Boldt’s clutch hit caps Bonduel’s win over Coleman

Isaac Boldt’s hit to the left-center gap scored Jack Johnson to give Bonduel a thrilling 8-7 win over Coleman on Wednesday in Bonduel.

“I faced him (the Coleman pitcher) a couple innings before that and he wasn’t throwing too hard. I knew it was probably a fastball coming — it was a 2-1 count, I think. I got a good look at the first (fastball) and fouled it off and then that one was dead center (down the middle) so I was able to square it up really nice,” said Boldt of his walk-off hit.

It was anything but a thrilling start to the contest for the hosts, who trailed 6-0 after just an inning-and-a-half of play.

Coleman scored three runs in each of the first two innings, with each frame beginning with a leadoff walk and being aided by subpar Bonduel defense.

The host’s demeanor changed in the bottom of the second, when Cole Anderson singled home Noah Beilfuss — who avoided a tag at the plate with a perfect slide — to put Bonduel on the scoreboard. From that point on, the chatter from the Bonduel dugout intensified, with players up against the fence cheering their teammates on.

Boldt replaced Anderson on the mound starting in the third frame and ended up working the last five innings, surrendering just one run in the fourth while striking out seven batters, including all three in the seventh.

Bonduel’s big inning came in the fourth, when the team sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs to tie the game at seven.

Isaac Banker drove in the first two runs with a line drive double, scoring Boldt and Beilfuss. Kyle Hanus followed with a RBI single, and later in the inning, Brett Margelofsky doubled him home.

Johnson followed with a RBI groundout before Logan Guenterberg capped the big frame with a RBI single.

“It obviously wasn’t the best start (to the game). We got down early but we stuck with each other, one hit at a time,” said Banker. “We just kept chipping away. We kept believing in each other and hitting the ball.”

Each team had chances to break the tie over the next two innings, but neither could deliver a hit with a runner in scoring position.

Bonduel’s seventh inning started with a Johnson walk before he moved up to second and then third on wild pitches. The next two guys in the lineup were strikeout victims, but Garrett Engel drew a two-out walk to set the stage for Boldt.

Anderson led the hosts with three hits — two singles and a double — while Beilfuss singled twice and walked in his other plate appearance. Hanus also singled twice in the contest.

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