ONALASKA — Aquinas High School senior Waylon Hargrove’s pitch count soared early in an MVC battle against visiting Aquinas on Wednesday.
The right-hander hit the 50 mark by the end of the second inning and appeared headed toward an early exit but bounced back to get through the sixth.
Hargrove didn’t allow a hit and wound up combining with junior Jonny Deets on a no-hitter in a 4-1 victory over the Hilltoppers at the American Legion.
Hargrove struck out eight, walked four and allowed one second-inning run to help the Blugolds improve their record to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the MVC by winning their conference opener. Deets struck out two and walked one in a scoreless seventh.
Aquinas scored twice in the first inning and twice in the seventh.
Deets led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on a Cullen Swanson single to center field. Swanson made it 2-0 when he later scored on a wild pitch.
The Blugolds expanded their lead with the help of a single, an error and a sacrifice fly for two seventh-inning runs.
Onalaska (1-1, 0-1) scored its run in the second on four walks issued by Hargrove. Bradyn DeLong drew the walk with the bases loaded to plate Cooper Rudie.
Senior Ian Kowal pitched the first four innings for the Hilltoppers and struck out three, walked three and allowed two hits. Carson Campbell pitched the final three inning and allowed one hit while striking out four and walked two.
