On Saturday, the Mineral Point baseball team competed in a tournament at Waterloo splitting two non-conference games. In game one, the Pointers erupted for 10 runs in the seventh inning to defeat Algoma 10-2, then lost to Johnson Creek later in the day by a score of 16-6.
Things fell apart in the top of the seventh inning for Algoma in game one. Leading 2-0, Algoma gifted the Pointers with three straight errors by infielders to load the bases. Adam Cody then walked to make it 2-1 with bases still loaded. Grady Finley then singled to left field, scoring Braeden Gallagher and Elliot Kite.
Consecutive singles by Brett Bossert and Evan Kearns put the Pointers up 4-2. Hudson Schroeder then bunted and reached base on a throwing error by Algoma’s pitcher Jacob Massey, which scored two more Pointer runners. Brylen Lee then doubled on a fly ball to center, scoring two more runs making it 8- 2. Following two more walks, Finley, batting around, singled again to score the final two runs.
Pointer pitcher Conner Rolli finished off the Algoma batters at the bottom of the seventh facing four batters to earn the win. In two innings, he didn’t allow a hit, he struck out three and walked two. Finley went 3×4 at the plate for Mineral Point and had 4 RBIs to lead the Pointers at the plate.
“It was a tough start to game 1. It took until the seventh inning to get anything going. We Faced some tough pitching to start that game, but we stayed with it and put a lot of pressure on their defense in the seventh that they didn’t handle well. A couple of bunts and soft contact was enough to get the ball rolling,” said Pointer Head Coach Brett Lawinger on the Algoma game.
Against Johnson Creek later that afternoon, the Pointers fell behind early and found themselves down 8-2 going into the top of the fourth inning. But with bases loaded and one out, Brett Bossert tripled to right field clearing the bases. Evan Kearns then sacrificed Bossert home and the Pointers were only down two, 8-6.
But the Pointers couldn’t get off that number, and Johnson Creek scored eight more runs in the next three frames to win it 16-6. Mineral Point could only manage two hits in the game, Bossert’s triple and a single by Rolli. They committed four errors in the contest.
“Errors had been an issue all week and this game they caught up to us. The mental fatigue really showed this game. We weren’t able to overcome them. But overall, it was a good week. We got a lot of pitcher’s work,” Lawinger said.