Toppers baseball season ends with loss to EC Immanuel
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
GLENWOOD CITY second baseman Brendan Booth attempted to through out a runner during a home baseball contest with Mondovi June 7. The Toppers’ Gavin Janson, who was the game’s starting pitcher, looked on. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
Post-season play offers every team a fresh start, no matter their record.
While the slate was wiped clean for the Glenwood City baseball team as it entered the WIAA Division 4 playoffs last week, the Hilltoppers simply could not break free of its season-long nemesises – errors and a lack of offense.
Both plagued Glenwood City in its final three losses that included a season-ending defeat to the state-ranked Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran Lancers in the first round of the regional tournament June 10.
Five errors and only two hits led the Hilltoppers to an early exit from the 2021 state tournament series as the second-seeded Lancers scored a 10-0, five-inning shut out of the Hilltoppers (#7) in last Thursday’s regional quarterfinal contest played amid the heat and humidity at Carson Park in Eau Claire.
Glenwood City did not fair much better in its final two games of the regular season, both conference contests. Registering a combined five hits and five errors and just two runs on their home field, the Hilltoppers lost 8-0 to Mondovi last Monday, June 8 and then fell 13-2 the next day to Elmwood/Plum City in a make-up game.
With those three defeats, Glenwood City finished this season without a win in the Dunn-St. Croix (0-14) and just a single victory in 16 contests.
Mondovi
Andrew Rud threw a complete game, three-hit shut out and went 3-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored to lead the Mondovi Buffaloes to an 8-0, seven-inning victory in Glenwood City June 7.
The Buffaloes, who tallied nine hits, put runs on the scoreboard in pairs starting with two in the first and tallying two in the third, fourth, and sixth innings for the win.
While Glenwood City was hurt by a pair of fielding errors, it was stung by its inability to get hits and put runners on base. Rud allowed just three hits – singles by brothers Max and Gavin Janson, and Aaron Brigham – and only four base runners all game, retiring the Toppers in order in five of the seven innings to finish with 13 strike outs and just one base on balls.
Senior Gavin Janson, who has been the Toppers’ pitching stalwart this season, suffered the loss despite giving up just three hits and four runs in three and two-thirds innings of work. He also had four Ks and as many walks. Brady McCarthy pitched the final three and a third innings and surrendered four runs on as many hits with a walk.
Elmwood/Plum City
After losing by just one run in their previous meeting, the Hilltoppers were looking to pick up their second win of the season and its first in conference play when the Wolves of Elmwood/Plum City came to town for a make-up contest in the regular season finale last Tuesday, June 8.
It was a close contest through five innings as Glenwood City trailed 5-2 despite collecting just two hits.
But in the final two innings the Wolves were able to open up their lead taking advantage of two Topper fielding faux pas and four hits, two of which went for doubles, to tack on eight runs including five in the seventh inning to take a 13-2 road victory.
Max Janson took the mound loss, going a full five innings and giving up five runs on six hits with four strike outs and a pair of walks. Marcis DeSmith pitched the final two frames and surrendered eight runs on four hits with three Ks and two free passes.
Max Janson and Aaron Brigham each had a single for the Toppers, who scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, only two hits.
Eau Claire Immanuel
Too many errors and too few hits sent the Toppers home for the season after making five errors and getting just a pair of hits in a 10-0 loss to Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran last Thursday, June 10 in the opening round game of the Division 4 regional baseball playoffs hosted by the Lancers at Eau Claire’s Carson Park.
Immanuel, ranked fifth in the coaches Division 4 state poll, scored a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second and third innings for a 5-0 advantage while Glenwood City had just one batter reach base in that span.
But, the big blow came in the bottom of the fourth when the Lancers scored five runs off three hits including back-to-back doubles off starter Gavin Janson and a pair of Topper errors to take a commanding 10-0 lead.
When Glenwood City went down in order in the top of the fifth inning, the game ended along with the Toppers 2021 season.
Max and Gavin Janson finished with Glenwood City’s only two hits.