By Morgan Rode sports@newmedia-wi.com
Leader Photo by Morgan Rode Bonduel’s Noah Beilfuss fires a pitch during the first inning of Tuesday’s Legion road win over Wittenberg.
Leader Photo by Morgan Rode Bonduel’s Dylan Burch, left, steps on home plate behind Wittenberg catcher Kody Szews during the fifth inning of Tuesday’s Legion game in Wittenberg.
Bonduel Legion baseball coach Jason Boldt admitted he was a bit nervous to start Noah Beilfuss on the mound for Tuesday’s road game against Wittenberg. The nerves were because Beilfuss had faced Wittenberg just five days before.
Beilfuss topped his strong six-inning start from June 13 by throwing a five-inning no-hitter in Bonduel’s 13-0 victory over Wittenberg Tuesday.
Beilfuss noted he didn’t change his approach going into the game. “But tonight, it felt really special. I threw a little bit before the game with some friends and played some pickle and got in the baseball mind right away. I’ve been thinking about the game since last week and I was just focused and feeling it out there tonight.”
After three-up, three-down innings in the first and second, Wittenberg got its first baserunner in the third on a two-out walk.
Beilfuss worked another 1-2-3 frame in the fourth before the hosts put two runners on in the fifth on a walk and error. Beilfuss worked out of the jam by striking out the game’s final two batters.
“He was mixing his pitches really well,” said Wittenberg’s Kody Szews. “That’s what he’s known for and we know he can do that. He can throw his curveball for a strike and has a changeup. He controlled the ball a little better tonight, hit the outside part of the plate and that’s a tough pitch to hit for a lot of high schoolers.”
Beilfuss, who credited the team’s focus after a tough 2-0 loss to Oconto Falls on Monday, finished the game with six strikeouts.
While Bonduel was able to put a few runners on base across the first three innings, including loading the bases in the second, the game was tied at zero heading into the fourth.
Things changed in a big way for the Grizzlies in the fourth, when 11 batters came to the plate and six runs scored.
Bonduel only tallied three hits in the inning, instead taking advantage of four walks and a hit batter.
Isaac Boldt scored the game’s first run on a passed ball before Joey Wagester walked with the bases-loaded to score Garrett Engel.
After Wittenberg made a pitching change, Jordan Boldt was hit by a pitch to force in Bryce Weier from third. Riddik Bohm followed with a walk that scored Dylan Burch.
Parker Bohm then drove in Wagester on a fielder’s choice before Beilfuss singled in Riddik Bohm to cap the big frame.
Bonduel tacked on seven more runs in the fifth to exceed the 10-run rule.
Wagester plated Weier with a single for the inning’s first run. Jordan Boldt followed with a RBI double to score Burch and force another Wittenberg pitching change.
“It was pretty much station-to-station, get a hit, a walk, another walk, another hit and they just kept it coming,” said Wittenberg coach Dan Kapitz on Bonduel’s offense. “It was the same thing with all three of my pitchers, it didn’t really change.”
After a walk loaded the bases, Parker Bohm delivered a two-RBI single that scored Wagester and Jordan Boldt.
After re-loading the bases, Isaac Boldt drove in Riddik Bohm with a sacrifice fly before Engel singled home Parker Bohm. The final run — Adam Beilfuss, a courtesy runner — scored on an error.
“It’s contagious, scoring runs,” coach Boldt said. “After yesterday where we only had one hit, couldn’t score a run and the first couple innings today were the same thing but then we broke through finally.”
“It felt really good to put a lot of runs on the board,” said Wagester, who wasn’t retired in his three plate appearances. “On offense we hit the ball hard and scored runs. Noah Beilfuss pitched an amazing game and our defense was strong. We are moving in the right direction and hopefully we keep going.”
Bonduel will have a few days off before a scheduled home game against Clintonville on Monday.
While Bonduel hopes to continue trending up, Wittenberg was trying to erase the sting of the loss as quickly as possible.
Wittenberg is scheduled to host Oconto Falls in a doubleheader on Friday.
“You just move on. You wipe it off the slate because all these kids know they are better players than what they showed tonight, so we’ll just move on,” Kapitz said.
“Just move on, forget about it, short-term memory,” Szews said. “Just try your best the next time out, so Friday we have to come out and play.”
Simon Stewart started the game for Wittenberg before Matt Kapitz and Austin Worzalla pitched in relief.