Raiders use fifth inning to earn split with G-E-T

Right after conceding their 1-0 lead over Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau in a rainy, windy game at G-E-T Middle School last Friday, Arcadia baseball coach Nate Pronschinske told his team that their approach shouldn’t change.

Arcadia’s players took note, sticking to the basics and getting on the base paths, a strategy that led to a five-run inning and a 6-2 win over their Coulee Conference rival.

The win avenged a loss to the same G-E-T team a night before (see story elsewhere in Sports) and followed two other wins earlier in the week. Arcadia is set to host Black River Falls on Tuesday followed by two more home games against Luther on Thursday and Aquinas on Friday.

“We just had to keep battling against adversity,” Pronschinske said Friday. “We couldn’t make mistakes defensively, and I think that’s what got us through and gave us opportunities to keep this game in our favor.”

The Raiders (9-6 overall, 4-5 Coulee) grabbed the 1-0 lead in their first at-bat on Friday, as a Max Sobotta single brought home Carson Martin for the early lead. 

Sobotta had the best performance of any player on Friday, going 4-for-4 at the plate.

Both teams fought tough weather and heavy baseballs over the next several innings, but G-E-T’s Collin Handke snuck a hit into the outfield in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Calvin Davis and tie the game.

Pronschinske’s reminder to his team followed the tying run, and Arcadia combined multiple walks, an error and key timing on hits to score five unanswered runs and take a commanding 6-1 lead.

Login Scow brought home two of the runs on an RBI single, and senior Cam Boland scored two other Raiders on another two-run single two at-bats later.

The host Red Hawks (11-7, 6-3) got one runner home in the bottom of the seventh and final inning on Tuesday, but Arcadia closed the win shortly after.

A lack of offensive rhythm was part of the problem for G-E-T, which racked up four hits total. Warren Stoner had two to lead the home team on a day Arcadia starting pitcher Connor Weltzien threw an efficient six innings, striking out eight batters and walking one.

Collin Handke got the start for G-E-T, throwing five innings and allowing five hits to go with a matching three strikeouts and three walks.

The win comes as Arcadia preps for the playoffs, and Pronschinske thinks his team has the potential to play with quality teams when it matters most.

“I think we’re poised to make a run,” he said. “We’ve got the pitching. We’ve got the hitting. We’ve just got to put the defense together, and if we can play error free baseball, we’re a tough team to beat.”

Arcadia 9 Altoona 7

A six-run second inning was the difference for the Raiders in last Monday’s win over the Railroaders.

Arcadia collected 10 hits, including three from Martin and two from Poland, to overcome five errors on defense.

Five different players pitched for Arcadia, which allowed only two earned runs.

Arcadia 4 Westby 3

A seventh-inning run was the difference for Arcadia in another Coulee Conference win last Tuesday.

The Raiders got the winning score from Connor Weltzien thanks to a sacrifice fly by Maverick Drazkowski, which came one inning after the Norse (5-12, 2-7) had tied the game at three runs a side.

Drazkowski paced Arcadia with two hits, while Weltzien got the start for the visitors in a game the senior finished with six strikeouts.