PATCH GROVE – Trailing, 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the River Ridge varsity baseball team scored the two necessary runs to pull out a 5-4 victory over visiting Belmont this past Monday evening at River Ridge High School.
With the win, coach Troy Marshall’s squad improved to 3-3 in Six Rivers conference action, and are now 5-7 overall heading into this past Tuesday night’s home game with visiting Potosi.
In the bottom of the seventh inning against Belmont, sophomore Blake Crubel started the inning off with a single, followed by a walk drawn by senior Ben Ertz.
Junior Gavin Steiber then loaded the bases with a walk, which was followed by an RBI single hit by junior Tyler Millin.
With the bases still loaded and the game knotted at 4-4, River Ridge junior Tyler Lansing drew a walk to score the winning run.
River Ridge was limited to just four hits in Monday night’s contest, while Ertz had two RBIs, Millin one and Lansing one.
Brett Moravits and Blake Crubel each scored twice for the Timberwolves, while Ertz crossed the plate once.
Junior pitcher Ryan Redman picked up the win on the mound in relief of Ertz, who in six innings of work gave up three earned runs off six hits, while striking out seven batters and walking one.
In one inning of work, Redman held the Braves to one earned run off no hits, striking out one batter and walking two.
Last Tuesday night in Six Rivers West conference action, coach Marshall’s squad suffered a 9-2 loss to host Shullsburg/Benton.
The Timberwolves were held to six hits in the contest, getting two each from Moravits and Ertz, while Steiber and Jake Cathman each had one.
Ertz took the loss on the hill, allowing one earned run off five hits in five innings of work, also striking out fie batters and walking one.
Moravits and Redman also saw limited time on the mound, combining to give up four earned runs off three hits, while striking out one batter and walking two.
In double-header action played last Friday night, the visiting Timberwolves won the first game, 7-4, which counts toward their conference record, and also won the second game, 13-5, which is considered a non-conference contest.
In the first game, River Ridge pounded out eight hits, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning and then five in the top of the fifth.
Moravits went 3-for-4 at the plate with one walk and one run scored, while Ertz and Jacob Bausch each had two RBIs.
After 3.2 innings of work on the mound, Redman picked up the win, while giving up one earned run off four hits, striking out three batters and walking one.
Lansing pitched 3.1 innings for the Timberwolves, allowing three earned runs off two hits, striking out one batter and walking five.
In the second game of the double header, the Timberwolves scored 13 runs off six hits, as the two teams combined for 11 errors, six by Black Hawk.
Moravits led the offensive attack with two hits and scoring four runs, while Ertz had a team-high three RBIs and Redman two.
Moravits also picked up the win on the mound, giving up no earned runs off five hits in 6.2 innings of work. He also struck out six batters and walked three.
Next Monday night the Timberwolves will travel to Highland.
Shullsburg/Benton 9, River Ridge 2
(from Tuesday, April 18)
River Ridge 101 000 0 - 2 6 3
Shulls/Benton 010 134 x - 9 8 0
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 2x4, Ben Ertz 2x2; S/B: Chris Trejo 3x4, Nolan Strang 2x4. 2B - Trejo (S/B), Nolan Strang (S/B). W - Nathan Mowry (3IN,1H,0ER,4K,0BB). L - Ben Ertz (5IN,5H,1ER,5K,1BB). Other pitchers - RR: Brett Moravits (0.2IN,3H,4ER,1K,2BB), Ryan Redman (0.1IN,0H,0ER,0K,0B); S/B: Chris Trejo (4IN,5H,2ER,6K,2BB).
River Ridge 7, Black Hawk 4
(game one from Friday, April 21)
River Ridge 200 050 0 - 7 8 3
Black Hawk 200 100 1 - 4 6 3
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 3x4; BH: Jason Treuthardt 2x4. W - Ryan Redman (3.2IN,4H,1ER,3K,1BB). L - Michael Flanagan (4.1IN,4H,3ER,2K,7BB). Other pitchers - RR: Tyler Lansing (3.1IN,2H,3ER,1K,5BB); BH: Prestin Bevins (2.2IN,4H,0ER,4K,5BB).
River Ridge 13, Black Hawk 5
(game two from Friday, April 21)
Black Hawk 001 030 1 - 5 5 6
River Ridge 101 650 x - 13 6 5
Leading hitters - BH: Jett Rufenacht 2x4; RR: Brett Moravits 2x2. 2B - Ben Ertz (RR). W - Brett Moravits (6.2IN,5H,0ER,6K,3BB). L - Avery Baumgartner (3.1IN,2H,4ER,5K,4BB). Other pitchers - RR: Ryan Redman (0.1IN,0H,0ER,0K,0BB).
River Ridge 5, Belmont 4
(from Monday, April 24)
Belmont 000 102 1 - 4 6 1
River Ridge 201 000 2 - 5 4 2
Leading hitters - B: Dylan Runde 2x3; W - Ryan Redman (1IN,0H,1ER,1K,2BB). L - Colin Austin (1.1IN,3H,2ER,3K,4BB). Other pitchers - B: Jake Amenda (4.2IN,1H,2ER,6K,6BB); RR: Ben Ertz (6IN,6H,3ER,7K,1BB).
