Staff report

The Prescott Cardinals erased a two-run deficit by scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as they defeated St. Croix Central by a score of 3-2. The win moves Prescott into a three-way tie for first place in the Middle Border Conference with a record of 4-1.

St. Croix Central took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, capitalizing on a Cardinal error and an obstruction call. Prescott could manage little offense against Panther right-hander Gabe Siler who surrendered only one hit through five innings.

The Panthers scored again in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of another Prescott error to lead 2-0 after 5.5 innings._ In the bottom of the sixth, behind singles by Mason Bartsch and Phil Seifert, a walk to Tanner Dalman loaded the bases with one out._Pinch hitter Brady Block drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the lead to 2-1. After a Panther pitching change, a fielding error by the Panther relief pitcher tied the game at 2-2._Another bases-loaded walk, this one to Kyle Holman, gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game at 3-2.

In the top of the seventh, Ben Rohl sent the Panthers down in order, tossing a complete game two-hitter and picking up his second win on the mound this year.

Lessman humbles Cardinals as Saints sweep Prescott

St. Croix Falls pitcher Jared Lessman tossed a complete game one-hitter for the Saints as they humbled Prescott by a score of 5-0. The hard-throwing lefthander struck out 17 and walked only one as the Saints improved to 10-0 on the season.

Cardinal pitchers were equal to the task as Cullen Huppert, Brady Block, and Dalton Hegeman blanked the Saints through five innings, giving up only one hit against one of the top-ranked teams in western Wisconsin._ St. Croix Falls got on the board in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on a Prescott error to make it 1-0 Saints. Shoddy defense in the top of the seventh allowed four unearned runs to score as the Saints took a 5-0 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh._ Lessman put an exclamation point on his performance by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.

In game two of the doubleheader, the Cardinals could only muster four hits off Saints starter Dan Christensen while the visitors slugged 12 hits against four Cardinal pitchers as they won game two of the doubleheader by a score of 7-2.

Photos by Gaylen Bicking.