Boyceville baseball team goes 3-2 in first action of 2023 campaign
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After waiting nearly a month to play a game, the Boyceville baseball team finally opened its 2023 season last week playing five games including four in a four-day span.
The Bulldogs got off to a bit of a slow start, however, dropping its first two games of the season to conference foes Elk Mound and Mondovi but rebounded to win three straight including one in extra innings.
Opening its new campaign in Elk Mound last Tuesday, April 11, Boyceville fell behind early and never recovered, losing 14-2 to the Mounders.
With a couple of days to prepare, the Bulldogs headed south to Mauston and the Woodside Sports Complex where they played a trio of games, a doubleheader on Friday, April 14 and a single contest Saturday. After being shut out 11-0 by Mondovi in Friday’s first contest at Woodside, Boyceville bounced back and beat the Beavers of Cumberland, 9-6, in Friday’s second contest. The following morning, Boyceville returned to Woodside where it nipped Mishicot 13-12 in eight innings.
This past Monday, Boyceville welcomed Durand-Arkansaw for the home opener at Evenson Field. The Bulldogs delighted their fans with a third straight win as they defeated the Panthers 16-8 in another high scoring affair.
Boyceville (3-2) will host Glenwood City this Thursday before heading to Amery on Friday for a non-conference contest. The Bulldogs will be back home next Monday, April 24 to welcome the Wolves of Elmwood-Plum City.
Elk Mound
The Mounders scored early and often when the Bulldogs visited Village Park Tuesday, April 11 in what was the conference opener for both squads and the season opener for Boyceville.
Elk Mound scored runs in the first four innings including four in the opening frame and seven in the third as it bombed Boyceville 14-2 in five innings to earn a third straight win over the Bulldogs which included a 4-3 victory in last season’s regional championship.
The Mounders, who also scored a single run in their half of the second, outhit the Bulldogs 8 to 2 which included a pair of doubles.
Chase Hollister and Zach Hellendrung each singled to account for the Bulldogs hits. Hollister suffered the pitching loss going just three innings as he gave up five runs on five hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
Nick Olson and Wyatt Sell each threw a scoreless third of an inning. Paul Kurschner and Devin Halama each tossed two-thirds of an inning with Kurschner surrendering two runs on a pair of walk while Halama surrendered seven runs on three hits and two walks.
“No excuses will be made for this loss,” stated Bulldogs’ head coach Michael Roemhild. “We did not play well at all. You can’t walk 8 guys, hit 4 of them, and have 5 errors, especially against the team predicted to be at the top of the conference. We played scared to lose and looked nervous the whole game.”
“We have athletes and we know how to win, we just need something to happen to give us confidence,” he added
Elk Mound sophomore Kamron Diermeier earned the mound win as he threw the first three innings allowing just two runs on a pair of hits with four walks and an equal number of Ks. Lucas Johnson finished off the final two innings and did not allow Boyceville a run or hit and finished with a walk and a strikeout.
Mondovi at Woodside
Boyceville opened their three-game set at the Woodside Sports Complex Friday, April 14 against conference foe Mondovi.
Unfortunately, the Bulldogs struggled for a second straight game.
Boyceville had a difficult time finding its bats once again and committed multiple errors that helped Mondovi earn an 11-0 shut out in five innings.
“We left off right where we finished with Elk Mound,” stated Roemhild.
Senior Chase Hollister took the mound against the Buffaloes and had a great start as the two squads battled to a scoreless deadlock through the first two innings.
But, in the third inning Mondovi scored five times only to add another six runs in the fourth frame.
“I thought Chase started out pitching well, but then high pitch counts got to him and Mondovi got some hits while we had some errors as well,” noted Roemhild.
“Mondovi is a great hitting team and we played a below average game again,” added Roemhild.
The Buffaloes out slugged the Bulldogs eight to four and took advantage of four Boyceville errors.
Nick Olson, Landyn Leslie, Devin Halama and Braden Roemhild each had singles to account for the Bulldogs’ hits.
Hollister took the loss, giving up seven runs on five hits in three and a third innings on the mound. He walked four and struck out three. Nick Olson threw the final two-thirds of an inning giving up four more runs on a pair of hits and four walks.
