Baseball: Patient Bears ease past Rebels

The Bonduel High School baseball team used a patient approach at the plate and some timely hits to ease to a 12-2 win in five innings over Laona/Wabeno in nonconference play at Village Park in Bonduel on Tuesday.

The Bears drew 12 walks in the game to go along with their eight hits.

The strong night at the plate came a day after Bonduel pounded out 15 hits and scored 10 runs in a nonconference win over Brillion, hinting that the Bears’ recent hitting woes might be a thing of the past.

“Yesterday (Monday) seemed like a turning point for us. Noah (Beilfuss) struck out the side in the second inning, and when everybody came off the field, they all had smiles on their faces. Then we scored two runs, two runs, two runs, and we just started to hit the ball again,” said Bonduel coach Donnie Gruenewald. “Maybe they just changed their outlook on everything, because usually when they come back to the dugout, it’s always, ‘This isn’t right, and that isn’t right.’ But that time, they came in with smiles on their faces and started a little chatter and got behind each other.”

“Hitting is contagious — once one guy started hitting, everybody started hitting,” added Gruenewald. “Hopefully that’s something we can continue.”

After Laona/Wabeno scored in the top of the first, Bonduel answered in its half of the frame.

Senior Parker Bohm singled with one out before stealing second. Beilfuss, a junior, walked before both he and Bohm moved up a base. Senior Riddik Bohm was the beneficiary, lifting a sacrifice fly to right to score Parker, his cousin.

The Bears kept the pressure on in the second inning, scoring twice to take the lead. Sophomore Garrett Engel singled to open the inning and eventually came around to score. Senior Aaron Margelofsky drew a walk in the frame and scored the second run.

The hosts drew four walks in the second and walked five more times to tack on five runs in the third and bust the game open.

Cole Letter delivered the clutch hit in the inning, clearing the bases with a double.

“My teammates and coaches have constantly supported me and helped me get back on track with hitting, and I credit them for my appearance at the plate tonight,” said Letter. “Our team has struggled hitting recently. But with some new drills in practice and a lot of hard work and focus, we have been able to start hitting like we know we are capable to.”

Parker Bohm earned the start on the mound, working the first three innings. After allowing a double to the first batter he faced, he only allowed one hit and two walks to get through the third.

Letter took over in the fourth inning and was greeted by a home run and then a double. Letter remained confident and did not allow another baserunner while covering the final two innings of the game.

“I think Parker and Cole battled very, very well for how well they did tonight — by only giving up two runs to a pretty well-rounded team,” said Engel, the Bears’ catcher who reached base three times and scored twice. “The best part is that they are not necessarily avid pitchers either — this is only Parker’s second time on the mound this year. A few small mistakes were made with the placement of a few pitches, but I still think they battled through all of it and pitched very good for us when we definitely needed them.”

Bonduel scored four runs in the fifth to reach the 10-run rule and end the contest.

The Bears drew two walks before Beilfuss drove in a pair. Junior Logan Guenterberg ended the game in style, collecting his first varsity hit to score the game-sealing run.

Letter finished with a team-leading four RBIs, while Bohm and Beilfuss each had two. Margelofsky walked in all three of his plate appearances and scored three runs.