Klein, Allen come through in clutch for 2-0 Demons
By Mike Ramczyk
All signs pointed to the first loss of the season Tuesday evening for the Burlington softball team.
Then magic happened.
Down 6-3 in their last at-bat, the Demons rallied for four runs with no outs and held on for a 7-6 victory at Southern Lakes Conference rival Union Grove.
Now 2-0 on the season, head coach Gary Caliva lauded his team’s resiliency and said clutch hitting was the difference.
“Great come-from-behind victory, just enough hits with runners in scoring position for the win,” Caliva said. “This should help give us momentum and confidence going forward. A nice team effort in the win.”
Burlington senior Josie Klein, who earned the victory on the mound with six strikeouts and one walk, showed she can hit, too, when it mattered most.
Maddie Berezowitz loaded the bases in the seventh after Gracie Peterson and Jaina Westphal singles, and it set the stage for Klein.
She smashed a double off the right-center fence to score two runs, cutting the lead to 6-5.
Then, it was freshman Bridi Allen’s turn. She blooped a single to center, scoring Berezowitz and Klein and giving Burlington the lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, after allowing a leadoff walk, Klein induced two groundouts and fanned a Grove batter to seal the victory.
Caliva credited Klein’s double as the spark that ignited the Demons, who are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the SLC.
Klein was 3-for-3 and added a home run and four RBIs.
Westphal went 2-for-2 with a double.
Angela Slattery was 3-for-3 with two RBIs, while Abby Boyle added two hits and three RBIs for the Broncos.
Burlington hosts perennial SLC power Westosha Central Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
Burlington baseball 5, Lake Geneva Badger 0
The Demons have allowed one run in two games this season (2-0).
Varsity newcomer Jason Adams picked up the team’s season-opening victory, 2-1, at Racine Case Monday, and Trey Krause followed with a masterful performance Tuesday.
Krause, a left-handed junior, struck out nine batters in five innings, and Trent Turzenski added two innings of scoreless baseball to lift the visiting Demons over the Badgers on their new turf field.
Turzenski closed both wins, finishing with five strikeouts in three innings with only two hits.
Krause held Badger to two hits and added a hit at the plate.
Turzenski, Dalton Damon and Tucker Strommen each added two hits, as the Demons went 10-for-30 from the plate.
Daniel Peterson, Joe Tully and Adams all collected a hit.
Burlington hopes to remain undefeated in its home debut Thursday at 4:30 p.m. against Badger.
Catholic Central 16, Shoreland Lutheran 0
The Lady Toppers presented longtime head coach Bill Greskiw with birthday cookies and balloons Tuesday afternoon at the Congress Street diamond.
A team picture featured wide smiles from players and a sense of pride from Greskiw.
What better present for the well-respected skipper than a 16-0 thrashing of visiting Shoreland in the squad’s Metro Classic Conference opener.
Senior Sydney Robson only needed four innings to go 4-for-4 with five RBIs and suffocate Pacer batters to the tune of two hits and nine strikeouts.
Christina Paleka added three hits, four runs and five RBIs.
Izzy Phillips was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.
Catholic Central dominated with 13 hits in only 23 at-bats.
The Lady Toppers reeled off an eight spot in the first inning.
Catholic Central hosted Kenosha St. Joe’s Wednesday before traveling to Martin Luther Thursday.
Burlington soccer 0, Menomonee Falls 0
The Lady Demons opened the 2018 campaign with a stalemate Tuesday in Menomonee Falls.
Sophomore goalie Cora Anderson had 10 saves, but the Demons couldn’t score in 10 shots on goal.
Morgan McCourt and Jessa Burling each registered four shots.
Pum paces Toppers
In Tuesday’s first MCC Mini-Meet at New Berlin Hills, Catholic Central senior John Pum overcame cold and wind to shoot a 48 in nine holes and lead the Toppers to a sixth-place finish out of eight teams.
Luke Sassano added a 49.
Doug Januszewski shot a 52, Anthony Ricci added a 55 and Jack Clifford recorded a 56.
Pum’s day was highlighted by pars on the par-4 3rd and 9th holes.
-
-
-
-
-