Bulldogs defeat Buffaloes in only game of the week
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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
BOYCEVILLE — The Boyceville team came oh-so-close to dropping their first baseball game of the season but used some seventh inning heroics by Connor Sempf to pull out a 6-4 win at home against Mondovi last Monday, May 17.
A game against Amery was cancelled due to poor field conditions in Amery and a Friday conference game at Durand was postponed.
The Bulldogs moved to 7-0 in the Dunn-St. Croix with the thrilling victory over Mondovi. They are 9-0 overall.
Boyceville hosted Glenwood City Monday, traveled to Elmwood for a game against the Elmwood/Plum City Wolves on Tuesday and return to Evenson Field on Thursday to play Colfax. After a short Memorial Day respite, the Bulldogs open June in Spring Valley.
Mondovi
Boyceville led 2-0 until the top of the fourth inning when Mondovi knotted it up.
In the fifth inning, Braden Roemhild picked up a huge base hit and used smart base running to get to second base. Trett Joles bunted him to third and Sempf brought him in with a base hit. Trevor Hollister then gave the Bulldogs a two-run lead with a solid base hit to score Joles.
Mondovi’s Tanner Marsh slammed a home run in the top of the seventh to cut Boyceville’s lead to one run, and the Buffaloes tied it up when the Bulldogs committed a couple of errors in the field. Pitcher Walker Retz bore down however, and got out of the inning with the game still tied.
“We knew Mondovi was going to be a tough matchup, especially if Marsh was on the mound,” coach Michael Roemhild said.
“His ball had just enough movement on it that it was tricking some of our hitters. We made too many errors in the field that allowed them to stay in the game,” he added.
But, as it turned out, Roemhild shouldn’t have been worried.
In the bottom of the seventh, Joles smacked a double, and Sempf made sure his team stayed undefeated with a no-doubter slam over the fence for the walkoff win.
“Joles and Sempf responded like I knew they could,” Roemhild said. “It was nice to see we didn’t put our heads down and fold up shop after giving up our lead.”
Boyceville collected just six hits in the game and only two came off Mondovi ace Marsh who struck out ten Boyceville batters. Sempf batted 3-for-3 for the night while both Retz and Roemhild picked up one hit and scored once. Trevor Hollister and Jacob Granley both knocked in a run each.
Sempf started on the mound and went three and two thirds innings, with Granley coming in for him with two outs in the fourth.
“Sempf pitched well the first three innings but got a little fatigued,” Coach Roemhild said. “I probably left him in a little too long but he is my senior pitcher and I trust him. I have seen him work his way out of a jam before. After Mondovi tied it up off him, I brought Granley in with two outs and bases loaded. With ice in his veins, he struck out the Buffalo batter to get us out of what could have been a blow to the gut from Mondovi,” he added.
Retz came in to pitch the final three innings and gave up the tying runs but struck out five batters while giving up just one hit. Sempf whiffed eight batters in his three plus innings with a pair of walks and three hits.