Wildcats rally to earn split in four-game week

After losing two close games to start the week, the Blair-Taylor baseball team finished with two wins to earn a split in its four games.

The Wildcats dropped a pair of one-run games on Monday and Tuesday, falling to Osseo-Fairchild and Whitehall (see story elsewhere in Sports). They got their offense going on Thursday with a 13-3 win over Cochrane-Fountain City then topped Eau Claire Immanuel, 5-1 on Friday.

B-T began this week with a  4-5 record (4-4 in DC play) before a nonconference game against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau on Monday. B-T played Eleva-Strum on Tuesday and Arcadia on Wednesday before heading to Independence on Friday. They’ll stay busy next week with games at home against Alma Center Lincoln on Tuesday and Alma/Pepin on Friday and at Melrose-Mindoro on Thursday and Eleva-Strum on Saturday. 

O-F 2 B-T 1

The Thunder struck in the bottom of the sixth to top the Wildcats.

The game was tied 1-1 before a one-out double was followed by an error. A sacrifice fly then plated the winning run. The Wildcats went down in order with three strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh.

B-T’s only run came on an error in the top of the fifth, tying the game after O-F scored in the bottom of the fourth. 

The Wildcats had two hits in the game and managed one walk, while striking out 11 times.

Ryan Oldendorf took the loss, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven in a complete game performance. 

B-T 13 C-FC 3

The Wildcats jumped out to a big lead and finished the game in five innings.

After struggling offensively early in the week, the Wildcats put up three runs in the bottom of the first. Two came in on a triple by Jackson Shramek, who later scored on a groundout by Ryan Flynn.

Four runs scored on errors in the second inning, and another on a sacrifice fly by Flynn, as the Wildcats opened up a 8-0 lead.

C-FC scored three in the top of the third, but they couldn’t slow B-T’s offense down. Peyton Kelly singled in two runs in the fourth. Jackson Shramek doubled two home and scored himself on an errant throw to end the game by rule with a 13-3 score in the bottom of the fifth. 

B-T had seven hits in the five-inning game as Tavian Shramek and Jackson Shramek both had two, the latter batted in four runs. Flynn and Kelly both had two RBIs and Tavian Shramek had one. 

Anthony Oldendorf kept C-FC’s offense in check, striking out one with five hits and two walks as he earned the complete game win. 

B-T 5 ECI 1

A double in the second put B-T ahead for good.

The Lancers took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first, but Nitek tied the game when he led off the second with a single and scored on a wild pitch. Brayden Paulson then doubled Peyton Kelly home to put the Wildcats ahead. 

Another B-T run scored on an error in the third before Tavian Shramek singled to score another in the fourth. Paulson added another RBI single in the fifth, this time bringing Flynn home.

Paulson went three-for-three with two RBIs to lead B-T had the plate. Nitek added two hits as the team had eight. 

Shramek struck out 13 to get the win on the mound. He allowed two hits and two walks.