DARLINGTON – Left-handed senior Jesse Sturtz fired a complete-game no-hitter and scored the go-ahead run during Darlington’s two-run rally in the fifth inning as the Redbirds held on to defeat the visiting Boscobel Bulldogs, 3-2, in a SWAL baseball game at Otto Ruf Field on Tuesday, April 11.
    Sturtz (1-1) was dazzling on the mound, needing just 81 pitches pitches to secure his no hitter. He struck out 10 batters and did not allow a walk over seven strong innings on the hill.
    “Jesse did a great job working ahead of counts. He established his fastball before counting on his changeup or curveball. I felt he was in control all game,” said Darlington head coach Brad Solberg.
    The Redbirds (2-3 overall, 2-1 SWAL) went ahead 1-0 in the first inning when lead-off hitter Brayden McDonald reached on an error and scored on Ryan Glendenning’s single.
    The Bulldogs tied the score at one all with an unearned run of their own in the top of the fourth frame when Dallas Marks reached on an error and came in to score on a steal of home to even the game.
    Sturtz and Hayden Hardyman led off the Redbirds’ fifth with back-to-back singles and they each came around to score with Will Schwartz plating Sturtz on a base hit for the go-ahead run and Nick Andrae driving in Hardyman for what would hold up as the winning run.
    Boscobel came up with another unearned run in the top of the seventh when Josh Mayne reached on an error and rounded the bases on another error and a passed ball. Sturtz got a groundout back to the mound and struck out the final batter looking to secure the win in his no-hit effort.
    Sturtz also went 2-for-3 with a run, while Christian Carr went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and Bailey McGuire ripped a double for the ‘Birds.
    “We had six errors and a slew of mental mistakes. Despite all of that, these guys stuck together and found a way to win. It was a step in the right direction,” noted Solberg.
    Darlington plays at Mineral Point on Thursday, April 20, and returns home to host Monroe in a non-conference game on Monday, April 24, and Iowa-Grant in a SWAL contest on Tuesday, April 25. All three games are set to start at 4:30 p.m.

Fennimore… 000  100  1 – 2  0  3
Darlington… 100  020  x – 3  8  6
Leading hitters: Jesse Sturtz 2x3, Benny Carr 2x2. 2B- Bailey McGuire.
WP- Sturtz. LP- Ward.
At Darlington, on Tuesday, April 11