Hudson Junior High Baseball Continues Impressive Run

by Wayne Haskovec Week five of the junior high baseball season is officially in the books. The Pirates’ combined record currently stands at 11-2. The 8th grade squad sits at 6-1, while the 7th grade squad sits at 5-1. The 8th grade team entered Friday of last week carrying a 17-game winning streak dating back to last season. While that winning streak eventually came to an end, the Pirates continued to compete and battle throughout the week. 

Before getting into the specifics, I wanted to give a couple of shoutouts to a few individuals who have helped us this season. A big thank you goes out to Alex Coulson for coming out and helping us at practice one night, as well as to Grant Beach for assisting me as a first base coach earlier this season. Chad Bergmeier will also be helping our junior high team by stepping in as our first base coach for a few games this week. Coach Holden and I really appreciate the individuals who are willing to step up and support the junior high squad. 

We thought the rain would eventually stop wreaking havoc on our schedule, but last Monday’s game at Sumner-Fredericksburg became our fourth rained-out doubleheader of the season. With 16 doubleheaders scheduled, however, we were still able to get three completed during the week. The Pirates now look to finish the final stretch of the schedule with five doubleheaders in six days. 
With the rain eventually giving way to beautiful weather, the Pirates managed to sweep Columbus and split with both Denver and Grundy Center. 

7th Grade 
Hudson 12, Columbus 6 Hudson 1, Denver 6 Hudson 5, Grundy Center 0 

8th Grade 
Hudson 10, Columbus 2 Hudson 10, Denver 2 Hudson 1, Grundy Center 9 
Pitching duties were handled by the following 7th and 8th graders: Jace Rhoades, Myles Jensen, Brady Strouth, Edward Richard, Jace Kuker, Rocco Thompson, Cole Curley, Sebastian Perez, Lukah Bergmeier, and Knox Griffin. Behind the plate, we have relied on Josh Culham and Reed Reams for most of the innings in the 8th and 7th grade games, respectively. Also getting a few reps behind the plate were 8th grader Myles Jensen and 7th grader Cooper Warnell. 

Although there were no home runs this week, the Pirates continued to push the ball around on a consistent basis. Multiple hits on the week for the 8th grade included Beckett Hansen,  Jace Rhoades, Josh Culham, Davis Germaine, Brady Strouth, and Isaac Peterson. For the 7th grade, several players also contributed key hits throughout the week, including Reed Reams, Knox Griffin, Rocco Thompson, Sebastian Perez, Edward Richard, Lukah Bergmeier, Cael Backes, and Jace Kuker. 
One thing that sometimes goes unnoticed is the aggressive tone the Pirates continue to set on the basepaths. The Pirates are averaging six stolen bases per game. Whether it is a delayed steal or a hit-and-run, the Pirates continue to put pressure on their opponents and put themselves in scoring position. 

Some of the key defensive moments of the week came from outstanding highlight-reel plays by Liam Newkirk and Kevin Hayes. Against Grundy Center, Liam Newkirk made a catch that required him to stretch out and put his glove in the grass for the out in a pivotal moment. Kevin Hayes helped seal the victory over Denver with a big-time catch in right field that turned into a double play after his throw to first base caught the runner between second and first. 

Brock Gunnarson, Brayden King, Kinnick Annis, Liam Ball, Dylan Rhymer, and Gavin Kliegl have also stepped up and taken on multiple defensive positions as we adjust around our pitching staff. Every one of these young men has contributed to the team both offensively and defensively. 

Our squad heads into the final full week of games this week. The Pirates will be on the road at Dike-New Hartford and Janesville before coming back home to host Columbus and Dunkerton. 

It has been a fun group of kids to work with, and we are excited to see how they finish the season. Come on out and support the Pirates!