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Warriors find victory blowing in the wind
BH BB Walker slide
BLACK HAWK senior shortstop Mike Walker (#23) slides in safely for a run in the Warriors 12-7 victory over Monticello on Monday, April 9. Walker went 2-for-3 with a two-run double and scored four times to lead the Warriors to the win.
Thomas Gunnell
Updated: Apr 11, 2012, 8:38 PM
Published: Apr 11, 2012, 8:39 PM

    SOUTH WAYNE – The strong winds blowing in from the outfield did little to cool off the Black Hawk offense in Monday night’s Six Rivers East opener on the baseball diamond.
    The Warriors (1-1 overall, 1-0 in SRE) banged 14 hits into the breeze and plated 12 runs to blow away the visiting Monticello Ponies, 12-7, at BHHS on April 9.
    Black Hawk had lost seven straight games to Monticello since their last win in 2008, including three 10-run losses to the Ponies a year ago; but the Warriors turned the page in their conference opener thanks to a total team effort.
    “We won the game by making plays when we had to,” said Black Hawk head coach Justin Doyle. “We hit the ball and made (Monticello) move around a little on defense.”
    Eight of the team’s nine starters had at least one hit in the game and six had multiple-hit games, while seven different players drove in a run and seven players scored for the Warriors in the game.
    The lead switched hands four times over the first three innings with the Warriors twice rallying from behind to jump ahead of the Ponies (0-4, 0-1).
    Trailing 2-0 before they even stepped to the plate, Black Hawk fought their way into the lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Shortstop Mike Walker doubled in two runs and later scored on an errant pick-off attempt to give the hosts a 3-2 lead.
    Monticello regained the lead with three runs in the top of the third, but the Warriors came right back with four runs in the home half of the inning to go back on top 7-5. Patrick Mahoney plated a run with a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt, and Aaron Monson followed with a two-run single to put Black Hawk into the lead to stay.
    The Warriors added three runs off three Monticello errors in the fourth inning to grab a 10-6 advantage, and they tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings on two-out RBI-singles by third baseman Mike Powers and pitcher Cory Rupnow.
    The Ponies shaved a run off the deficit in the top of the seventh inning, and they had two runners on base with two down when Rupnow coax the final out on a runner interference call to secure the complete-game victory.
    Rupnow surrendered seven runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts over seven solid innings of work.
    “He threw strikes all day. He’s not fast, but he can throw strikes. That’s all we ask of him,” Doyle added about his junior pitcher who moved to 1-1 on the season.
    Walker was 2-for-3 with a double, four runs scored and two RBI to lead the hit barrage. Monson was 2-for-3 with two RBI and Logan Stietz was 2-for-5 with two runs scores, while Rupnow, Patrick Mahoney and Connor Moore each had two hits with a run and a RBI.
    At Cuba City, on Tuesday, April 3, the host Cubans used a 13-run third inning outburst to roll over the Warriors, 18-3, in their season opener.
    The Cubans (3-1) snapped a 1-1 tie with four runs in the second inning, then pulled away with their 13-run rally.
    Nathan Wallenhorst went 3-for-3 with a triple for the Cubans, while Trent Denlinger went 2-for-3 with a home run for the hosts.
    Connor Moore was 2-for-3 with a double, and Cory Ruopnow added a double for the Warriors.
    Black Hawk heads to Cassville for their first Six Rivers crossover doubleheader on Friday, April 13, starting at 4:30 p.m. The Warriors host Barneveld in a Six Rivers East game on Tuesday, April 17, starting at 5 p.m.
   
Monticello….. 203  100  1 -   7    9  6
Black Hawk… 304  311  x - 12  14  6
Leading Hitters: Connor Moore 2x2, Mike Walker 2x3, Aaron Monson 2x3, Patrick Mahoney 2x4, Cory Rupnow 2x5, Logan Stietz 2x5. 2B- Walker.
WP- Cory Rupnow. LP- Steffen.
   
