CASSVILLE – When River Ridge and Cassville got together on the baseball diamond last Tuesday night, it took 11 innings to decide a winner between the two evenly matched squads in the Six Rivers West conference.
In the end, it was the Timberwolves who pulled out an 8-7 victory in the top of the 11th inning, though the host Comets had a chance to steal it away in the bottom of the inning.
The Comets jumped out to a 4-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first and another in the second before River Ridge tied the game at 4-4 with two runs in the third and two more in the fourth.
The Timberwolves took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth, but Cassville answered right back with the tying run in the bottom half of the inning.
With neither team scoring runs in their half of the seventh, the game went into the eighth inning, where both teams scored a run.
Remaining tied at 6-6 through the ninth and tenth innings, River Ridge struck in the top of the 11th, loading the bases with two outs.
With the bases loaded, river Ridge junior Gavin Steiber was hit by a pitch, scoring sophomore Brett Moravits, who had reached base on a two-out single.
Junior Ryan Redman then followed up with a walk, which allowed sophomore Blake Crubel to cross home plate after reaching base on an error.
The Comets avoided even more damage from being done when River Ridge junior Tyler Millin flew out to centerfield, leaving bases loaded.
In the bottom half of the 11th inning, Cassville sophomore Mason Infield led off with a single and eventually scored on an error, while the Comets left runners stranded on second and third to end the game with a strike out and a fly out to shortstop.
While the Comets finished the night with 14 hits and 11 errors, the Timberwolves managed 11 hits and committed five errors.
Leading the Timberwolves with two hits each were Brett Moravits, Blake Crubel, Ryan Redman and Tyler Lansing, while Crubel and Redman each had two RBIs in the win.
The Comets got four hits and two RBIs from junior Brandon Kinyon, while Brennan Mellem had two hits and two RBIs. Matt Reynolds and Mason Infield also finished with two hits each, while Kaleb Hauk had two RBIs on a double.
Picking up the win on the mound for River Ridge was Redman, who in seven innings of work gave up two runs, one earned, off six hits, while striking out three batters and walking three.
Moravits pitched four innings for the Timberwolves, allowing five runs, three earned, off five hits, striking out four batters and walking five.
Taking the loss for Cassville was Kinyon, who in 4.1 innings, allowed five runs, three earned, off seven hits, while striking out two batters and walking three.
Mason Infield pitched 6.1 innings, in which time he allowed three runs, one earned, off four hits. He struck out three batters and walked 11. Carter Matousek pitched a third of an inning for the Comets.
On the following Thursday evening, both teams traveled to Fennimore to take on the Golden Eagles, who handed Cassville a 16-6 non-conference loss, then took River Ridge down, 10-9 in the night cap.
The Comets finished the night with eight hits to Fennimore’s nine, and got two each from Kaleb Hauk and Brandon Kinyon. Mason Infield scored two runs for the Comets, as Brennan Mellem, Matt Reynolds and Jack Jensen also crossed the plate.
Taking the loss on the mound was Colin Esser, who in two innings allowed seven earned runs off three hits, striking out one batter and walking seven.
Hauk and Mellem also saw time on the mound an combined to give up nine runs, six earned, off six hits.
The Timberwolves found themselves on the short end of a 10-9 final after pounding out nine hits, but committing eight errors.
Tyler Lansing and Jake Cathman led the T-Wolves with three hits each, Lansing also having three RBIs. Moravits added two hits, while Crubel and Ben Ertz each had two RBIs in the loss.
Ertz took the loss on the mound after giving up five runs, one earned, off four hits in four innings of work. He also struck out four batters and walked three.
Lansing was on the mound for 2.2 innings, where he allowed five runs, four earned, off four hits.
This past Monday night, both River Ridge and Cassville were again in action, River Ridge posting a 5-4 win over host Wauzeka, while Cassville suffering a 9-6 loss to host Platteville.
The Timberwolves used a three-run rally in the top of the sixth inning to come back from a 4-2 deficit, and got two hits each from Moravits and Redman, along with two RBIs from Steiber.
