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A memorable baseball season ended Tuesday afternoon for coach James Strommen's Pecatonica squad when the Vikings were defeated 7-5 by (Burlington) Catholic Central at Johnson Creek in a WIAA D-4 sectional tournament semi final. The Vikings ended their 2016 season with a overall record of 25-2, earned a second straight conference championship and won a WIAA D-4 Regional championship.
Catholic Central posted a 12-10 season record heading into the week, a misleading record for a small school (181 students) out of the Metro Classic Conference. The Hilltoppers' conference schedule includes two league opponents with approximately 500 students and three more with over 300 students, and after the Hilltoppers had '10-runned' Barneveld late last week, Pec players knew their opponent was formidable.
Catholic Central utilized a run-scoring single by Frank Koehnke in the first inning, followed by a two run double from Charles Robinson.
The Vikings battled back by scoring a one-out single in the second when catcher Cory Linder singled and courtesy runner Cory Swenson scored moments later on a double by designated hitter Jake Dearth.
In the Pec third, the Vikings tied the score at 3-3 when senior Gavin Burdick doubled, driving in third baseman Kyle Kleppe. Freshman first baseman Carter Ruegsegger promptly followed with an RBI single to drive in Burdick.
Misfortune seemed to visit Pec players at inopportune times Tuesday, one such moment being in the top of the fifth, when Catholic Central had put two baserunners in scoring position on a single, followed by a walk and stolen base. With runners on second and third, Robinson hit a sharp grounder to Vikings' shortstop Colton Schraepfer, who could do nothing but watch when the ball took a high caroming bad hop off of the infield lip - over Schraepfer's shoulder, changing what looked like a possible 'put out' - into a two run single.
Central scored two more runs in the seventh, on a double by Cole Kresken, a sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring single by Robinson.
Senior Brooks Chandler had started on the mound, working into the seventh. Strommen went to the bullpen, bringing in right-handed reliever Anthony Hendrickson, and the lanky junior struck out Chad Zirbel, but Hilltopper Ian Aldrich followed with an opposite field RBI single, putting his team on top 7-3.
Pec fought back with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Chandler, drew a walk, Presly Hauser singled to leftfield and Kleppe walked to load the bases. Seconds later, Chandler scored on a 4-6-3 double play, Hendrickson reached on a single, but with two men out, Hilltoppers' pitcher Brandon VandenHei was able to induce a groundout to end the contest.
VandenHei got the 'W', allowing 10 hits, walking 4 and he struck out a pair. Chandler took the loss, allowing 10 hits, striking out five and he issued four walks.
"We had an excellent baseball season. To win 25 games is an accomplishment - but things didn't go our way a couple times today when we hit the ball hard but their outfielders made a couple of great plays where they ran down balls in the gaps. I have no complaints on the way we hit, 'cuz we hit the ball hard all day as a team. Both teams played very well defensively (only one error was committed in the contest) and Catholic Central showed they have good hitters - they did a good job going the opposite way, they turned two double plays and they made the most of their opportunities," added Strommen.
Kleppe was Pec's leading hitter with a 3x3 plate outing.