HOLMEN — The Holmen High School baseball team had no desire to share the MVC championship this spring, but Aquinas gave it no choice with a dominant performance on Thursday.
The Blugolds (18-3, 10-2) completed a regular-season sweep of the Vikings with a 15-1 five-inning victory over the Vikings (14-9-1, 10-2) to leave both teams tied for first place. Aquinas also beat Holmen on Monday to put itself in position for the tie.
The Blugolds essentially ended the game with eight runs in the top of the fifth inning, but Holmen didn’t do itself any favors by committing six errors in the game.
Pitcher Waylon Hargrove was 1 for 2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch, but his three-run double highlighted the final inning. He finished with four RBIs. Left fielder Landon Teachout was also 2 for 4 with three RBIs for Aquinas, which made the Vikings pay for the errors with eight unearned runs.
Second baseman Isaac Schelfhout was 2 for 2 with an RBI and three runs scored, Jacob Thornton drove in two runs, and Cullen Sackman tripled for the Blugolds, who led 2-0 after one inning, 5-0 after three and 7-0 after four.
Hargrove pitched a complete game and finished with eight strikeouts. He allowed no earned runs on three hits and three walks.
Right fielder Joe Meeter was 2 for 2, and Abe Henderson doubled for Holmen.
Caledonia 4, Lake City 0
CALEDONIA — The Warriors (15-6) won by shutout as they began the MSHSL postseason.
Third baseman Tyson Ginther was 2 for 2 with a stolen base, and pitcher/first baseman Garrett Konz was 2 for 3 with a double and two stolen bases for Caledonia, which scored three runs in the bottom of the third and allowed Konz and Landon O’Hearn handle the rest.
Konz pitched six-plus innings and struck out 15 while allowing three hits — all singles — and two walks. O”Hearn retired the final two batters.
Jack Schmitz, Ben Stemper and Tanner Ginther all drove in one run for the Warriors.
West Salem 5, Onalaska 3
ONALASKA — All of the scoring came in the first three innings, but the Hilltoppers hurt themselves by committing six errors.
Mekebo Anderson singled and drove in two runs for the Panthers (9-11), who also received an RBI from shortstop Drew McConkey.
Tyler Kowal and Ian Kowal both had two hits for Onalaska (8-11), and Ian Kowal drove in two runs.
Logan 10, Sparta 0 (6)
LA CROSSE — The Rangers (14-10, 6-6) scored six times in the third inning to pull away from the Spartans.
Catcher Tommy Check was 3 for 4 with two doubles and three runs scored, and third baseman Jackson Bosch went 2 for 4 with two runs scored in the top two spots of the batting order. Center fielder Sam Diehl also had two hits and scored two runs for Logan.
Logan Hanson and Keegan Anderson combined on a four-hitter in teaming up for the shutout.
Melrose-Mindoro 4, Eleva-Strum 1
STRUM — The Mustangs (15-5, 11-3) kept the pressure on first-place Osseo-Fairchild (11-2) in the Large Division of the Dairyland Conference.
Third baseman Eric Herzberg was 2 for 4 and second baseman Lane Frye 2 for 4 with a double as both players drove in a run.
Melrose-Mindoro scored all of its runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings after the Cardinals scored once in the first.
Brady Blaken also doubled and had two stolen bases for the Mustangs. Jacob Thesing pitched six innings and had five strikeouts and five walks as the winning pitcher for Melrose-Mindoro.
Arcadia 5, Onalaska Luther 4
ARCADIA — The Raiders (10-14, 4-8) scored three times in the first inning and never gave up the lead against the Knights (4-14, 2-9).
Second baseman/catcher Deklyn Grzadzielewski was 2 for 5 with a double as Arcadia finished with just five hits but scored four unearned runs.
Austin Fernholz, Max Blashko and Jonah Slaby drove in a run apiece for the Raiders.
Shortstop Jackson Kendall was 2 for 4 and center fielder Gabe Shepard added two hits and two RBIs for Luther, which scored twice in the sixth inning to close to the final margin. Devin Larson and Sam Lipps also had two hits each for the Knights, who finished with nine.
