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Ottum, Falcons fly past Tigers
Cats fall to 5-9 after three losses in four games
keegan martin cory ottum
Hillsboros Keegan Martin gets the tag in time to catch Brookwoods Cory Ottum out at second in the top of the seventh inning of Mondays 5-2 loss to the visiting Falcons. - photo by Nate Beier photo/gx3media.smugmug.com

Cory Ottum went 5-for-5 and  drove in a pair of runs to lead Brookwood to a 5–2 victory over host Hillsboro Monday afternoon.

Matt Hansen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to aid Ottum’s effort.

Jack Hansen struck out nine Hillsboro batters and allowed just two runs on five hits in the complete game victory.
Junior Joey Helgerson (0–3) took the loss for Hillsboro, allowing four runs on six hits in five innings of work. He struck out seven.

Matt Stekel singled and scored on an RBI single by Tommy Crandall to give the Tigers a 1–0 lead in the bottom of the first. Crandall scored on a double by Hunter Stanek.

Helgerson walked four straight Falcons in the top of the second to plate a run, then Brookwod tied the game on an Ottum RBI single.

Ottum and Hansen had RBI singles in the fourth, then hit back-to-back doubles in the sixth to produce the Falcons’ final run.

Crandall went 2-for-3 with a walk in the loss to lead Hillsboro, which fell to 5–9 overall and 4–7 in the Scenic Bluffs.

The Tigers will travel to Wonewoc–Center Thursday, then will play a pair of games at the Ithaca Tournament on Saturday. Hillsboro will then host Royall on Monday.

Burlington Catholic Central, Hillsboro 4 (NC)

Saturday, the Tigers suffered an 8–4 non-conference loss to coach Ryan Budnik’s alma mater, Burlington Catholic Central.

The Hilltoppers used a seven-run fifth inning to take a commanding 8–1 lead.

Hillsboro committed four errors in the frame, which led to six unearned runs.

“Offensively, we had our best hitting performance of the season totaling 14 hits. However, we still failed to get hits in key spots on left a number of runners on base,” said Budnik. “Defensively, jobs were lost Saturday. We can not continue to play defense this way. Our pitchers are making pitches, getting the ground balls in the spots we are looking for. Seven of the eight runs given up Saturday were unearned. That just can not continue to happen.”

Junior Tyler Crandall made his first appearance of the season after missing six weeks following surgery on his thumb.

He threw three strong innings, giving up only one unearned run on two hits while walking two and striking out three.

Helgerson took the tough-luck loss after the defense let him down in the fifth inning.

Hillsboro 7, Cashton 4

Last Thursday, Tommy Crandall (4–2) picked up his fourth win of the season with five solid innings of relief in a 7–4 win over Cashton.

Heavy rains came after the top of the third and delayed the game for 45 minutes.  The rest of the game was played in wet and sloppy conditions. Rain, heavy at times, continued through the sixth inning.

Tommy Crandall walked then stole second and third to jump-start Hillsboro’s three-run sixth inning.
Stekel and Anderson drew back-to-back walks to load the bases.

A Stanek sac fly drove in Crandall. Ethan Thorson’s RBI single plated Stekel, and Anderson came in to score on a Helgerson double to make it 7–1.

BRIEFLY: Last Tuesday, Hillsboro dropped a 9–3 decision to Wonewoc–Center.