Baxter baseball ends season following loss to Madrid

COLLINS — The Baxter baseball team scored at least five runs in 17 of its 22 games this summer.

Unfortunately for the Bolts, they only won less than half of those games and the latest loss was a season-ending defeat to Madrid in the Class 1A District 3 quarterfinals on Monday.

The Bolts collected nine hits and held two different two-run leads before falling 10-7.

“We scored enough runs to win, but we also left some out there,” Baxter head baseball coach Jeremy Moffit said. “We had too many base running miscues.

“We have been able to steal bases all year, but they used a slide step and the catcher put it on the money a couple of times. We also ran into an out here and there.”

Baxter came into the day with 122 stolen bases, but Madrid catcher Jayce Fuson gunned down three attempted base stealers. The Bolts also were retired on the bases a few other times.

Madrid scored two runs off Baxter starting pitcher Cael Shepley in the first inning, but the Bolts countered with one in the bottom half.

Cody Damman singled, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Shepley’s RBI infield single.

Shepley retired the bottom part of the Tigers’ lineup in order in the second and then Baxter went in front 4-2 following a three-run second.

Perrin Sulzle singled and Cael Wishman reached on an error to start the frame. Aiden Johnson’s two-run single gave the Bolts their first lead and Damman made it 4-2 with an RBI sacrifice fly.

The Tigers tied the score in the third, but the two runners who scored reached on an error and a hit by pitch. Kyle Kruckenberg’s second RBI of the day tied the score.

The Bolts (10-12) answered Madrid’s two runs with two of their own in the bottom of the third.

Jake Travis was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame and Shepley reached on an error. The Bolts scored their two runs without getting a hit because Madrid committed three errors.

Another hit by pitch and an error by Baxter in the fourth led to two more Tiger runs. The Bolts were out-hit 14-10 and they committed two errors.

That made it 6-all, but Shepley got out of the jam with a strikeout and a flyout.

The third out came on a little trickery as Travis faked missing a high throw to third and tagged out Madrid’s Chase Davis when he stepped off the base briefly.

“Seven runs should have been enough to do it, and the way Shep pitched, I thought it was going to be able to do it,” Moffit said. “It was our defense again. We’ve made a lot of growth with our defense, but we have a lot of growth still to do and that has to be an emphasis this offseason and into next year.”

The Tigers added two in the fifth to go up 8-6 and scored twice in the seventh to put the win away.

The Bolts committed another error in the seventh when they couldn’t execute a rundown between second and third base.

Baxter’s seventh run came in the fifth as Travis doubled and scored on Shepley’s RBI single.

Baxter ended its season at 10-12. The 10 wins are the most since becoming the Bolts. Moffit credits the senior class for the record-setting season.

“I think this senior class took the bull by the horns, and they were our leaders all year,” Moffit said. “They pushed us and maybe pushed the underclassmen more than they thought they could handle at the beginning of the season. They were our leaders on and off the field.

“We did some things we’ve never done before. We had never beaten Janesville or Colfax-Mingo since we were the Bolts. Those are some milestones and hopefully we’ll bust through the glass ceiling and keep going. We’ll continue to build off this season.”

The Tigers won a game for just the fifth time this summer. Moffit said the competitive game was not unexpected.

“They play in a tough conference so we knew they were better than their record,” Moffit said. “It wasn’t unexpected that we were going to get a good shot from them. It was back and forth and they pulled it out in the end.”

Sulzle finished with three hits, one run and two RBIs to lead the Bolts. Shepley and Richardson added two hits apiece. Shepley chipped in two RBIs and one walk and Richardson walked once.

Damman added one hit, one run, one RBI and one steal, Johnson registered one hit, one run and two RBIs and Travis doubled, scored two runs and was hit by a pitch.

Wishman also was hit by a pitch and scored one run and Jace Bottorff drew a pinch-hit walk in the sixth inning.

Shepley (4-5) pitched all seven innings on the mound and took the loss after allowing 10 runs — eight earned — on 11 hits, one walk and two hit batters. He struck out seven in 113 pitches.

Kruckenberg had four hits and two RBIs at the plate and got the pitching win to lead Madrid (5-20). He struck out four and allowed four earned runs in six innings.

Davis finished with three hits, two runs and two steals and earned the pitching save.

Notes: Damman, Travis, Shepley and Kolton Hill are the Bolts’ four seniors. … The Bolts dropped to 8-9 in games in which they scored at least five runs this summer. … Collins-Maxwell eliminated Madrid, 5-4, on Wednesday.