Black Hawk……. 100  02 -   3    7  5
Cuba City…… 14(13)  0x - 18  11  1
Leading Hitters: Connor Moore 2x3. 2B- Cory Rupnow, Moore.
WP- Reese. LP- Cory Rupnow.
Belmont's Kaleen McGettigan notches career win No. 200
Braves blowout Potosi/Cassville in coach's milestone victory
Kaleen McGettigan 200
Belmont girls head coach Kaleen McGettigan earned her 200th career win last Tuesday night with a 56–25 win over Potosi/Cassville.
Casey Lindecrantz
Published: Dec 13, 2024, 7:23 PM

POTOSI — Belmont girls basketball coach Kaleen McGettigan collected her 200th career win last Tuesday night with a 56–25 victory over Potosi/Cassville.

The Braves shot out to and maintained an early lead in Six Rivers West win over the host Chieftains (3–2, 0–2 SRW).

Potosi/Cassville claimed the opening point on a free throw, but a basket under the hoop by Morgan Freeman earned the only lead change of the night. The result was a Braves lead where the traveling team earned nearly 30 points before Potosi/Cassville tasted double figures.

“Any time we play a conference team, we know it is going to be a battle,” McGettigan said. “The Chieftains lost one of their starters the night before, but credit tot he team and their staff, they came out ready to play. Coach Nebel has done a nice job in her first month as a head coach.”

The Braves clung to a 37–16 lead at the break, nurturing it as they pushed to double Potosi/Cassville’s output over the final 18 minutes.

“I was pleased with the girls’ offensive attacks,” McGettigan said. “We are a tough team to guard because we are so interchangeable, and we need to take more advantage of that.”

The Belmont front was led by a three-headed monster of Lexi Riechers (18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals), Freeman (14 pts, 6 reb), and Kaci Riechers (12 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast, 5 stl). 

Carsyn Ramaker also took on an supporting role — her six rebounds and five assists were each tied for the team high.

“Lexi Riechers was a spark for us, and she got a couple things going on both ends of the floor,” McGettigan said. “Carsyn continues to see the floor well, and Hailey Bahr played the best game of her career.”

With just three opponents left ahead of the new year, the Braves’ next opportunity on the court comes at Benton on Dec. 12.

Junior Lillie Cooley scored a team-high five points in the loss for Potosi/Cassville (3–2, 0–2) which suffered its first loss.

Despite the win, McGettigan believes her team needs improvements in a few areas.

“We need to do a better job of consistently finishing around the rim,” she said. “We also need to be more comfortable  in our half-court sets.”

The Zephyrs (0–6, 0–2) most recently lost to Stockton (Ill.) on Dec. 9, 68–18, and haven’t scored more than 20 points in each of their last three games.

“We need to continue working on limiting other teams’ offensive boards, and getting to our outlet spots,” McGettigan said. “December is a slow month for us, so we need to stay focused in the gym and need to get better.”

Belmont 56, Potosi/Cassville 25
(from Tuesday, Dec. 3 @ Potosi)
Belmont 37 19 — 56
Potosi/Cassville 16 9 — 25
Belmont (2–1, 1–0) — Hailey Bahr 2, Courtney Fritz 5, Kaci Riechers 12, Morgan Freeman 14, Jaelyn Leitzinger 2, Lexi Riechers 18, Brittany Taylor 3. Totals — 25-71 2-7 56.  
Potosi/Cassville (3–1, 0–1) — Matty Udelhofen 4, Madi Weber 2, Lillie Cooley 5, Brielle Fishnick 4, Ruby Roe 3, Miranda Kieler 4, Delany McKillip 3. Totals — 8-43 8-11 25. 
3-pointers — B: 4-19 (Fritz 1, K. Riechers 2, L. Riechers 1); PC: 1-11 (Roe 1). Team fouls — B: 14; PC: 14. Foul out — none.