PATCH GROVE — Slowly, but surely Ron Kading’s 2014 baseball team is finding a winning formula.
Monday afternoon the Chieftains scored a 7–2 victory at River Ridge to improve to 2–3 overall on the young season and 2–2 in the Six Rivers.
Potosi scored five runs in the sixth inning to break a 2–2 tie. Trevor Ehlen, Chase Kruser and Thomas Leibfried each had RBI singles in the inning.
Senior Josh Parkins added a two-run triple in the inning. He also picked up win with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He struck out five and allowed just one hit.
Ehlen started and allowed two earned runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings of work. He struck out two and walked two.
Last Thursday the Chieftains split a Six Rivers doubleheader with visiting Pecatonica.
Behind a strong pitching performance from senior Travis Collins, Potosi took the opener 4–1 before dropping the nightcap by the count of 4–2.
Collins (1–0) went the distance and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out six and walking three.
The Chieftains scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth on an error and three base hits to claim the win.
Parkins had an RBI single to give Potosi a 2–1 lead. Riley Hawes and Tyler Udelhoven added RBI doubles to provide the rest of the scoring.
In the nightcap Pecatonica’s Lucas McKeon struck out 17 Chieftains to lead the Vikings to a 4–2 win.
Norton ripped and RBI double in the third to give Pec a 3–1 lead.
Potosi scored its first run on Kruser’s RBI single in the third.
Hawes scored on a wild pitched in the fifth to make it a 3–2 game, but the Chieftains never threatened again.
Potosi has now won two of three after a 0–2 start.
The Chieftains will return to action Friday with a Six Rivers doubleheader at Monticello before traveling to Highland on Monday, and hosting Belmont on Tuesday.
Potosi 4, Pecatonica 1
(from Thursday, April 17 @ Potosi)
Pecatonica 100 000 0 — 1 4 3
Potosi 000 040 x — 4 5 0
Leading hitters — Pec: Drew Schliem 2x3; Pot: Chase Kruser 2x3. 2B – Pot: Kruser, Riley Hawes, Tyler Udelhoven. W — Travis Collins (1–0, 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 SO, 3 BB). L — Schliem (6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 9 SO, 1 BB).
Pecatonica 4, Potosi 2
(from Thursday, April 17 @ Potosi)
Potosi 001 010 0 — 2 5 1
Pecatonica 111 010 x — 4 7 0
Leading hitters — Pot: Riley Hawes 2x3; Pec: Tyler Hodgson 2x3, Norton 2x2. 2B – Pec: Norton. W — Lucas McKeon (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 17 SO, 7 BB). L — Josh Parkins (0–1, 4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB).
Potosi 7, River Ridge 2
(from Monday, April 21 @ Patch Grove)
Potosi 100 105 0 — 7 11 2
River Ridge 101 000 0 — 2 5 0
Leading hitters — P: Chase Kruser 3x4, Tyler Udelhoven 2x3, Travis Collins 2x3; R: Posten 2x3. 2B – P: Kruser, Udelhoven; RR: Martin, Ertz. 3B — P: Josh Parkins. W — Josh Parkins (1–1, 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 SO, 0 BB). L — Williams (7 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB).
Slow but steady, Potosi is finding its way