Mondovi’s Hunter Sandberg pitched four inning of two-hit, shut out ball to earn the mound victory.
Cumberland at Woodside
Boyceville had little time to dwell on the lopsided, shut out loss to Mondovi as they faced Cumberland shortly thereafter.
The Beavers scored single runs in the first and second innings for a 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs used a decisive four-run third inning to take the lead and added a single score in the fourth for a 5-2 advantage.
The squads exchanged pairs of runs in the sixth and seventh innings as Boyceville held on for the 9-6 win despite being outhit 11 to 5.
“Finally, we got that first win out of the way. It did not come easy though,” stated Roemhild. “Cumberland is a well coached team with some great hitters.”
“This game, however, belonged to Chase (Hollister) and Devin (Halama),” he added. “Chase led our team offensively and Devin led us on the mound going all 100 pitches for us. I thought he was dialed in and pitched well for his first start.”
Hollister came up with a pair of clutch doubles finishing 2-for-4 and ran the bases well according to his coach. Nick Olson, Parker Coombs and Reid Fenton each had a hit for the Bulldogs.
Winning pitcher Devin Halama threw six and two-thirds innings before he reached the maximum pitch count and had to exit. Wyatt Sell came in and got the final out. Halama allowed eight hits and six runs, four walks and struck out four.
Mishicot at Woodside
The Bulldogs final game of their series at Woodside was against Mishicot, bright and early Saturday morning.
Boyceville came out strong putting six runs on the board in the first two innings and played good defense behind freshmen pitcher Landyn Leslie, who really looked sharp.
But things took a downward turn in the top of the third. Mishicot scattered the ball all over the place and before the Bulldogs knew it they were down 8-6.
Mishicot was able to put up another two runs up against freshmen Zach Hellendrung, who replaced Leslie on the mound in the fourth inning, to go ahead 10-6.
But, the Bulldogs responded.
Nick Olson came up with a huge bases clearing double that put Boyceville right back in the game. A four-run fifth helped Boyceville tie the contest at 10.
The teams went back-and-forth and the game was all tied at 12 in the 8th inning. In their half of the frame, the Bulldogs were able to get runners on second and third with two outs with senior Chase Hollister coming up to the plate. Hollister hit a scorcher to right that scored both runs for the first walk-off win of the season and Roemhild’s coaching career.
“It was a great way to end our weekend in Mauston,” said Roemhild.
“Wyatt Sell was able to come in with us down 10-6 and pitched great for us, earning his first varsity win as a starter after coming in to save the game the night before,” stated Roemhild.
Sell only gave up two runs on three hits and although he walked five was able to fan four. Leslie surrendered eight runs on eight hits in three inning of work and Hellendrung gave up a hit and two runs in two-thirds of an inning.
Braden Roemhild went 3-for-6 at the plate while Hollister, Nick Olson and Paul Kurschner all finished the game with a pair of hits.
Durand
In what looked like a replay of their game against Mishicot, the Bulldogs held a 5-1, fifth-inning lead in Monday’s (April 17) conference home game against Durand-Arkansaw as Chase Hollister started and pitched well, backed by solid play from Boyceville’s defense.
When Hollister left the throwing mound due to a pitch limit, Durand-Arkansaw jumped on Bulldog relievers Nick Olson and Paul Kurschner to score seven runs and take the lead
Freshman Zach Hellendrung finally stepped on the mound and stopped the bleeding.
When Boyceville got to the bottom of the fifth they were down 8-5. But, in a blink of an eye the Bulldogs put up 10 runs to take a 15-8 lead.
Hellendrung finished the final two innings strong as Boyceville, who scored a run in he sixth, was able to walk away with a 16-8 victory.
Hellendrung got the win as he allowed just one hit and kept the Panthers off he scoreboard in the final two and a third innings.
Freshman Landyn Leslie had a career day at the plate getting six RBIs while going 4-4.
“It was great to be able to see what we would do in the face of adversity. Each win someone new has stepped up and you can see the confidence starting to grow,” concluded Roemhild.