Sliter, Lauer lift Eagles

By Dan Larson, Sauk Prairie Eagle

A pair of three-run innings lifted the Sauk Prairie Senior Legion team to its first win of the season Sunday night.

The Eagles got three in the second inning and three in the fifth en route to a 7-3 win over Cottage Grove at Sauk City Athletic Field.

Dustin Sliter and Brett Lauer highlighted the night for Sauk Prairie (1-1).  Sliter finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and Lauer went 2-for-4 with two runs.

Max Wardwell pitched the distance, striking out six while walking three.

 Mount Horeb 5, Sauk Prairie 4

 Sauk Prairie nearly erased a three-run deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning June 18 in their season opener against Mount Horeb.

Nearly, but Vikings' pitcher Kyle Thompson struck out Brandon Larson — Thompson's 15th strikeout of the game — with the tying and winning runs in scoring position to hand the Eagles a 5-4 loss at Sauk City Athletic Field.

Sauk Prairie starting pitcher Sam Koenig hit a two-out, two-run double in the inning to pull the Eagles within a run, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Shannon Udelhofen, who followed Koenig's double with a walk, stole second to set up Larson's final at-bat.

Sauk Prairie led 1-0 after the fourth, but Mt. Horeb scored three in the sixth - one on an RBI groundout and two on back-to-back wild pitches by Travis Jelle, who relieved Sam Koenig earlier in the inning - to take the lead.

Shannon Udelhofen hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth - his third hit of the game - to cut it to 3-2, but the Vikings responded in the seventh with two crucial insurance runs to preserve the win.

Cottage Grove    000 010 2 — 3  7  2

Sauk Prairie       030 031 x — 7  7  1

Pitchers — Goff (L), McKendry (5); Wardwell (W).

SO leaders — McKendry 5; Wardwell 6.

Leading hitters — De Vault (CG) 2x4, Goff (CG) 2x4; Lauer (SP) 2x4, Sliter (SP) 2x5.  2B — Sliter 2, Goff.

Mount Horeb    000 003 2 — 5  7  1

Sauk Prairie     000 101 2 — 4  8  1

Pitchers — Thompson (W); Koenig (L), Jelle (6).

SO leaders — Thompson 15; Koenig 11.

Leading hitters — Schmidt (MH) 3x4, Holen 2x4; Udelhofen (SP) 3x3. HR — Udelhofen. 2B — Thompson (MH); Koenig (SP), Udelhofen, Herbrand (SP).