Burlington hopes to even series at home Thursday
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
The Burlington baseball team was flying high entering Tuesday night’s game at Southern Lakes rival Waterford.
Winners of five straight games, including doubleheader sweeps on consecutive nights, the Demons found themselves at 10-2-1 and in position to make their move in the standings.
But Waterford pitcher Dylan Malecki had other plans.
The junior hurler tossed a complete-game gem, striking out eight and scattering only six hits in an 8-2 Waterford victory.
The Demons kicked the ball around the diamond for 3 errors. After Burlington jumped out to a 1-0 lead, the Wolverines claimed a 5-1 lead after three innings.
Waterford went on to score single tallies in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to run away from its rival.
It was Burlington’s sixth game in six days. The Demons are now 10-3-1 and 5-2 in the Southern Lakes.
Despite the loss, the Demons are still only a game in the loss column behind Westosha Central, Wilmot and Waterford.
“We just didn’t play good baseball tonight,” said Burlington coach Scott Staude. “We were sloppy in the field, and they’re a good hitting team. Malecki was on his game.”
Thanks to the new conference schedule that was implemented last year, the Demons won’t have to wait long to exact revenge on their most familiar foes.
SLC teams play two-game series against each opponent, so Burlington will host Waterford Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
“This was a nice win for us against a talented Burlington team,” Waterford coach Lance Bestland said. “We knew their pitcher Mark Wallace pretty well going in and did a good job putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the defense.”
Malecki was in control the entire night, as the Demons couldn’t get much of anything going.
The opposite was true for Wallace. The Demons’ ace started but lasted three innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits.
Tanner Strommen relieved Wallace, but he couldn’t figure out Waterford’s attack either. Strommen walked four and surrendered two earned runs on three hits in two innings.
Cal Tully tossed the final inning, giving up a hit and no runs.
Bennett Conrardy led the Demons with two hits and a run scored. Chandler Meseberg, Tully, Dane Helnore and Strommen each added a hit.
Meseberg connected for a home run to lead off the game, his third last week.
“It’s always a battle with Waterford,” Staude said. “Thursday will be a fresh start. Our team is pretty resilient.”
“There’s a lot of season left, and there’s so much balance in this conference. It’s a marathon, and we have to stay focused.”
Burlington 3, Kenosha Indian Trail 2
In nonconference action Monday in Kenosha, Aaron Mutter notched the go-ahead RBI in the fifth and then shut the door on the mound in the seventh.
Austin Baker earned the victory on the mound, tossing six innings of two-hit ball.
Wallace went 2-for-3 to lead the Demons offense, and his single and stolen base allowed him to score the game-winning run.
Indian Trail dropped to 6-2 for the season.
It was Burlington’s fifth straight win.
“Everything was clicking,” Staude said of the win streak. “We had sound defense and great pitching from five different guys.”
Burlington sweeps Lutheran
The Demons had the privilege of playing at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Friday night, and they came through with two wins.
In game one, Mutter pitched a complete game, scattering five hits, striking out six and allowing no earned runs in a 4-1 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran.
Lutheran was ranked No. 10 in the state in Division 2 at the time.
Wallace went 3-for-3 with a double, and Eric Behnke added two hits.
Mutter and Baker each added doubles.
The Demons scored in the first, third and fourth innings, and Mutter took over from there.
In the night cap, the Burlington bats were in full swing.
The Demons pounded out 12 hits and 11 runs in an 11-3 thumping.
Meseberg and Mitch Klug each led the way with three hits, and Wallace added two hits and three RBIs.
Strommen, Helnore, Mutter and Evan Schlitz each had one hit.
On the mound, sophomore Houston Cowan cruised to victory. He struck out seven in five innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits.
Baker closed out the game with two hitless innings and four strikeouts.
Burlington doubles up Badger
Last Thursday in Lake Geneva, Wallace was on the verge of making history.
He carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning of game one, only to give up and hit and finish with a one-hitter.
Mutter went 3-for-3 to lead the Demons in the 7-0 victory.
Tully, Helnore and Klug each added two hits.
Meseberg cranked another round-tripper.
In game two, the Demons needed to come back from a 1-0 deficit.
So Meseberg crushed a solo home run in the fifth, and Mutter doubled home Baker in the sixth for the winning run.
Baker then shut the door in the seventh for the 2-1 win.
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