Hoppers sweep Riverdale, split doubleheaders against Westby, Bangor
Shortstop Noah Pedretti looks to tag out the Bangor base runner as second baseman Drake Ingham looks on. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Dawson Eastman was okay (and safe at second base) after a throw from the Bangor pitcher to the shortstop hit Eastman in the helmet. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
The Hoppers’ Westin Marx takes his lead from first base. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Carter Copsey delivers the pitch as Jack MacEachern defends first base. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Brady Lenzendorf tries valiantly to check his swing but was unable to do so. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Hunter Jones greets first base coach Bryan Lenzendorf after a base hit. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
First baseman Jack MacEachern just barely misses tagging out Bangor's Samuel Cropp after a wide throw pulled MacEachern off the bag. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Bryce Lenzendorf watches the batter as he takes his lead from first base. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Drake Ingham is safe at first base after Bangor first baseman Dayne Langrehr is unable to corral the throw. Dawson Eastman rounds thirds base in the background. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
Coming off a loss to Holmen in which they allowed 14 runs in seven innings, the Prairie du Chien Grasshoppers Varsity Legion baseball team looked to get their pitching back on track. By allowing no runs in any of their next three games, the Hoppers pitching rose to the challenge.
Prairie du Chien Post 68 began the week on Monday, June 24 by hosting Riverdale, and the Hoppers came away with a pair of shutout victories — 9-0 and 4-0. In game one, the Hoppers scored single runs in the first and third innings before breaking the game open with four runs in the fourth and three in the sixth for the 9-0 victory.
Noah Pedretti (3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and four RBIs), Drake Ingham (2-for-3 with two doubles and two runs scored), Hunter Jones (1-for-4 with two RBIs) and Bryce Lenzendorf (1-for-2 with two walks and one RBI) lead the Prairie offense.
Nick McCullick pitched a complete game gem, scattering five hits and one walk across seven innings while allowing zero runs and striking out four to earn the victory.
In the night cap, the Hoppers used two runs in the first, one in the second and one more in the fourth to claim a 4-0 win behind the strength of another complete game shutout by their starting pitcher, this time by Dylan Wright (zero runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts).
Pedretti (3-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI), Bryce Lenzendorf (2-for-3 with one run scored), Carter Copsey (2-for-4 with a double and one RBI) and Jones (1-for-3 with two RBIs) keyed the Hoppers offense in game two.
The Hoppers returned to the field two nights later when they welcomed Westby to St. Feriole Island for Prairie’s second doubleheader of the week.
The Hoppers only scored in two innings, but that was all they would need as they defeated Westby 10-0 in five innings thanks to two runs in the second inning and eight more runs in the very next inning to put the game out of the reach.
Helping to also keep the visitors at bay at the plate was PdC starting pitcher Bryce Lenzendorf who allowed zero runs on just two hits and two walks while striking out three batters as the Hoppers won their third straight game by shutout.
Pedretti (3-for-4 with a double, triple, one run scored and four RBIs) kept his scoring attack at the plate going to lead the Prairie du Chien offense. The Hoppers also got big games at the plate from Jones (2-for-2 with a walk, a double, two runs scored and two RBIs), Brady Lenzendorf (2-for-2 with one run scored), Westin Marx (2-for-3 with one RBI), Bryce Lenzendorf (1-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI), Dawson Eastman (1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored), Jack MacEachern (1-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI) and Copsey (0-for-1 with one run scored and three walks).
In game two, it was all Westby as the guests quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first inning before the Hopper got on the scoreboard with a run in the third. Westby would add two runs in the fourth inning and two in the sixth to extend their lead to 6-1. Prairie du Chien scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but the rally was not enough as Westby would hold on for a 6-4 win.
Pedretti (2-for-4 with two RBIs), Bryce Lenzendorf (2-for-4 with a double), Marx (2-for-3 with one run scored) each collected multiple hits in the loss for the Hoppers.
Jones (four runs allowed on nine hits and four walks with three strikeouts in five innings pitched) took the loss before Ingham (two runs on four hits and no walks in two innings pitched) finished the game on the mound.
Prairie du Chien traveled to Bangor the following night for a Coulee Region doubleheader against Bangor Post 40. Despite a sloppy game with nine combined errors by both teams (seven from Prairie du Chien), the game went into the bottom of the fifth inning tied 2-2. The hosts managed to plate two runs to take a 4-2 lead. The Hoppers got one run back the next inning but could not get anymore than that as the hosts gave the Hoppers their first two game losing streak of the summer with a 4-3 defeat.
The Hoppers’ offense was lead by Bryce Lenzendorf (2-for-3 with one run scored), Pedretti (1-for-3 with one run scored), Eastman (1-for-2 with one walk and one run scored), Jones (1-for-3 with one walk and one RBI), Ingham (1-for-3 with one RBI) and MacEachern (1-for-3).
Copsey (four runs on five hits and zero walks with three strikeouts in six innings pitched) took the loss on the mound despite a solid outing.
Game two was all Hoppers from the start as Prairie du Chien scored multiple runs in every inning as they used 12 hits to clobber Bangor by a 14-2 score in five innings.
Eastman (3-for-3 with one run scored and three RBIs), Pedretti (2-for-2 with three walks, three runs scored and two RBIs), Copsey (2-for-3 with a double, two walks, one run scored and one RBI), Bryce Lenzendorf (1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and two RBIs), Ingham (2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and one RBI) and Marx (1-for-3 with a double and one run scored) lead the potent Prairie offensive attack.
Pedretti (two runs allowed on four hits and four walks with three strikeouts in four innings pitched) earned the win on the mount with MacEachern pitching a scoreless fifth inning to close out the Hoppers win via ten-run rule and push the team’s record to 8-4 on the season.
Prairie du Chien traveled to Viroqua this past Monday night for a showdown with rival Legion Post 138. The Hoppers will also return to Viroqua on Saturday and Sunday for the Viroqua Tournament. Prairie will face Onalaska and Viroqua on Saturday, July 6 at 4:30 and 7 p.m. and West Salem and Westby on Sunday, July 7 at noon and 2:30 p.m. The Hoppers then travel to Stoddard on Monday, July 8 for their fifth game in three days with a single game scheduled for 7 p.m.
