By Josh Staloch
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – The Pulaski baseball team enjoyed some clutch offense Monday, May 17, traveling to Notre Dame Academy and coming away with an 11-6, Fox River Classic Conference (FRCC) victory.
After starting FRCC play 0-7, the Red Raiders recorded their first conference win of the season
“We’ve felt snake-bitten all season,” said Pulaski head coach Dennis Bogacz, whose squad improved to 4-7 overall. “Our guys have put together some good at-bats, but when we’ve had opportunities for big innings, our line shots … they’ve found the defense. Tonight, they believed in themselves, and the gaps were there for us and those shots were getting through.”
The game was close early with the score tied 1-1 after the first inning of play.
The top of the second saw Pulaski’s Logan Hochevar lead off with a single up the middle.
Later in the inning, the Red Raiders took a 2-1 lead on an RBI single from Jarret Olsen, bringing pinch-runner Benjamin Buttrick in from second.
The home team came right back, though.
In the bottom of the frame, Pulaski starter Tyler Quinnell surrendered a walk to Nick Baumgardner, who managed to steal second before Isaac Johnson also walked.
Landen Lozier bunted his way on to load the bases with nobody out.
Another base on balls by Owen Wery tied the game 2-2.
A pitching change by Bogacz didn’t help, as the Tritons took a 4-2 lead after Johnson was hit by a pitch to force in a run before Brady LaViolette plated another run later in the inning with an RBI smash to deep center.
Pulaski took an easy base to start the fourth inning after Hochevar was hit by a pitch, and then pinch-runner Buttrick stole second.
JoJo O’Leary brought in Buttrick to make it 4-3.
The Red Raiders, keeping their momentum going with nobody out, then got consecutive RBI doubles to jump ahead 5-3.
Easton Vertz also doubled to score a pair to make it 7-4.
Another double thanks to a crushing hit by Logan Kurth brought in another run and took Tritons’ starter, Deuce Musial, out of the game, replaced by Johnson.
The hitting trend would continue, though, as Thomas Mooren connected for an RBI-double to wrap up the scoring on a seven-run inning and a 9-4 lead.
“This is a group we believe in,” said Bogacz. “Our hope is we can start stringing some wins together now that we’ve got this thing straightened out with a conference win. They need to believe, like I do, that our best baseball is ahead of us.”