The Waterloo baseball team entered the 2024 season with something to prove. The Pirates had all the talent they needed last spring, but limped to a 5-17 record thanks to a confluence of injuries, tight losses, and plain old bad luck. Many of those same players from that roster are back this season, and the chip they all wear on their collective shoulders is translating into early success.
The Pirates are off to a rousing 3-0 start this season, which includes an early win over a Capitol — South opponent. After ripping Markesan to shreds in the season opener, 17-3, Waterloo has stayed hot. It knocked off conference foe Wisconsin Heights 10-6 on the road on Saturday, April 6 and returned home for a 9-6 non-conference victory over Pardeeville on Monday, April 8.
The players on this roster know not to take Capitol — South matchups like Saturday’s trip to Wisconsin Heights likely. Waterloo only earned one conference win in 10 tries last season, a 6-5 squeaker at Belleville later in the season. They earned revenge for the two losses they took to the Vanguards last spring on Saturday with the four-run victory.
Waterloo came out swinging, immediately nabbing a run in the top of the first inning. Despite the inning beginning with a double play, senior shortstop Cal Hush kept things alive with a double to right field. Senior center fielder Trevor Firari was up next and belted a single into center field, bringing Hush home for the 1-0 lead.
The Pirates kept things rolling in the top of the second with three more runs. Things got off to a great start as junior designated hitter Caleb Bullock got on with a single, sophomore second baseman Ryder Jaehnke drew a walk, and freshman first baseman Shea Sellnow wore a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Junior third baseman Bryce Aubart then stepped up and hammered a groudner towards the shortstop. The Vanguards made an error, allowing both Bullock and Jaehnke to score while Sellnow trotted over to third base. In the next at-bat, senior catcher Jon Sampo lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring him home. In a flash, Waterloo was ahead 4-0.
Senior Keegan Lauersdorf got the start on the mound for Waterloo. He produced three up, three down half innings in the first and fourth and kept the Vanguards scoreless for the opening four innings. He struck out four batters, but Wisconsin Heights finally timed him up in the bottom of the fifth.
The Vanguards scored almost all of their runs here, two off of Lauersdorf and three more off of his replacement, Aubart. Wisconsin Heights put together five hits in the inning, all singles, and benefitted from a two-run error and scored another run on a dropped third strike. The flurry put the host Vanguards ahead 5-4.
Waterloo didn’t let things stay like that for long. The Pirates struck back even harder in the top of the sixth inning, producing six runs to retake a commanding 10-5 lead. Sellnow was hit by his second pitch of the day to lead off, and the run was on.
Senior Cam Tschanz, Lauersdorf, and Jaehnke all had hits in the inning. Tschanz and Lauersdorf both brought in two runners while Jaehnke brought in one. Sampo and Hush both drew walks and Firari was hit by a pitch to set themselves up to score.
Aubart dialed in on the mound for the ensuing bottom of the sixth inning, forcing a three up, three down half. Hush came in for the save in the bottom of the seventh. While Wisconsin Heights did cobble together one more run, Hush punctuated the win with a strikeout to ensure the 10-6 victory.
Waterloo would need further late-game heroics in Monday’s home matchup with Pardeeville. The visiting Bulldogs got two runs each off of Jaehnke and Firari in the top of the fifth inning to pull ahead 4-1. The host Pirates had scored one run in the bottom of the second inning as Sampo drew a bases-loaded, full-count walk.
The Pirates responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the same fifth inning to retake a slim 5-4 advantage. The run was primarily thanks to a costly two-run error from Pardeeville. Hush put it in play and the Bulldogs mishandled it, allowing Tschanz and Sampo to score. Later in the inning, freshman Mason Reedy laced a single to right field to score Lauersdorf. In the ensuing at-bat, Jaehnke came home on a wild pitch to give Waterloo the lead.
Pardeeville wouldn’t back down, though, with two more runs in the top of the sixth inning. The Bulldogs took advantage of a pair of leadoff walks to score on a sacrifice fly and a subsequent single to center field. They retook a 6-5 lead.
Again, Waterloo immediately erased the deficit. Both Aubart and Sampo drew walks to open the bottom of the sixth inning. Both were subsequently brought home on a booming double to center field from Tschanz. Back on top, 7-6. Still, the Pirates kept working to earn a few insurance runs.
Hush followed Tschanz’s big hit with a single to left field. Firari stepped up in the clutch much like Tschanz did, lifting a double to center field to score both Tschanz and Hush. In only a handful of at-bats, Waterloo had retaken a 9-6 lead.
Aubart came in for the close in the top of the seventh inning and was utterly untouchable. He struck out the first three Bulldogs he saw, a swift assurance of Waterloo’s third straight win to start the new year.
The Pirates will hope to keep things rolling with a trio of home non-conference matchups this week. They’ll host Poynette on Tuesday, April 9, Lakeside Lutheran on Thursday, April 11, and Waukesha South on Saturday, April 13.
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