BELOIT — The Beloit Senior Legion Bandits were reminded the hard way on Wednesday that consistency is a big factor in winning baseball games.
After the Bandits opened up the night with a four-run first inning, Beloit just couldn’t find enough stability throughout its lineup to plate another run.
And when Janesville Post 205 poured on eight runs in the fourth inning, the Bandits squandered any opportunity that arose through the final four frames as they fell 9-4 at a hot and humid Stateline Youth Sports Complex.
“We started out great, I mean we put four up in the first inning,” manager Brad Farrell said. “Then, we just kind of fell apart. These kids are not locked in right now. I'm just waiting for the switch to be flipped.”
The loss dropped the Bandits to 0-4 on the season, and they have fallen in back-to-back days after a loss to Fort Atkinson on Tuesday.
Beloit’s first three batters in the bottom of the first inning reached as Owen West’s hard-hit grounder to the shortstop was thrown into the dirt at first, Brody Berg laced a single into center and Andy Buckley was hit by a pitch.
West scored on a wild pitch and Carston Jacobson hit a grounder back to Janesville pitcher Donovan Hatch, where it caremed off his leg and allowed Berg to score.
Brooks Mitchell’s groundout to the shortstop was thrown away to first, upping the lead to 3-0. Mitchell stole second and moved to third after Ethan Halon reached on a groundout when Janesville's third baseman ran into the fielding shortstop. Dustin Foss’ slow hopper to third allowed Mitchell to score before a groundout ended the big inning.
“We were putting the bat on the ball,” Farrell said. “If we can put the bat on the ball, good things will happen. Like today, how many errors did (Janesville) have?”
Three. Two of those coming in the first after a downpour before the game created some slick conditions early for both teams with Beloit finishing with two miscues.
The problem for the Bandits came after the first inning. They had multiple runners on base in every one of the last six innings besides the fifth, when they went down 1-2-3.
The Bandits left 15 total runners on base throughout the night, and they left the bags full three different times.
Berg walked to begin the second, Buckley reached after putting down a bunt to Hatch, whose throw to second base was high and, two strikeouts later, Hayden Frye walked to load the bases before a pop out stranded the trio.
Foss reached on a one-base error and Berg drew another walk in the third but both were left on, and the pattern continued.
Christian Hobon, who is going into his senior year at Parkview, came on in relief of Hatch in the fourth where he walked Mitchell and allowed a single to Frye with one out before stranding both with a fielder’s choice and a fly out.
Buckley doubled, Mitchell walked and Frye was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out in the sixth, but a pop out and line out ended the threat.
Down to their last out in the seventh, the Bandits got two on with Berg walking and Buckley hitting a single but a pop out ended the game.
“We always have a guy on base in an inning,” Buckley said. “We can't always finish, but we're definitely easing back into it just from the spring season. It just takes a few games.”
Janesville scored one run in the second, and they surged ahead for good by scoring eight in a long fourth inning that featured six walks, two with the bases loaded, an RBI double by Parkview’s Mathias Treinen, a two-run single by Jack Kruser and a two-run double by Brett Appel.
“When you're a pitcher, you have to work to get ahead,” Farrell said. “A lot of times if we got ahead, I turn around to the scoreboard and we're now down 3-2. It runs up our pitch counts and we end up walking them.”
Jacobson, who didn’t allow a hit through the first three innings, allowed six earned runs on three hits and five walks in 3 1-3 innings while Mitch Stuessy got two outs and allowed four walks, two hits and three earned runs.
Halon came on and threw three scoreless innings while striking out three to give the Bandits a chance.
“Ethan came in and pretty much closed the door on them,” Farrell said.
But the Bandits, who were outhit 6-5, just couldn’t buy a hit with runners in scoring position.
“Our first two games we lost 9-8 and 4-3, but it was always in the last innings where we scored,” Buckley said. “It just has to happen throughout the game if we want to win. We always have that one inning where we just give up a whole bunch of runs and we don't fight back after that. And we always have a really good inning, and then after that, we just slow down and we're not locked in throughout the whole game.”
“When you get bases loaded, you better start capitalizing,” Farrell said. “And we haven't capitalized. We had some hard hit balls today, but they were right at people. All of the potential is there, it's just a matter of it happening.”
Buckley had two hits while Kruser and Appel paced Janesville with two apiece.
Hobon earned the win as he allowed just three hits and three walks in four scoreless innings.
“Fastballs,” Hobon said of what was working for both him and Hatch from the mound. “After the first inning, (manager) Kerry Michaels came out and said stick with the fastball and it worked. In the first inning, we were throwing curveballs, change ups, they weren't biting. So we stuck with the fastball and didn't give up anything.
“The guys came in clutch (in the fourth) and helped us with some insurance runs. It made me feel more comfortable on the mound knowing I didn't have to do anything fancy.”
Treinen and Hobon played in Janesville for the senior Babe Ruth league last summer. Manager Kerry Michaels’ nephew, Tyler Pomplun, is the varsity head coach for Parkview and helped the three connect.
“It feels really good,” Hobon said. “We are out here back playing again after having a couple weeks off. First weeks (about) knocking the rust off, but we're on a three game win streak and plan to continue it.”
Beloit will look to right the ship this weekend as they play four games in the Baraboo tournament. The first match is against Fond du Lac on Friday at 5:15 p.m.
“I'm not worried about it all,” Buckley said. “I know these guys are gonna lock in at some point and get it done.”
• LINESCORE:
JANESVILLE 9, BELOIT 4
Jan 010 800 0 — 9 6 3
Beloit 400 000 0 — 4 5 2
Leading hitters: Jan, Kruser 2x5, 2 Runs, 2 RBI; Appel 2x2, 2 Runs, 2 RBI; Treinen 1x4, 1 Run, 2 RBI; Hobon 1x3, 1 Run, 1 RBI. Beloit, Buckley 2x4, 1 Run; Berg 1x2, 1 Run; Frye 1x1, Halon 1x4, Jacobson 0x2, 1 RBI; Mitchell 0x1, 1 Run, 1 RBI; Foss 0x2, 1 RBI.
Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so): Jan, Hatch 3.0-2-4-1-4-2, Hobon (W) 4.0-3-0-0-3-0. Beloit, Jacobson (L) 3.1-3-6-6-5-2, Stuessy 0.2-2-3-3-4-1, Halon 3.0-1-0-0-3-3.
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