Wildcats get Dairyland Small three-peat
Two weeks ago, a third straight Dairyland Conference Small Division title looked unlikely for Blair-Taylor. But the team played well down the stretch, including two conference wins last week that locked up a share of the conference title.
The Wildcats were two games behind previously undefeated Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran two weeks ago. But ECI lost to Whitehall and then B-T beat them to tie atop the standings. Last week, the Wildcats beat Eleva-Strum, 9-2, and Cochrane-Fountain City, 4-2, to remain in first place with a 12-2 conference record. Sandwiched between the two DC games was a 7-6 nonconference loss to Brookwood.
B-T begins Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament play with a record of 13-4-1. The Wildcats are the top seed in their regional bracket and aren’t scheduled to play another game until this coming Tuesday when they take on either No. 9 Alma Center Lincoln or No. 8 C-FC. The regional final game is scheduled for next Wednesday.
B-T 9 Eleva-Strum 2
The Wildcats took an early lead and then broke the game open with a five-run fifth.
Beau Trapp put B-T ahead with an RBI single in the second, then two more runs scored on an error later in the inning. Austin Olson added an RBI single in the fourth, making the score 4-0.
B-T took advantage of some E-S mistakes in the fifth as three B-T batters walked — including two with the bases loaded — and E-S committed an error that brought a run home. Trapp added an RBI single in the inning, and another run scored on a groundout by Olson.
The Cardinals scored two in the sixth, but never seriously threatened B-T’s lead.
Kole Trapp was 3 for 4 for B-T while Beau Trapp was 2 for 3 as the team had nine hits.
Brady Thompson got the win, holding the Cardinals to one hit and one walk in five innings, while striking out seven. Ty Tranberg finished the game, allowing one hit while striking out two without a walk.
Brookwood 7 B-T 6
A long road trip turned into a long night and a loss for B-T as Brookwood walked off with a run in the bottom of the ninth inning.
B-T scored the first five runs in the game as Olson and Matt Beck hit RBI singles as part of a three-run first inning. Olson added an RBI double in the second and later scored on a dropped third strike to put B-T ahead 5-0.
The Falcons scored two runs with two outs in the second, then scored three in the third to tie the game. Brookwood took the lead with a run in the sixth, but a Beck RBI single tied the game in the top of the seventh.
Both teams threatened in extra innings, but only Brookwood scored.
B-T had 12 hits as Olson, Kole Trapp, Thompson, and Beau Trapp all had two.
Beau Trapp pitched the first six innings, allowing 11 hits and one walk while striking out five. Colby Dahl took the loss, striking out one while allowing two hits and three runs in 2.1 innings.
B-T 4 C-FC 2
The Wildcats scored three runs early, then added another late to hold on for the win.
Austin Olson led off the game with a single in the top of the first and later scored on a groundout. Ty Tranberg followed a similar path in the second, leading off with a hit and scoring on a groundout. Payton Kelly added an RBI single later in the frame, putting B-T ahead 3-0.
The Pirates got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but B-T answered that in the top of the sixth. C-FC scored again in the sixth and had two runners on in the seventh, but B-T held on.
Olson, Thompson, and Tranberg all had two hits for B-T.
Thompson got the win on the mound, pitching the first five innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out one. Tranberg pitched the last two, striking out three while allowing one walk and no hits.
