Wildcats start season with two losses
Blair-Taylor’s Brayden Paulson reached in an attempt to tag a Fall Creek runner on a stolen base attempt during the team’s season opener last Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
The Blair-Taylor baseball team had a difficult time closing games last week, losing two leads late in a couple of home losses.
The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning of its season opener against Fall Creek on Thursday, but the Crickets scored three runs in the top of the seventh and won by one. B-T had a 4-2 lead against Black River Falls the next day, but the Tigers scored three runs in the fifth and added runs in the next two innings for a 7-4 win.
The loss put B-T at 0-2 on the season before Monday’s scheduled game at home against Caledonia and Tuesday’s contest with Cochrane-Fountain City. B-T will play its third home game of the week on Friday against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran before the team hosts Onalaska Luther this coming Monday and Alma Center Lincoln on Tuesday. B-T isn’t scheduled to play a road game until next Friday when the team plays at Pepin/Alma.
Fall Creek 3 B-T 2
The Wildcats surrendered three runs in the top of the seventh inning then couldn’t get the tying run home in the bottom half of the inning.
B-T was ahead for much of the game as a two-run single by Austin Thompson gave the team the lead in the bottom of the third. Tavian Shramek was in control on the mound through five innings and Travis Pettis got the team through the sixth with two strikeouts.
Pettis and the Wildcats ran into trouble in the top of the seventh when the leadoff batter singled and the next was hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved the runners into scoring position before one run came home on a double. The game was tied on a fielder’s choice and the go-ahead run scored on another hit batter.
Pettis led off the bottom of the seventh by working his way on base with a walk. He moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt but was stranded there. Shramek was intentionally walked with two outs and a fly-out ended the game.
Shramek got the start and a no-decision on the mound. He struck out 14 batters in five innings while walking two and hitting two more. He did not allow a hit. Pettis took the loss, striking out three with two walks, two hit batters, and three hits allowed in two innings.
Kole Trapp had two of B-T’s three hits. Thompson batted in both runs but exited the game with an injury as he rounded third base in the third inning.
BR Falls 7 B-T 4
B-T lost the lead late again as the team managed just one hit in the loss.
The Tigers scored one run in the first inning and another in the fourth, but B-T put up two in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to take a 4-2 lead.
B-T’s first run came when Brayden Paulson walked and scored on a sacrifice fly by Peyton Kelly. Kole Trapp then scored on an error. BRF tied the game on a double in the top of the fourth, but B-T took the lead when Shramek scored on an error. Trapp singled to bring Ethan Kniseley home, but that was B-T’s only hit in the game.
Consecutive one-out doubles with two runners on brought three runs home for the Tigers as the team took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth. BRF added runs in the sixth and seventh innings, while B-T’s bats remained quiet.
Brady Thompson took the loss, pitching until he reached the 100-pitch limit with two outs in the seventh inning. He allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out six. Kyle Jahr got a strikeout to finish the contest.
