Back-to-back-to-back wins in three days for Pointer baseball team

By John Dalton

Playing three days in a row didn’t seem to bother the Mineral Point baseball team as they won all three games last week defeating Cuba City 5-3 on Wednesday, 11-7 over New Glarus on Thursday, and 4-1 against Iowa-Grant on Friday.  In the wins against Cuba City and New Glarus, the Pointers trailed late in both games but rallied to win.  

“Three games in a row is always a grind. It was great to get the three wins.  It was even better to get them the way we did.  I always think it's nice to face some adversity early in the year to see how we respond,” said Mineral Point Head Coach Brett Lawinger.  

Down 2-0 against Cuba City on Wednesday, the Pointers made it 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Evan Kearns connected on a triple to right field scoring Brett Bossert who had reached base on an error.  In the bottom of the fifth, Cole Ripp reached first base on an error by the right fielder and advanced to second on the same error.  Ripp advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Grady Cody’s ground out tying the game 2-2.

Mineral Point scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth.  With one out, Cuba City’s pitcher Cam Guler walked three consecutive batters.  The next batter, Elliott Kite, doubled to left scoring two runs.  Ripp then had a bunt single, scoring Lee from third.  The Cubans scored a run in the top of the seventh, but the Pointers went on to win it 5-3.  

“In the Cuba City game, the wind was an issue, and any ball in the air was an adventure, but I thought we did a good job of not letting one mistake turn into more and they bounced back to make the next play.  We were patient at the plate a drew a lot of walks in the sixth and we were able to cash in and take the lead,” Lawinger said of his team’s victory over the Cubans.  

Adam Cody pitched 6.2 innings for the Pointers earning the win.  He allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked two.  At the plate, the Pointers only had four hits, Kearns’ triple, Kite’s double, and singles by Brylen Lee and Ripp.  

In the game against New Glarus on Thursday, it was a back-and-forth contest.  Mineral Point went up 2-0 in the bottom of the first.  Cody singled to start the game and Grady Finley walked.  Bossert’s single scored Cody and Hudson Schroeder’s infield ground out scored Finley from third.  

New Glarus scored three runs in the top of the third inning, but the Pointers answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third and regained the lead 5-3.  New Glarus responded with four runs in the top of the fourth.  Bossert, who was the starting pitcher for the Pointers, had control problems walking the first two batters, and loading the bases on an infield hit.  He then walked in a run.  New Glarus then tied it on a fielder’s choice.  New Glarus scored two more runs before Ripp replaced Bossert on the mound.  

Down 7-5, the Pointers broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Lee was hit by a pitch and advanced to second after a Kite single.  With one out, Connor Rolli connected on a double scoring Lee.  Cody then singled loading the bases.  A walk tied the game leaving the bases still loaded.  Then Bossert hit a double, clearing the bases and giving the Pointers a 10-7 lead.  Bossert then scored on a single by Kearns.  

Ripp earned the win for the Pointers, giving up one hit and no runs over four innings, striking out two and walking two in relief of Bossert.  Bossert was tough at the plate going 3x4 with a double and 3 RBIs and scoring twice.  Cody was equally tough at the plate going 3x3 and scoring three times.  Mineral Point had 10 hits in the game.  

“New Glarus was just a fun high school baseball game. Back and forth with both teams making plays.  We lost the lead in the middle innings then had a big sixth inning again, and we put some good swings on pitches we could drive,” said Lawinger on the victory over New Glarus. 

It was a pitching duel against Iowa-Grant Friday afternoon between Pointer Brylen Lee and Panther Everett Zimmer for the first four innings of this game with both teams going scoreless until the top half of the fifth.  With one out and Cody on first base, Finley hit a double to center field that scored Cody.  They would go up 2-0 later in the inning on a bases loaded walk.  

The Pointers went up 3-0 in the sixth after Ripp reached first when he was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on Rolli’s sacrifice.  Cody then singled on a line drive to center scoring Ripp from second base. With two outs, Bossert singled home Cody to make it 4-0.

Lee was tough on the mound for the Pointers allowing only four hits, one of those was a solo blast by Iowa-Grant’s Brock Hinderman with two out in the bottom of the seventh.  Lee struck out six and walked one.  

Adam Cody led Mineral Point at the plate going 3x4, scoring twice and with an RBI.

For the Panthers, Zimmer pitched four innings allowing three hits and one run while striking out four and walking four and taking the loss.  Hayden Aultman went one-third inning allowing one hit and one run and walking one.  Maddox Fisher pitched two and two-third innings allowing two hits and two runs, striking out two and walking one.  

“In the Iowa-Grant game I thought our approach at the plate was great all game,” Lawinger said.  “It took a while to get the runs across, but they stuck with it and pulled out another win.  Very efficient day on the mound for Brylen with a 79-pitch complete game.”  

Mineral Point is now 4-0 on the season and had a scheduled game at Boscobel on Tuesday, April 14 and you can find the story in this edition of the paper.