errors.

The Blue Devils then tacked on two more runs without the aid of a hit as Boyceville made two more errors and hit a batter.

James Palmer worked four innings on the mound and gave up one run while striking out seven. Bryce Boda spent two innings pitching and logged a pair of hits and one strikeout; Brady Nye pitched a single inning and took the loss, giving up three runs and earning one strikeout.

The Bulldogs, who were outhit 11 to 8, got a pair of hits from Luke Knudtson and Brendan Sempf.

PLUM CITY 6, BOYCEVILLE 3
Plum City…………………0  0  0  1  3  2 –  6
Boyceville………………..1  0  1  1  0  0 –  3

Colfax

It was a cold and windy day for baseball in Colfax last Thursday, but a good night for Boyceville.

Especially, senior hurler James Palmer. He threw a four-hit, complete game gem to lead the Bulldogs to the April 27 shut out. 

HARD TO HIT — Boyceville senior pitcher James Palmer delivered a fast ball to home plate during a complete game effort at Colfax April 27. Palmer allowed just four hits and no runs as he helped the Bulldogs blank the Vikings 8-0. —photo by Shawn DeWitt

The Bulldogs pulled off an 8-0 win at Colfax to snap its two-game skid.

Coach Roemhild credited James Palmer with keeping the defense solid after the senior hurler pitched 13 strikeouts over seven innings in the victory.

Offensively, the team struggled.

“We need to take better at bats as a team,” Roemhild explained. “It still wasn’t a complete game for us.”

Still, the Bulldogs collected nine hits as Brady Nye, Logan Knudtson and Palmer each had a pair of hits.

Boyceville scored a pair of runs in the first, single scores in the second and third and tallied four more in the seventh.

With an out in the first, Cooper Boesl walked and Palmer singled. Both came around to score unearned runs on passed balls and hit batsmen.

Logan Knudtson singled to open the Bulldogs’ second innings, then stole second and scored on an error.

Jayson Gonzales gave Boyceville a 4-0 lead when he walked and scored in the third.

The Bulldogs big inning was it’s last. Boyceville collected six hits and four runs in the seventh highlighted by Brendan Sempf’s RBI double. Palmer, Gonzales, Reisimer, Logan Knudtson and Nye all added singles in the final frame.  

Reisimer played defense behind the plate after Micadin Kahl suffered an injury earlier in the week.

BOYCEVILLE 8, COLFAX 0
Boyceville……………2  1  1  0  0  0  4 — 8
Colfax…………………0  0  0  0  0  0  0 — 0