Blues' season ends with 18-8 record

The season came to an end for the Superior Blues 16-year-old Junior American Legion team with a 10-4 loss to Altoona in the Wisconsin state district tournament Saturday afternoon at Bollinger Park in Eau Claire.

The Blues, who end the season with an 18-8 record, opened the tournament with a 10-2 win over Hudson and a 4-3 loss to the La Crosse Central Juniors.

The Blues managed to take a 1-0 lead on Altoona with a first-inning run, but the Roadrunners used a 12-hit attack to score two runs in the second and third innings, three in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the sixth to advance.

Superior had seven hits, including two singles and an RBI from Al Meehan. Sam Schiff also tripled and knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly, Dylan Ramage had an RBI single, Spencer Koskie doubled and Nick Sitek and John Edwards singled.

Meehan, Jordan McDonald and Sitek pitched for the Blues, walking seven batters, hitting one and striking out four.

Superior scored single runs in the first, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Meehan led off the game and scored on Schiff’s sac fly; Taylor Olson reached on an error in the fifth and scored on Ramage’s single; Koskie doubled and scored on Meehan’s single in the sixth and Paul Edwards walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Superior had its chances to score runs, but stranded 10 runners on base, including bases loaded in the fifth inning.

Eau Claire rebounded from a 4-2 loss to La Crosse Central on opening day to defeat Chippewa Falls twice (14-2, 7-3) to win the tournament and advance to this weekend’s state tournament in Marinette.

Juniors 4, Blues 3

With Superior and La Crosse tied 2-2 after six innings, the Blues took a 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh.

Olson led off the inning with a single and moved to third on McDonald’s pinch-hit double. After a strikeout, Rob Dembroski hit a pop up that was caught near the La Crosse dugout. Noticing nobody was covering home plate, Olson raced home with the go-ahead run.

The lead didn’t last long, as La Crosse got a triple and RBI single to tie the game in the bottom of the inning and then won the game on a bases-loaded walk.

Superior had five hits, two by Olson, a double by McDonald and singles by Ramage and Dan Kriedler.

Dembroski was the tough-luck losing pitcher, allowing nine hits with four strikeouts and five walks.

After La Crosse scored single runs in the second and third innings, Superior plated runs in the fourth and sixth frames.

Koskie walked with two outs in the fourth and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

Schiff then walked in the sixth and later scored when La Crosse threw the ball into left field attempting to pick him off third base.

Blues 10, Hudson 2

Ramage was the Blues’ winning pitcher Thursday, allowing just two hits in six innings. McDonald helped out by pitching the sixth inning.

After Hudson scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning and Superior stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the first, the Blues scored three runs on two outs in the second inning.

Kriedler started the rally with a two-out single. He scored on Dembroski’s single, while Meehan was hit by a pitch and scored on a wild pitch, and Dembroski scored on a Ramage single.

Ramage finished 3-for-3 with Dembroski adding a hit and two RBIs.

BLUES BITS: The Blues were coached by Jamie Ross and Ryan Hendry. … Rounding out the Blues’ roster were Marty Manion, Zach Magdzas and Nate Hals.

Junior American Legion Regional

At Eau Claire

Thursday, July 16

Superior 10, Hudson 2

Chippewa Falls def. River Falls

La Crosse Central 4, Eau Claire 2

Friday, July 17

Chippewa Falls 11, Altoona 6

Eau Claire 13, Hudson 1

La Crosse Central 4, Superior 3

Eau Claire 17, River Falls 7

Saturday, July 18

Altoona 10, Superior 4

Chippewa Falls 8, La Crosse Central 2

Eau Claire 10, La Crosse Central 3

Chippewa Falls 4, Altoona 3

Sunday, July 19

Championship Games

Eau Claire 14, Chippewa Falls 2

Eau Claire 7, Chippewa Falls 3

Eau Claire advances to Wisconsin 17U State Tournament in Marinette beginning July 24.

Tags: sports, superior, baseball