Beilfuss’ gem guides Bonduel past Clintonville

Bonduel’s Noah Beilfuss’ night on the mound started and ended by striking out the side, and he was able to avoid trouble in the other five innings during the team’s 4-1 win over Clintonville on Thursday in Bonduel.

Beilfuss finished the game with 12 strikeouts, surrendering just five hits and an unearned run. Of Beilfuss’ 12 punchouts, five were looking, including all three of the Ks in the opening inning.

“My approach was just to keep mixing it up — keep them off balance and guessing. Work the zone and throw hard,” said Beilfuss. “Listen to Garrett (Engel, the team’s catcher) — we have good chemistry. He knows what I wanna throw and I know what he’s going to call, so listen to him.”

Clintonville was actually the first team to plate a run, taking advantage of a Bonduel error in the second inning.

Klay Finger reached on the error to start the inning before moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sean Finger. Matthew Morse then singled Klay Finger to third. Morse was caught stealing during the next at-bat, but Finger was able to score as the throw went to second.

Bonduel had an answer in its half of the second.

Kyle Hanus and Brett Margelofsky each singled with one out before Reece Stoltenow singled with two outs to load the bases. Logan Guenterberg then drew a walk to score Hanus and pick up a RBI.

Clintonville pitcher Brock Smejkal escaped the inning by striking out the next batter.

The game remain tied until the fourth frame, when Bonduel grabbed the lead.

Cole Anderson singled to open the inning before moving to second on Margelofsky’s second single of the contest. The inning nearly ended on a groundout, but Margelofsky avoided a tag attempt as he ran toward second, giving Stoltenow an opportunity with two runners in scoring position. Stoltenow delivered, singling to score Anderson.

Bonduel tacked on two big insurance runs in the sixth, taking advantage of Clintonville miscues.

Isaac Boldt singled to open the inning before Beilfuss reached on an error. A walk by Hanus loaded the bases with just one out.

Margelofsky recorded his third hit of the contest, singling to left field to score Boldt. Beilfuss also scored on the play after the ball was misplayed.

From there, Beilfuss put the finishing touches on the win for the hosts, striking out the side in order in the seventh.

“It feels amazing! It is a rival game so we always want to win,” said Beilfuss. “So our team was a little more hyped and on edge for this one and it feels amazing.”

Smejkal turned in a strong pitching outing of his own for Clintonville, striking out seven over six innings.

Aside from its run in the second, Clintonville had a couple other chances to scratch across runs, but couldn’t come up with a clutch hit.

Presley Rosenow made it to second after a single and Bonduel error in the third inning, but was eventually stranded at third. The visitors put two runners — Jared Cartwright and Sean Finger — on the fourth, but two groundouts ended the threat.

Braiden Behnke singled before being moved to second on a sacrifice bunt in the fifth, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning. Cartwright and Morse reached base in the sixth, but Beilfuss induced a groundout to get out of the inning.

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