GOLDEN EAGLES REMAIN UNDEFEATED
Brady Nelson pitches against New Lisbon.
By David Paradise
Star-Times Sports Editor
The Mauston Golden Eagles baseball team followed their 13-6 win over Markesan on Friday, with two victories on Saturday to win the Ed Sabey Memorial Tournament.
Mauston faced off with New Lisbon in the opening game of the Sabey tournament, with freshman left-hander Brady Nelson on the mound.
New Lisbon was able to manufacture three runs off Nelson in the first. Mitchell Vinz got the Rockets started with a single, and Bryant Southworth drove in Vinz for the first run of the game.
The Golden Eagles rallied in the bottom of the first, scoring nine runs on eight hits to take a 9-3 lead into the second inning.
New Lisbon couldn't get anything going in the top of the second offensively, and Mauston increased their lead in the bottom of the second.
Following a Jon Moll walk, a Jamie Cridelich hit with two outs cleared the left field fence to give Mauston an 11-3 lead, and started a string of seven straight Golden Eagle hits as Mauston increased their lead to 15-3.
Mauston added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to win 19-3 in five innings.
Nelson finished with eight strikeouts and gave up only four hits to the Rockets.
Playing without two starters, Mauston was able to rally from the early deficit for the comeback victory.
"Brady recovered well in his first pitching start, and Erik Benson went 2 for 3 in his first significant action of the year. Nice to win without two starters," Mauston coach Chris Lavold said.
New Lisbon's defense couldn't keep the momentum created by their offense going and was hampered by four errors.
"Tyler pitched well enough that we could have competed. We just need to play better," New Lisbon coach Jeremy Bohnert said.
In the second game of the Sabey tournament, Mauston matched up with Thorp.
Tyler Tardiff got the start for Mauston and struck out five in four and two thirds innings for the win.
Mauston got on the board first in the fourth and leading 1-0, Moll executed a suicide sqeeze that brought in the Golden Eagles' second run.
Thorp answered with two runs in the top of the fifth, before Mauston was able to get two in the bottom of the fifth, to take a 4-2 lead. Trevor Hannes held Thorp scoreless in the finals two innings, to get the save, as Mauston held on for the 4-2 win.
"I'm pleased with the game situations we have been put in so far, and the way the guys have reacted," Lavold said. "We have our work cut out for us coming up. Wautoma has a tough pitcher and have all conference games in the next couple weeks."
Mauston hosted Wautoma on Tuesday in South Central Conference (SCC) action. Results were too late for this edition.
The Golden Eagles will traveled to Westfield on Friday for SCC play.
New Lisbon faced Thorp in the third game of the tournament.
Vinz got the start on the mound for the Rockets, and New Lisbon was able to rally to win 17-9.
The Rockets hosted the Cashton Eagles on Monday in Scenic Bluffs Conference (SBC) action.
Trailing 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Curtis Spaniol hit a three-run home run to tie the game at four.
Cashton was able to score five runs in the fifth to take a 9-4 lead. New Lisbon was able to rally to tie the game at 11 in the bottom of the seventh and a bases loaded walk gave New Lisbon the 12-11 comeback victory.
Spaniol led the Rockets attack, going three for four with two doubles, a home run and five RBI's.
"Our young players showed a lot of resilency," Bohnert said. "It's refreshing to see when they still believe they are in the game."
The win was the second straight comeback victory for the Rockets, who will travel to Necedah on Thursday for SBC action.