Crubel picked up the win, holding the Hornets to four runs, two earned, off eight hits, while striking out six batters and walking one in the complete seven-inning showing.
For the Comets, Jack Jensen had three of his team’s seven hits, and Colin Esser added two, but the Hillmen held a 9-4 lead after six innings, which was too much for coach Tony Leibfried’s squad to overcome.
Jensen was handed the loss on the mound, after giving up six runs, three earned, off eight hits in five innings of work. He also struck out six batters and walked three. Brandon Kinyon and Carter Matousek also saw limited time on the mound.
This past Tuesday night, River Ridge (1-2, 2-6) traveled to Shullsburg, while Cassville (1-2, 1-5) traveled to Potosi. On Friday night, the Timberwolves will travel to Black Hawk for a double header, and the Comets will host Argyle.
River Ridge 8, Cassville 7
(from Tuesday, April 11)
River Ridge 002 210 010 02 - 8 11 5
Cassville 310 010 010 01 - 7 14 11
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 2x5, Blake Crubel 2x6, Ryan Redman 2x3, Tyler Lansing 2x6; C: Matt Reynolds 2x5, Brennan Mellem 2x6, Mason Infield 2x5, Brandon Kinyon 4x6. 2B - Crubel (RR), Hauk (C), Kinyon (C). W - Ryan Redman (7IN,6H,1ER,3K,3BB). L - Brandon Kinyon (5IN,4H,0ER,2K,5BB). Other pitchers - RR: Brett Moravits (4IN,5H,3ER,4K,5BB); C: Mason Infield (5.2IN,1H,1ER,3K,9BB), Carter Matousek (.1IN,0H,0ER,0K,0BB).
Fennimore 16, Cassville 6
(from Thursday, April 13)
Fennimore 253 060 0 - 16 9 2
Cassville 010 050 0 - 6 8 1
Leading hitters - F: n/a; C: Kaleb Hauk 2x4, Brandon Kinyon 2x2. 2B - Manuel Opitz (C). W - (IN,H,ER,K,BB). L - Colin Esser (2IN,3H,7ER,1K,7BB). Other pitchers - C: Kaleb Hauk (IN,0H,1ER,0K,3BB), Brennan Mellem (IN,6H,5ER,0K,6BB).
Fennimore 10,
River Ridge 9
(from Thursday, April 13)
River Ridge 000 005 4 - 9 9 8
Fennimore 230 110 3 - 10 8 2
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 2x4, Tyler Lansing 3x5, Jake Cathman 3x4; F: Trevor Neuroth 2x5, Derek Kephart 2x4. 2B - Dakota Govier (F). 3B - Jordan Williams (F), Kerek Kephart (F). W - Dakota Govier (0.2IN,1H,0ER,2K,1BB). L - Ben Ertz (4IN,4H,1ER,4K,3BB). Other pitchers - RR: Tyler Lansing (2.2IN,4H,4ER,0K,3BB); F: Will Ahnen (3IN,3H,0ER,1K,2BB), Jake Adkins (3.1IN,5H,6ER,4K,4BB).
River Ridge 5, Wauzeka 4
(from Monday, April 17)
River Ridge 100 013 0 - 5 7 2
Wauzeka 020 200 0 - 4 8 2
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 2x4, Ryan Redman 2x3; W: Nick Benish 2x3. W - Blake Crubel (7IN,8H,2ER,6K,1BB). L - Nate Benish (0.1IN,3H,1ER,1K,1BB).
Platteville 9, Cassville 6
(from Monday, April 17)
Cassville 200 002 2 - 6 7 4
Platteville 130 023 0 - 9 9 2
Leading hitters - C: Jack Jensen 3x4, Colin Esser 2x3; P: Blake Noel 2x4, Cam Brant 2x4, Riley Miller 2x3. 2B - Jensen (C), Garret Heer (P), Brant (P), Miller (P). W - Logan Ludlum (IN,H,ER,K,BB). L - Jack Jensen (5IN,8H,3ER,6K,3BB). Other pitchers - C: Brandon Kinyon (1IN,0H,0ER,0K,0BB), Carter Matousek (0H,1ER,0K,0BB).
