JEFFERSON — It was gut check time for the Eagles, who were staring at the potential of four losses on their home field in six days.
Jefferson, a senior-laden team with experience on the state’s biggest stage, stepped up admirably and grinded out a split in its baseball twin bill versus Waupun.
Tenth-ranked Jefferson lost 5-0 before rallying for a 4-3 victory over third-ranked Waupun on Saturday at Fischer Field.
The Eagles (15-5) had two hits, both singles, and committed four errors in the opener. Waupun took advantage of two walks and a hit batsmen to load the bases with no outs in the first inning, scoring a run on Chase Beahm’s double play and another on Jake Krueger’s single to left.
Waupun had two runners reach via infield error in third, then doubled its lead on Beahm’s one-out double to center field. Emmett Hull added a two-out run-scoring single.
Drew Peterson, who allowed five runs (two earned) on three hits in three innings, took the loss. Ben Kalmon pitched two innings of two-hit ball before Brady Vogel tossed a pair of scoreless frames.
Waupun starter Logan Prall struck out eight over 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball to earn the decision. Brady White punched out four in 1 2/3 innings to end it.
Jefferson scored first in game two, as Tyler Altermatt was hit by a pitch in the second. His courtesy runner Tyler Steinke took second and third on separate wild pitches before coming around on Cale Schmidt’s ground out.
After Waupun’s Beahm drew a bases-loaded walk in the third, Jefferson grabbed a 2-1 lead on Tyler Schroedl’s single to right, which plated Aidan Kammer.
Waupun (14-3) tied it up again on Bryant Ferris’ ground out in the fourth, then drew two walks to open the fifth and went up 3-2 on Hull’s sac fly.
The Eagles hung their only crooked number of the day in the bottom of the frame, which was jump started by line-shot singles to left from Schroedl and Peterson. Schroedl was then cut down trying to reach third on Finn DeBlare’s bunt. Then, head coach Greg Fetherston put the old double-steal play on, with Peterson narrowly sliding in to swipe third and DeBlare reaching second. Tyler Altermatt’s ground out to short plated Peterson to make it 3-all. After Brady Vogel was plunked, DeBlare scored easily on pitcher Hull’s error for the go-ahead run.
Jefferson reliever Bentley Wagner slammed the door in the sixth and seventh innings, working 1-2-3 frames to earn the decision. He pitched three innings, striking out three, and set down Waupun’s Nos. 2-4 hitters in the seventh to end it.
Kammer started for Jefferson, allowing two earned on four hits in four innings.
The Eagles travel to face Evansville on Monday.
First game
WAUPUN 5, JEFFERSON 0
Waupun 203 000 0 — 5 5 0
Jefferson 000 000 0 — 0 2 4
Leading hitters — W: Hull 2x3, Beahm (2B).
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — W: Prall W; 5.1-1-0-0-4-8, White 1.2-1-0-0-1-4; J: Peterson L; 3-3-5-2-2-3, Kalmon 2-2-0-0-1-1, Vogel 2-0-0-0-1-3.
Second game
JEFFERSON 4, WAUPUN 3
Waupun 001 110 0 — 3 4 3
Jefferson 011 020 0 — 4 5 0
Leading hitters — J: Schroedl 2x3.
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) — W: Hull L; 5-3-4-2-4-5, White 1-2-0-0-0-1; J: Kammer 4-4-2-2-4-0, Wagner W; 3-0-1-1-3-3.
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