LA CROSSE — The Aquinas High School baseball team used 12 hits — two of them home runs — to beat Arcadia 16-1 in a five-inning nonconference game at Lee Gilbert Field on Tuesday.
Senior pitcher Waylon Hargrove was part of a one-hit pitching performance for the second straight opener, this time pitching four hitless innings with five strikeouts and five walks. Marcus Klar allowed one hit and one run while pitching the fifth.
Hargrove pitched three hitless innings as the Blugolds opened last season with an 11-1 win over Eau Claire Regis.
Aquinas broke things open with a seven-run second inning that was highlighted by Aedan David’s grand slam.
Klar, who played third base before pitching the last inning, tripled and homered during a 2 for 4 game that included four runs batted in. Hargrove doubled and was 2 for 4, and left fielder Henry Holinka doubled and was 2 for 2, and shortstop Jonny Deets stole four bases.
Klar’s home run was a two-run shot that gave Aquinas a 16-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Melrose-Mindoro 6, Eleva-Strum 0
STRUM — Colton Koss and Jacob Thesing combined on a no-hitter for the Mustangs (1-0).
Koss pitched 5 1/3 innings and finished with six strikeouts and six walks, while Thesing threw the remaining 1 2/3 with two strikeouts and no walks.
Third baseman Eric Herzberg hit a three-run home run and scored three times, and center fielder Brett Peterson was 2 for 3 and drove in two runs for Melrose-Mindoro.
Herzberg’s home run was sent to left field and came in the third inning to give the Mustangs a 5-0 lead.
Central 6, West Salem 0
LA CROSSE — Three RiverHawks combined on a four-hit shutout at Copeland Park.
Liam Branson, Kenden Bishofsky and Aiden Schulze all pitched for Central and finished with seven strikeouts and four singles allowed. Branson had three strikeouts and was awarded the win for his three-inning stint, and Bishofsky struck out two during his three hitless innings.
Center fielder Landon Smith was 2 for 4 and catcher Charlie Buxton 2 for 3 for the RiverHawks (1-0). Buxton scored twice, and Schulze doubled and drove in two runs.
Four Panthers had one single each.
Onalaska 11, La Crescent-Hokah 4
ONALASKA — Center fielder/second baseman Tyler Kowal was 3 for 3, and first baseman/pitcher Ian Kowal drove in three runs for the Hilltoppers on their American Legion field.
Onalaska (1-0) scored twice in the first inning and twice in the second before adding three-run fourth and fifth innings against the Lancers.
Ten of the Hilltoppers’ 11 hits were singles, and Ian Kowal added a triple. Third baseman/first baseman Carson Zinnecker was 2 for 4 and had two runs batted in.
Four pitchers split Onalaska’s innings, and Carson Campbell finished with four strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings. They combined for nine strikeouts and allowed three hits.
Sparta 8, Luther 2
SPARTA — The Knights (0-1) scored once in the fourth inning and once in the seventh.
Max Lorenz, Calvin Rick, Michael Johnson, Cal Lyga and Isaiah Rupprecht all singled for Luther, which had no extra-base hits. Rupprecht was credited with one run batted in.
