By Mike Ramczyk
The Burlington baseball team received a wake-up call in an April 19 home loss, but the Demons have answered the challenge with three straight wins.
The week started with a 3-2 loss to Delavan-Darien, which featured a complete game masterpiece from Comets pitcher Noal Brouwer.
Burlington took a 1-0 lead into the sixth before Delavan stormed back for three runs.
The Demons scored another run in the bottom of the sixth but couldn’t catch up.
“We faced a really good pitcher against Delavan in our 3-2 loss,” said Burlington coach Scott Staude. “He is a senior lefty that mixed up his pitches well. We had some opportunities on offense but did not take advantage of them. We also had too many defensive miscues. I was proud of our kids for bouncing back the next day against them. We had 19 hits and came out aggressively.”
The next day, April 20, in Delavan, Burlington erupted for 19 hits and 16 runs in a 16-8 walloping of Delavan.
That led to wins Friday at Wilmot and Tuesday at home against Lake Geneva Badger, and suddenly the Demons have a 4-1 record to start the season.
“We are still in the ‘feeling out’ process,” Staude said. “The (first) Delavan game was only our fifth day outside on a field all spring. We need to be more consistent, but I think we are on the right path.”
Burlington continues Southern Lakes Conference action Thursday at Lake Geneva Badger before playing in the Racine County Showcase this weekend.
Hosted at Beaumont Field and Burlington High School, the tournament features all eight county squads.
The Demons battle Racine Park at 7 p.m. Friday at Burlington High School. On Saturday, Burlington plays Racine Horlick at 1 p.m. at Beaumont Field.
Zach Campbell, the team’s ace pitcher, says the Demons are young and are still finding the right chemistry.
“The season is young and we are all trying to work out the kinks,” he said. “We are a lot younger than we were last year, and there are a lot of new faces. The underclassmen will play a big role because many of them will be starters right away.”
Burlington 9, Lake Geneva Badger 4
The Demons exploded for a six-run fifth inning Tuesday night at Beaumont Field after giving up four runs in the top half of the frame.
Derek Morrow smashed a two-run single to make it 7-4, then Campbell followed with a single.
The next batter, Grant Tully, drove home two more runs for a 9-4 lead.
Dale Damon went 3-for-3, and Tully, Aaron Sturdevant, Morrow and Trent Turzenski each added two hits.
Tully, Turzenski and Morrow added two RBIs apiece.
Turzenski got the win on the mound, scattering five hits over five innings and striking out five.
Drew Pesick shut things down in the final two innings.
The Demons committed three errors.
Burlington 5, Wilmot 2
On Friday in Wilmot, Campbell pitched a gem, and the bottom of the order came through for the visiting Demons.
Campbell allowed only two runs on four hits in 6-2/3 innings while striking out seven.
The ace lefty fell in a 2-1 hole, but the Demons supported him with a four-run fifth.
Campbell is in his first year as the team’s ace, and he is ready.
“Being the ace adds a little pressure to the season,” Campbell said. “I will be relied on this year to throw a lot of innings and put us in a position to win as many games as possible, but I am definitely up for the challenge.”
“In the offseason I spent time hitting on my own in my basement and at open gyms during the winter. I also went to Carthage College once a week to work on the pitching side of the game because I knew I would have to pitch every week.”
Staude has been impressed with Campbell, especially against Wilmot.
“Zach was really good,” Staude said. “He made some big pitches in tight situations. He is a mentally tough player who wants the ball in his hand. On offense, our bottom of the lineup had some big hits and carried us.”
Offensively, the bottom of the order, Trey Krause, Jacob Lindemann, Derek Koenen and Riley Palmquist, combined to hit 5-for-11, led by Koenen’s two hits and RBI.
Campbell added a hit and an RBI.
Burlington 16, Delavan-Darien 8
The Demons busted out the bats with five runs in the first, four in the fifth and four in the seventh April 20.
Burlington broke open an 8-6 game with four in the fifth to pull away.
Tully was 3-for-5, and Campbell, Krause, Turzenski, Palmquist, Sturdevant, Damon and Koenen each added two hits in the 19-hit barrage.
Pesick got the win on the mound, and Riley Nelson allowed one earned run in three innings in his first varsity pitching action.
The Demons committed five errors in the game.
Lindemann and Sean Safar each added a hit.
Tully and Campbell both stole three bases.
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