With a pair of wins last week, the Central baseball team moved to 6-0 on the season, with the Raiders’ pitching staff leading the charge. In their undefeated start to the 2024 campaign, the Raiders have tallied three shutouts and two games in which they only gave up one run, averaging more than nine strikeouts per game.
“I think we started really well,” said coach Jon Wroge. “It’s hard to complain when you’re 6-0. I thought pitching was going to kind of be our strong suit and that’s kind of how it’s played out so far with us. We’ve pitched the ball really well, which definitely helps. We’ve given up seven runs in six games, so it’s really hard to complain about our pitchers, that’s for sure.”
The strong start on the mound has allowed the bats to come around, with Central tallying 23 runs in the last three games.
“The guys who I thought were going to hit, didn’t really hit the first few games for us, and I think they were kind of pressed for a little bit being returning guys who had really good years last year - I think they were putting a lot of pressure on themselves,” said Wroge. “They’re starting to relax a little bit more and I think they’re doing a really good job. And our guys who played a lot of JV last year, really stepped up for us. Ben Heuer has been hitting the ball really well. Reese Lentsch has been hitting well. Ben Molnau has been hitting really well for us and catching behind the plate. Brayden Daugs is a junior who is a pretty good player, he’s been hitting well for us. Guys who didn’t have a lot of varsity experience got some good at-bats and got some hits. Their confidence just really increased tremendously.”
Despite losing such a large senior class from last year, the Raiders have gotten off to a great start, looking good in all areas.
“I didn’t know how well we would hit right away, but I think that’s been kind of a nice little surprise for us,” said Wroge. “Defensively, we’re playing pretty well, but our pitchers have struck out 57 guys this year. When you don’t have to pick up the ball, that makes it pretty easy to play defense.”
Central 10
Sibley East 5
Austin Dent drove in four runs on three hits to lead The Raiders past Sibley East 10-5 on Monday at Walsh Field. Dent singled in the third scoring two, singled in the second scoring one, and hit a solo home run to right field in the fifth scoring one.
The Raiders got on the board in the top of the second inning after Quintin DeVlaeminck induced Ben Molnau to hit into a fielder’s choice, but two runs scored, and Dent singled, scoring one run.
The Raiders extended their early lead with three runs in the top of the third thanks to RBI singles by Brayden Daugs and Dent.
Central scored one run in the top of the fifth on a solo home run to right field by Dent on the sixth pitch of the at-bat.
Jackson Paumann earned the win for The Raiders. He surrendered six hits and five runs over five and two-thirds innings, striking out six and walking four. DeVlaeminck took the loss for Sibley East. The starting pitcher went two innings, allowing three runs on six hits, striking out none and walking three. Ben Schefers threw one inning of scoreless ball for the Raiders in relief. The reliever surrendered zero hits, striking out three and walking none.
The Raiders amassed 13 hits in the game. Schefers, Ben Heuer, Paumann, and Daugs each collected multiple hits for The Raiders. Mitchell Johnson led The Raiders with two walks. Overall, the team had a strong eye at the plate, piling up seven walks for the game. The Raiders turned one double play in the game.
Central 5
Lester
Prairie 0
Ben Schefers was dominant on the mound, as the right-handed pitcher rang up 12 strikeouts in The Raiders’s 5-0 victory over Lester Prairie Varsity Bulldogs on Thursday at Lester Prairie Municipal Fields. Schefers surrendered two hits and zero runs over seven innings while walking none.
Andrew Eggers collected three hits in three at bats in the win. Eggers doubled in the second inning, singled in the sixth inning, and singled in the fifth inning.
The Raiders were the first to get on the board in the second when Eggers doubled, scoring one run.
Trever Schauer took the loss for Lester Prairie Varsity Bulldogs. The starting pitcher went five innings, giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits, striking out six and walking two.
The Raiders piled up nine hits in the game. Aiden Wachholz and Schefers each collected multiple hits for The Raiders.
Copyright © 2024 GameChanger Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments / 0