Hoppers suffer tough losses, still tie for second at Viroqua Tourney

By Derick Kelly

The Prairie du Chien Grasshoppers opened up last week with their first of multiple trips to Viroqua as the Hoppers faced rival Viroqua Post 138.

After a scoreless inning and a half, the hosts scored four runs in the second inning to build a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game. The Hoppers scored a single run in the fourth and seventh innings while limiting Viroqua to just one more run after the second inning but it wasn’t enough as Viroqua handed Prairie a 5-2 defeat.

Brady Lenzendorf (2-for-2 with a walk and one RBI), Jack MacEachern (1-for-3 with a double and a run scored), Carter Copsey (1-for-3), Noah Pedretti (1-for-3 with a run scored) and Bryce Lenzendorf (0-for-3 with one RBI) accounted for the Hoppers offense in the loss.

Drake Ingham started the game on the mound for the Hoppers (four runs (only one earned) allowed on six hits and three walks  with two strikeouts in three innings pitched) before Dylan Wright finished the game in relief for Prairie. Wright allowed just one run on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings pitched.

Prairie du Chien returned to Viroqua on Saturday and Sunday to participate in the annual Viroqua Legion Tournament with two games on both days.

First up for the Hoppers on Saturday was Onalaska, who also took an early lead on Prairie with a run in the second inning but the Hoppers responded with two runs of their own in the third and four more in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. The final three innings was all Onalaska as they scored one run in the fifth and five runs in both the sixth and seventh innings  while shutting down the Hoppers offense to claim a 12-6 victory. 

Hunter Jones (2-for-5 with a double, one run scored and two RBIs), Westin Marx (2-for-4 with a double), Dawson Eastman (1-for-1 with one run scored, one RBI and three walks) and Bryce Lenzendorf (1-for-4 with one run scored, one RBI and one walk) paced the Hoppers offense.

Copsey (five innings), Pedretti (two-thirds of an inning) and Nick McCullick (1.1 innings) each saw time on the mound in the loss.

The Hoppers second game of the tournament was a rematch against Viroqua with the hosts breaking a scoreless game with two runs in the fourth inning. The game would remain 2-0 in favor of Viroqua until the top of the seventh inning when the Hoppers used a rally with one out to take a 3-2 lead.

The lead would be short lived as Viroqua managed to tie the game up with a bases loaded hit-by-pitch with no outs. Wright came into the game in relief of Jones on the mound and got three quick outs to get the Hoppers to extra innings.

Prairie du Chien would score two runs in their half of the eighth inning but were unable to score runners from second and third with only one out that would have given the Hoppers a bigger cushion in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Viroqua used bases loaded and no outs in their half of the eighth to get within one run before a one-out double by Miles Frye scored two runs to give Viroqua the win.

Eastman (3-for-4 with one run scored), Ingham (2-for-4 with a double and one RBI) and Bryce Lenzendorf (1-for-4 with a double and one RBI) lead Prairie’s offense. Wright (two runs (one earned) on one hit and zero walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched) suffered the tough luck loss on the mound.

Looking to salvage their tournament with their final two games, the Hoppers opened Sunday by taking West Salem Post 51, a team that had defeated Viroqua 5-4 in eight innings Friday night.

Prairie du Chien scored twice in the bottom of the second inning to take an early 2-0 lead before West Salem cut into the Hoppers lead with a run in the top of the fourth inning. Prairie responded with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth inning to take a 5-1 lead as the Hoppers pitching kept West Salem hitting in check as PdC earned a 5-1 victory.

Copsey (2-for-2 with a double, one run scored and two RBIs), Eastman (2-for-4 with a double), Marx (1-for-3 with a double and one run scored), McCullick (1-for-2 with one run scored), Ingham (1-for-2 with two runs scored) and Jones (0-for-3 with two RBIs) all chipped in for the Hoppers offensive output in the win.

Bryce Lenzendorf pitched a complete game five-hitter to earn the win.

Prairie du Chien ended the tournament with Westby as the Hoppers looked to end the weekend with a pair of victories.

Westby scored twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick lead before PdC answered with three runs of their own in the third inning to take the lead 3-2.

The lead was short lived as Westby scored a run in the fourth to tie the game 3-3 before Prairie retook the lead with two runs in the fifth before adding an insurance run in the sixth inning. The last two Prairie runs proved to quite important as Westby used a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to load the bases. Westby got a run thanks to a bases loaded walk with two outs but Jack MacEachern came on in relief of Dylan Wright to get Westby to ground out for the final out of the game and give the Hoppers a 6-4 win.

Prairie du Chien, Onalaska and Westby each finished the  tournament 2-2. Viroqua won their own tournament with a 3-1 record while West Salem (the only team to beat them) finished last at 1-3.

The Hoppers offense pounded out 13 hits in the win with Pedretti (2-for-5 with two runs scored), Copsey (2-for-5 with a double  and two runs scored), Bryce Lenzendorf (2-for-4 with two RBIs), Eastman (2-for-3 with one walk, one run scored and one RBI), Marx (2-for-4 with a double and one RBI) and Brady Lenzendorf (2-for-4 with one RBI) all having multiple hits in the game.

Wright earned the win by limiting the Westby damage (four runs allowed on nine hits and three walks in 6.2 innings  pitched) before MacEachern retired the only batter he faced to earn the save.

The Hoppers are now 10-7 on the season. Prairie du Chien traveled to Stoddard this past Monday night to begin another busy week. Following a scheduled home doubleheader against the Bi-State Bulldogs on Thursday the Hoppers travel to Onalaska next weekend. PdC  will face Black River Falls and G-E-T on July 13 and Fennimore and Onalaska on July 14.