By: Daniel Cooley
WEST UNITY (JUNE 19TH, 2023) – Edgerton swept a doubleheader from Hilltop in ACME Baseball action on June 19, 2023, at Hilltop. Edgerton cruised past Hilltop in game one, 9-4. In game two, the Bulldogs scored four runs in the final inning to clip Hilltop, 9-8.
In the opener, Edgerton got out to a 7-0 lead, scoring four runs in the first inning, two in the second and one more in the third.
With the bases loaded in the top of the first inning on two singles and a hit batsman, Maddox Baker cleared the bases with a three RBI double. Caden Leppelmeier then knocked in the fourth run with another double.
In the second inning, Scottie Krontz and Cory Herman each collected RBI singles. In the third inning, Sanchez Kellen singled and then scored on a Hilltop error.
Hilltop cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the third inning. Zander Runkel collected a two RBI double, and Terry Rebeck knocked in the third run with a single.
Hilltop then cut Edgerton’s lead to 7-4, on Wade Wagner’s RBI single in the fourth inning.
Edgerton got some breathing room by scoring single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Baker knocked in his fourth run with a single and Herman finished it off in the seventh with an RBI double.
Elijah Martinez, who pitched the final four innings for Edgerton, retired Hilltop in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Herman finished with three hits, two singles and a double and knocked in three runs. Krontz picked up the win for Edgerton, going three full innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while striking out three and walking three.
He was taken out in the fourth inning, after surrendering a single and a walk to start the inning.
“Cory (Herman)’s a solid hitter for us and hit .400 for us this past spring,” said Edgerton coach Nathan Swank. “And Scottie Krontz pitched well for us.”
Hilltop was led in hitting in game one by Runkel’s double and two RBIs and Terry Rebeck’s two singles.
In the second game, which went four innings because of darkness, Edgerton trailed, 7-5, going into the top of the fourth inning. But the Bulldogs tallied four runs in the inning, to take a 9-7 lead.
After back-to-back walks to Jacob Steffes and Levi Hess to start the inning, Steffes scored on a wild pitch to cut Hilltop’s lead to 7-6.
Parker Elden’s two RBI single then put Edgerton up, 8-7. Elden then scored on a wild pitch to give Edgerton a 9-7 lead.
Things got interesting in the bottom of the fourth inning, when a two out error and then a double by Wade Wagner put runners at second and third.
Corbin Hartman scored on a wild pitch to cut Edgerton’s lead to 9-8 and Wagner advanced to third on the pitch. Raace Haynes then walked, to put runners at first and third base, with two outs.
“I was nervous and thought, I’ve got to get this next guy out,” said Edgerton reliever Bryce Schroeder. “And first baseman Jackson Flower then made a great diving catch (in foul territory), to end the game.”
Schroeder pitched two innings and gave up one earned run, allowing one hit, while striking out three and walking one.
“We had some pretty clutch hitting in both games and in the second game, Bryce finished it out for us and did a nice job,” Swank said.
“And the guys made plays when they had to. It was Jackson Flowers’ first game at first base and he made that great catch to end the game.”
In the second game, both teams took advantage of the wildness by the opposing pitchers in the first inning.
In Edgerton’s top of the first inning, the Bulldogs took advantage of three walks and scored one run on a wild pitch.
Edgerton took a 4-0 lead after 1/2 inning, getting an RBI single from Maddox Baker and Hess’s two RBI double.
Hilltop came back with three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Wade Wagner scored first, advancing from third to home plate, when one runner was caught in a rundown.
Hilltop, which collected six walks in the first inning, also scored on a bases loaded walk and an RBI groundout.
Hilltop then scored three runs in the second inning, to take a 6-4 lead. Wade Wagner had an RBI single, and Cameron Shimp knocked in two runs with a single.
Edgerton cut the Hilltop lead to 6-5 in the top of the third inning, on Flowers’ RBI ground out.
Hilltop then increased its lead to 7-5 after three innings, on Brady Wagner’s RBI double, setting up the wild last inning.
GAME ONE
EDGERTON 421 010 1 – 9 12 0
HILLTOP 003 100 0 – 4 7 5
Records: Edgerton 5-8, Hilltop 2-3-1
WINNING PITCHER: Krontz (3 innings, 4 runs, 6 hits, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks) Other: Martin
LOSING PITCHER: W. Wagner (5 innings, 8 runs, 10 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) Other: Rebeck
LEADING HITTERS: (Edgerton) Herman – 2 singles, double, 2 RBIs; Baker – double, single, 4 RBIs; Krontz – 2 singles; C. Leppelmeier – double (Hilltop) Rebeck – 2 singles, RBI; Runkel – 2 singles
GAME TWO
EDGERTON 401 4 – 9 3 2
HILLTOP 331 1 – 8 6 2
Records: Edgerton 6-8, Hilltop 2-4-1
WINNING PITCHER: Schroeder (2 innings, 2 runs, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk) Other: B. Leppelmeier, C. Leppelmeier
LEADING HITTERS: (Edgerton) Hess – double, 2 RBIs; Elden – single, 2 RBIs (Hilltop) W. Wagner – double, single, RBI; B. Wagner – double, 2 RBIs; Shimp – single, 2 RBIs
Dan can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
