By Bud Milroy
Sports Correspondent
Greendale Martin Luther scored six runs in its half of the fifth inning to turn back Catholic Central 10-6 in a Midwest Classic Conference-South baseball game Tuesday in Greendale.
“This was a real disappointment,” said coach Tom O’Connell. “We battled back to take the lead and then gave it right back without, I think, much of a battle.
“We need to close games out better.”
Martin Luther (6-5 overall, 4-4 MCC) got on the board first and led 4-1 going into the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth, Nolan Girard drew a leadoff walk for the Hilltoppers, and Grant Alderman then drove a 2-1 pitch over the right-field fence for his third home run of the season.
Following a pitching change for Martin Luther, Rayce Wadsworth greeted the reliever with a solid single. Abel Wagner then walked, and Zach Mehring beat out a bunt to load the bases.
One out later, Matt Heiligenthal reached on a fielder’s choice as Wadsworth scored, beating the throw at the plate.
Brandon Hoffman’s grounded retired Wagner at the plate for the second out, but T.J. Walkington then delivered a base hit to score Mehring and Heiligenthal and make the score 6-4.
Martin Luther then staged its rally, starting off with a leadoff single and a walk. A fielder’s choice followed the first out of the inning, then back-to-back base hits delivered a pair of runs.
A walk and a hit batsman loaded the bases for Dan Kucharski, who responded with a triple. Matt Olson followed with a base hit to add the final run of the frame.
The Hilltoppers couldn’t muster any offense over the final two frames.
“We had a number of chances early in the game to take real control of the game, but didn’t deliver,” O’Connell said. “We failed to execute in certain situations and left nine men on the bases.
“That was really the difference.”
The Hilltoppers were coming off a 12-3 loss to Racine St. Catherine’s at home April 26, where the Angels scored seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings to put the game out of reach.
Rayce Wadsworth took the loss on the mound for Catholic Central, but Heiligenthal was 2-for-2 at the plate.
The Hilltoppers (6-8, 2-7) were set to travel to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Wednesday for a non-conference game against Kenosha Tremper. Today, the ’Toppers will seek to avenge the loss to Martin Luther with a 4:30 p.m. game at Beaumont.
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