Prep baseball: Winnebago’s big 1st inning dooms Genoa-Kingston

GENOA – After giving up six runs in a close loss to Winnebago on Monday, the Genoa-Kingston baseball team returned home looking to salvage a split in the Big Northern Conference series against the Indians.

But the Cogs gave up four runs before the Indians even got a hit, part of an eight-run first for Winnebago en route to a 16-2, five-inning victory on a windy day.

“It’s a tough start when you give up eight in the first,” G-K coach Roger Butler said. “Not a great start to the ballgame, then the boys put their heads in the sand. It’s definitely a rough start. We gave up too many outs, too many walks.”

The Indians (6-3, 3-2 BNC) drew four first-inning walks off sophomore starter Brycen Lavender, who also hit a batter. The Cogs also committed two errors.

After walking the leadoff batter in the second, Lavender left the game. He walked five, hit one batter and allowed three earned runs, nine total, on two hits.

“They put up eight on the scoreboard, and the boys dropped heads,” Butler said. “That’s the difference.”

The Indians added another seven in the fourth off a pair of Genoa-Kingston relievers on four hits, but only three runs were earned. Tristan Swenson pitched a perfect fifth for the Cogs (0-9, 0-5).

“Sometimes when you’re battling Mother Nature, the kids focus a little bit more,” Winnebago coach Ron Adams said. “Obviously there were a couple balls that dropped in for both sides, but I was happy with our focus.”

Brennan Schuur went the distance for the Indians, allowing one earned run, coming in the first when Nolan Perry singled and scored on a groundout by Declan Creadon.

Schuur allowed three hits and one walk while striking out six.

“It was a nice win,” Adams said. “The bats woke up a little bit. We were really proud of Brennan. He pitched a really good ballgame. It’s amazing what you can do when you get a little run support.”

Butler said his young team will bounce back at practice Wednesday ahead of a home conference game against Byron on Thursday – although that practice likely will be inside given the rain-heavy forecast. Butler said the Cogs have not practiced on their varsity field this year.

He also said the team is young this year. Only Lavender and Creadon have pitched at the varsity level, and the junior class is behind in varsity experience, with only 17 games last year and no games as freshmen because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re very young,” Butler said. “We’ve got three seniors and only two pitchers who threw last year. And Brycen’s only a sophomore and for whatever reason is having his struggles this year. So I’m trying to get him fixed. But Declan is the only other one who pitched last year.

“They’re juniors, but they still haven’t seen a lot of varsity pitching,” he said. “It’s a different level, and they’re not caught up.”