MAUSTON — It all fell apart for the Hillsboro baseball team in the bottom of the fifth inning.
New Lisbon scored five unearned runs in the frame, all with two outs, to rally from a three-run deficit and hung on to earn a 5–3 victory over the Tigers in a Scenic Bluffs Conference Jamboree game at Woodside Ranch Sports Complex in Mauston Monday afternoon.
Keegan Berry reached on an error and later scored on a Cade Haschke single to pull the Rockets within two at 3–1.
Hillsboro relief pitcher Ethan Thorson (1–1) then walked the next three New Lisbon batters, scoring Haschke to make it a one-run game, and gave up a bases-clearing triple to Zach Martin which provided the final runs of the game.
Thorson (1–1) took the loss after allowing five runs on two hits and four walks in 2/3 inning of work. He entered the game in relief of Joey Helgerson to start the fifth.
Helgerson, who was making his first appearance after pulling a muscle in his back in a loss at Brookwood on April 16, started and pitched four scoreless innings. He struck out five walked two and gave up just two hits.
“The wheels fell off for us in the fifth,” said Hillsboro head coach Ryan Budnik. “A two-out error and walks did us in. Offensively, we left 12 runners on base again.”
Hillsboro took an early 1–0 lead in the second inning when Thorson walked, stole second and scored on James Anderson’s RBI single.
Tommy Crandall walked, stole second and scored on Matt Stekel’s RBI single in the third inning to make it 2–0.
Hunter Stanek walked, stole second and scored on an Anderson RBI single in the fifth.
Anderson finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Royall 6, Hillsboro 2
Last Thursday, host Royall rapped out nine hits and handed the Tigers a 6–2 loss.
Trenton Pasch and Seth Brown each went 3-for-4 to lead the Panthers (4–5, 3–3 SBC) to victory.
Cody Hora (0–1) took the loss for Hillsboro in his first start of the year, allowing two runs on five hits in three innings.
Pasch singled to lead off to bottom off the first and scored on a Brown RBI single.
Noah Friedl drew a two-out walk in the third, stole second and scored on a Matt Preuss single to make it 2–0.
Hillsboro got a run back in the fifth when Dillon Hill and Keegan Martin had back-to-back singles before Stekel delivered an RBI single to make it a 2–1 game.
In the Royall fifth, Brown singled and moved to third on two consecutive hit batters by Thorson and scored on a Thorson wild pitch.
Crandall doubled in the Hillsboro sixth and scored on a Stanek double.
Stanek move to third on a fielder’s choice and appeared to score to tie the game at 3–3 on a tag after a Cody Hora fly ball to center. However, he was called out at the plate by the home plate umpire, on a close play. The tag appeared high and the Royall catcher dropped the ball on the play, but the call stood and the inning ended with the Panthers clinging to a 3–2 lead.
Royall added three runs in the sixth, all with two outs. Pasch, Chuck Brandt and Brown strung together three consecutive singles to make it 4–2. Two more runs scored when Hora dropped a fly ball in centerfield.
Brandt came in for Royall and shut the door, retiring the side in order in the top of the seventh.
The Tigers host Necedah (5–3, 4–3 SBC) today. They will then travel to Bangor (4–2, 3–0) on Monday before hosting Wonewoc–Center (0–4, 0–4) on Tuesday.
