By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
Inclement weather at the beginning of last week forced the Burlington baseball team to play a doubleheader Thursday at Union Grove.
The extra Monday and Tuesday of rest turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.
The Demons treated the road double dip like a couple of home games, dominating the first game and orchestrating some late-game drama in the night cap.
Thanks to victories over Union Grove Thursday and Racine Horlick Monday, the Demons have now won three straight victories after starting the season 1-1-1.
Mitch Klug played hero for the Demons in the second game of the doubleheader at Union Grove.
With the game tied 0-0 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Aaron Mutter led off with a double and stole second. Then, Cal Tully and A.J. Baker drew walks.
Baker was down in the count, 0-2, before battling back to walk and load the bases.
Klug, a left-handed batting sophomore, quickly had two strikes on him. Union Grove pitcher Ben Miller, the staff ace, was tossing a gem and was on the verge of sending the game to extra innings.
But Klug kept his cool. He smacked a sharp ground ball up the middle, just out of the reach of the diving Grove shortstop. Mutter crossed home plate, and the celebration was on.
The players rushed the field and mobbed Klug. Burlington coach Scott Staude had his guys run to the center-field fence, and he took a picture of them with his cell phone.
The sweep one of the conference favorites could go a long way in the standings come May.
Baker got the win on the mound for Burlington, and he pitched his way out of a seventh-inning jam with a runner on third by striking out Matt Kupper.
Baker recorded the final four outs after sophomore pitcher Houston Cowan managed a quality start.
Cowan allowed only two hits and no earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.
The two teams combined for a mere eight hits.
Miller got the tough-luck loss, although he only gave up five hits and struck out eight Demons.
Tanner Strommen, Dane Helnore and Mark Wallace had the other hits for Burlington.
Burlington is now 3-1 in the Southern Lakes Conference and tied for second place with Westosha Central.
Wilmot leads the conference with a 4-0 mark.
The Demons get to test their Racine County mettle this weekend before returning to SLC play.
In a two-day showcase, the county teams will play at Beaumont Field in Burlington.
Waterford, Catholic Central and Union Grove will all be in action.
Burlington plays Racine Park (0-5) Friday night and Racine St. Cat’s (3-3) Saturday night.
Burlington 6, Union Grove 5
In the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader, the Demons got up big and cruised thanks to a five-run third.
Burlington led, 6-3, after three innings, and Union Grove scored a run apiece in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Demons pounded out 14 hits, led by three from Mutter.
Strommen, Helnore, Wallace, Evan Schlitz and Chandler Meseberg each added two.
On the mound, Wallace, the Demons’ ace, went the distance and gave up four earned runs but shut down the Broncos in the seventh.
Wallace scattered eight hits and struck out three while walking three.
It was Wallace’s second win of the season.
Burlington 7, Racine Horlick 4
The Demons completed their week with some home cooking Monday.
Playing after a slight rain, the sloppy field didn’t slow down the Demon bats.
Burlington scored six runs in the first four innings and cruised to victory in a game played at Burlington High School.
Mutter, Helnore and Baker combined to allow only five hits and three earned runs.
Helnore and Baker worked magic in relief, allowing no hits in the final three innings.
Mutter helped his cause at the plate by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Meseberg, Helnore, Wallace and Klug each added two hits.
Tully and Eric Behnke both tallied a hit.
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