Boyceville’s big inning topples Glenwood City

BULLDOGS BEAT PRAIRIE FARM IN OPENER, TOPPERS FALL TO SCC

GLENWOOD CITY — It may have been cold and windy but the Bulldogs’ were swinging a hot bat.

Boyceville banged out 11 hits against rival Glenwood City including six in the decisive second inning in which the Bulldogs scored ten runs highlighted by junior Madysn Riek’s grand slam home run and propelled them to an impressive 14-1 five-inning victory on the Hilltoppers’ home field Thursday, April 7.

“Scoring 10 runs in the second put us in the driver’s seat,” stated Boyceville Head Coach Jamie Olson. “And we controlled the game from that point on.  Madysn Riek hit a towering grand slam to center to really break it open.”

While the Bulldogs were feasting on the Toppers’ pitching, senior hurler Katie Kegen kept Glenwood City batters off balance for much of the game, scattering five hits, striking out five and walking just one in five innings of work to pick up the win.

“Katie pitched another solid game and our defense was pretty sharp,” added Olson.

The big inning has proven to be the Hilltoppers’ Achilles Heal in early season action.

“We let the big inning hurt us again,” said Pete Gaustad, Glenwood City’s head coach. “At Central we had one and then again against Boyceville. We must not allow those innings. But to their credit, Boyceville did hit well.”

Both squads came into last week’s showdown between large (Boyceville) and small (Glenwood City) Dunn-St. Croix division foes having each played a non-conference game on April 4. The Bulldogs defeated Prairie Farm 14-2 while the Toppers fell at St. Croix Central 20 to 10.

Glenwood City freshman Maggie Wallin got the pitching start when it was learned just prior to the contest that senior hurler Winter McIntyre would not be available to pitch.

Wallin started fine as she allowed just one hit in the first inning in returning three of the four hitters she faced.

But in the second, Boyceville chased the freshman from the mound with six hits including the grand slam and a double and ten runs. Wallin, who suffered the loss, was relieved by junior Morgan Peterson, who pitched the final three and two-thirds innings, surrendering four hits and runs.

In the top of the second inning, Boyceville’s Katie Kegen helped her own cause with a lead-off single. Kylie Krueger then walked before Morgan Kuhn delivered an RBI double to break the scoreless deadlock.

Juniors Kayla Hoff and Tori Kostman drew back-to-back walks off of Wallin to bring in another Bulldog run.

Senior Peyton Hellmann slapped a single to bring in Boyceville’s third run of the game and inning.

More runs followed as seniors Jenna Beyrer and Maddy Bygd walked and singled respectively.

With the bases still loaded, Madysn Riek stepped to the plate and jacked a full-count pitch high over the center field fence to clear the bases and boost the Bulldogs’ lead to nine with no outs.

Kegen then made her second plate appearance of the inning, earning a walk.

Wallin finally got an out as Boyceville’s Kylie Krueger grounded out to first.

But the Bulldogs weren’t quite finished. Morgan Kuhn picked up her second hit of the inning, a single that chased Wallin from the pitching mound.

Morgan Peterson came on in relief for the Hilltoppers and was able to retire the side but not before Kegen came around and scored the Bulldogs tenth run of the inning.

Adding to the Toppers’ misery, starting catcher Andi Britton injured her elbow while trying to throw a runner out at second.

The Hilltoppers were poised to take back a few runs in the bottom half of the inning as Wallin, Emily Hill and Morgan Gedatus each singled. But with a pair of runners threatening to score, Bulldog hurler Katie Kegen registered a pair of strike outs to end the threat.

The Toppers, however, got on the scoreboard the very next inning.

Glenwood City was able to push its lone run of the game across the home plate in the bottom of the third without the aid of a hit.

With two outs, Jenesa Klinger reached on an error. Natalie Gabbert also made it safely to first on a second Bulldogs’ error. A third Boyceville miscue allowed Klinger to score.

Boyceville got that run back and a few more in the top of the fourth. The Bulldogs plated four runs on hits by Jenna Beyrer, Kaylie Krueger and Kayla Hoff.

Kegen then retired six of the final seven Topper batters she faced to secure the 14-1 victory.

All nine of Boyceville’s starters scored runs and eight had hits with Peyton Hellmann, Katie Kegen, Kaylie Krueger, Morgan Kuhn and Kayla Hoff each picking up a pair of hits.

Taylor Brittain, Brooke Wickman, Maggie Wallin, Emily Hill and Morgan Gedatus had hits for the Toppers. Wickman’s was a double while the others were all singles.

“I’m happy with the victory,” stated Boyceville’s Jamie Olson. “But not satisfied with some of our play. We miss played a couple of balls in the outfield, but our reps have been limited with the weather.”

Toppers’ coach Pete Gaustad said after the loss, “We need to work on our resilience. We cannot drop our heads at the first trial. We played some good ball for 4 innings. Kids made plays and kept their communication up.”

Boyceville beats Prairie Farm

Boyceville’s offensive looked in mid-season form when it opened the 2016 softball season in Prairie Farm Monday, April 4.

The Bulldogs recorded 13 hits and scored 14 runs in a 14-2, six-inning shellacking of the Panthers of Prairie Farm.

“I was very pleased with our play,” said Olson. “ We had some timely hitting and played really good defense.”

And Katie Kegen also looked good on the mound. The senior gave up just five hits and two walks while striking out three for the complete game win.

It didn’t hurt that she received plenty of support from the offense.

Five Bulldogs had multiple hits in the game led by senior Jenna Beyrer’s 4-for-4 performance at the plate with a double, a run score and an RBI. Peyton Hellmann, Maddy Bygd, Madysn Riek and Kaylie Krueger each had two hits.

Boyceville scored run in four of the six frames with a pair in the second and sixth innings, three in the fourth and six runs in the fifth.

In the fifth, Beyrer, Bygd and Riek had back-to-back-to-back doubles to blow open the contest.

SCC beats error-prone Toppers

Glenwood City held a 4-0 lead over host St. Croix Central in the Toppers’ season opener in Hammond on Monday, April 4.

But after Glenwood City put up four runs in the top half of the second inning, St. Croix Central, now a member of the Middle Border, took the lead for good with five runs in the bottom of the third. The Panthers then took advantage of several Hilltopper errors to tack on 15 more runs en route to a 20-10 non-conference victory.

“We committed too many errors,” said Pete Gaustad, Glenwood City’s coach. “Allowing 20 runs and only five of those are earned is not acceptable. We need to shore up the defense.”

It was like the Panthers offense overwhelmed Toppers’ pitchers Winter McIntyre and Maggie Wallin. The pair combined to surrender just eight hits to SCC. McIntyre, who was charge with 13 runs and the loss in her three and a third innings of work, gave up just five hits while her relief, Maggie Wallin, surrendered just three hits in two and two-thirds but watched seven more runs cross the plate.

“Winter and Maggie did a decent job pitching their first time out,” added Gaustad. “They did their job getting the ball in play but then it is on the other eight to finish.”

The Toppers also finished the game with eight hits led by 2-for-4 performances by Natalie Gabbert and Andi Britton.

Glenwood City actually retook the lead, 8-5, with four more runs in the top of the fourth only to have Central blow open the game with ten runs in the bottom half of the inning.

Natalie Gabbert hit a two-run homer in the top of the sixth but the Panthers responded once again and added five more runs in the bottom half.