GC diamond boys surrender runs and losses to Spring Valley Cardinals and Boyceville Bulldogs
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GLENWOOD CITY third baseman Max Janson (#2) fielded a ground ball and made this throw to first to record an out when the Hilltoppers hosted Boyceville for a Dunn-St. Croix Conference baseball game April 29. The Toppers fell 21 to 4 to the Bulldogs. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
The Glenwood City baseball squad had the unenviable task of facing the Dunn-St. Croix’s top two pre-season picks in back-to-back games to open the 2021 season last week.
This year’s Hilltoppers, a largely inexperienced crew under the direction of first-year head coach Dean Fayerweather, took its lumps against the best in the Dunn-St. Croix but remained resilient despite being outscored 38 to 4 in the two contests.
Glenwood City opened the conference and regular season in Spring Valley last Tuesday, April 27, where they were whitewashed 17-0 in five innings.
Two days later in their home opener, the Hilltoppers were again outdone this time by the rival Bulldogs of Boyceville, 21-4, in another five-inning contest.
Glenwood City, 0-2, will look to get back on track with two of this coming week’s games to be played at home. The Toppers hosted Colfax Monday (May 3) and will go to Mondovi on Thursday before returning to their home turf to welcome Durand next Monday, May 10.
Spring Valley
The host Cardinals of Spring Valley flew away with last Tuesday’s contest after they roughed up the Hilltoppers’ pitching staff for 16 hits including four doubles and a triple and scored 17 runs and blanked the Toppers in the season and Dunn-St. Croix opener.
After allowing just a single run in the first inning, Glenwood City surrendered six runs in the second inning and five each in the third and fourth innings as Spring Valley went on to win 17-0 in five.
Five Cardinal batters finished with multiple hits led by Brayden Wolf’s 3-for-4 performance that featured three runs scored and two RBIs. Nolan Stans pitched the first two innings of the game giving up no hits or walks to earn the victory.
The Toppers had just one hit in the game – a fifth-inning single off the bat of Drew Olson. Gavin Janson suffered the mound loss.
Boyceville
Things looked promising for the Hilltoppers early in Thursday’s home game against the mighty Bulldogs as they trailed just 6 to 3 after two innings of play.
But then the heavy bats of the Bulldogs woke for 15 runs over the next three innings, including seven home plate touches in each of the fourth and fifth innings, to bring and end to the contest after five frames with the final score reading 21-4.
Boyceville’s 16-hit performance in Glenwood City was led by senior Walker Retz who has been on a tear to open the season. Retz, 9-for-10 at the plate last week, was 3-for-4 against the Toppers’ pitchers collecting a home run and two doubles and four RBIs. Ira Bialzik, Jacob Granley and Connor Sempf each had a pair of hits.
Glenwood City scored three runs in the second innings as Steven Booth, Marcis DeSmith, and Halbach collected three consecutive singles and scored. The Toppers other run came in the fourth.
Glenwood City collected ten hits, all off of Boyceville starter and winning pitcher Brady Helland, with Brady McCarthy finishing 3-for-3 (all singles) in the game. Gavin Janson and Steven Booth also had a pair of singles.