PATCH GROVE — Wins over Belmont and Monticello last week have improved the River Ridge varsity baseball team to a Six Rivers West conference record of 6-5, putting them third in the league standings behind Highland (11-1) and Shullsburg/Benton (11-1).
Last Tuesday night, the Timberwolves used eight hits to defeat host Belmont, 8-5, and held the Braves to just five hits.
Coming away with three hits to lead the T-Wolves was sophomore Brett Moravits, while Blake Crubel and Tyler Millen each chipped in two. Millen also blasted a home run and a double, while Moravits also had a double.
Going into the top of the sixth inning, River Ridge was clinging to a 5-2 lead, then scored three runs to take a commanding 8-2 lead.
Collecting the win on the mound was Moravits, who in 2.2 innings of work allowed three earned runs off two hits, while striking out four batters and walking four.
Also seeing time on the mound were Ben Ertz and Ryan Redman, Ertz going four innings and Redman good for one out.
On the following Friday night, the Timberwolves hosted Monticello in a double header, where River Ridge won the first game to pick up a conference victory, and also won the second, which is played as a non-conference contest.
The first game saw River Ridge pull out an 11-7 victory, using 11 hits and three Monticello errors.
River Ridge did most of their damage in the third and fourth innings, where they scored four runs in the third and five more in the fourth.
Of River Ridge’s 11 hits, Blake Crubel accounted for three, while Ertz and Millin each had two. Crubel also had a home run and a double, while Zach Price hit a triple and Moravits a double.
Ertz picked up the win on the mound, allowing juts two earned runs off four hits in 5.2 innings of work. He also struck out eight batters and walked none.
Crubel pitched 1.1 innings, giving up five earned runs off six hits, striking out two batters and walking one.
In the nightcap of the double header, River Ridge used six hits to score 17 runs, while giving up six hits and seven runs to Monticello.
After scoring one run in the first inning and three more in the second, the Timberwolves exploded for six runs in the top of the third and then got seven more in the top of the fifth.
Connor Mumm and Blake Crubel each had two hits for the Timberwolves, who also got a double from Zach Price in the win.
On the mound, Ryan Redman collected the victory, holding the opponent to three earned runs off four hits in three innings of work, while striking out one batter and walking none.
Tyler Lansing also pitched two innings for the T-Wolves, allowing one earned run off two hits, striking out two batters and walking one.
Following this past Tuesday night’s game at Potosi, the Timberwolves will travel to Barneveld on Thursday night.
River Ridge 8, Belmont 5
(from Tuesday, May 9)
River Ridge 211 103 0 - 8 8 0
Belmont 000 201 2 - 5 5 3
Leading hitters - RR: Brett Moravits 3x5, Blake Crubel 2x4, Tyler Millin 2x3; B: T. Ernst (B). 2B - Moravits (RR), Millin (RR). HR - Millin (RR). W - Brett Moravits (2.2IN,2H,3ER,4K,4BB). L - Jake Amenda (3.1IN,5H,3ER,6K,2BB). Other pitchers - RR: Ben Ertz (4IN,3H,2ER,4K,1BB), Ryan Redman (0.1IN,0H,0ER,1K,0BB); B: Ethan James (3.2IN,3H,0ER,4K,2BB).
River Ridge 11, Monticello 7
(game one from Friday, May 12)
Monticello 140 200 0 - 7 10 3
River Ridge 014 510 x - 11 11 0
Leading hitters - M: Zach Price 2x3, Trenton Ryan 2x4, Braden Cafner 3x4; RR: Blake Crubel 3x4, Ben Ertz 2x4, Tyler Millin 2x4. 2B - Blake Crubel (RR), Brett Moravits (RR). 3B - Zach Price (M). HR - Blake Crubel (RR). W - Ben Ertz (5.2IN,4H,2ER,8K,0BB). L - Kollin Klitke (3IN,9H,5ER,3K,1BB). Other pitchers - M: Andy Eglen (3IN,2H,1ER,4K,0BB); RR: Blake Crubel (1.1IN,6H,5ER,2K,1BB).
River Ridge 17, Monticello 7
(game two from Friday, May 12)
River Ridge 136 07 - 17 6 4
Monticello 103 03 - 7 6 3
Leading hitters - RR: Connor Mumm 2x3, Blake Crubel 2x3; M: Trenton Ryan 3x3. 2B - Zach Price (M), Devin Holtz (M). W - Ryan Redman (3IN,4H,3ER,3K,0BB). L - Sawyer Clark (2IN,2H,2ER,2K,6BB). Other pitchers - RR: Tyler Lansing (2IN,2H,1ER,2K,1BB).
