After going up 1-0 in the first inning, the Crofton Bluejays gave up eight runs in the top of the fourth inning Sunday night, May 24 in their home South Central League opener against Lesterville.
That's when Seth Wiebelhaus stepped up to the plate and took the first pitch up and over the left centerfield fence for a solo homer to add another run for the Jays. But the home team could muster only two more runs in the game, while Lesterville stretched their lead spreading another seven runs over the next five innings to steal the win, 15-4.
Wiebelhaus had two hits for the game, including the home run, while five other Jays added hits in the losing effort. Zach Hegge, Tyler Koch, Zach Clark and Wiebelhaus all had RBIs. Five Jays pitchers gave up 11 hits to the Broncs, but struckout 15.
The loss puts the Jays at 1-3 on the season and 1-2 in the SCL, leaving them in sixth place in the league, right behind Menno at 1-1. Wynot and Irene are in the bottom of the standings, both without wins. Lesterville and the Yankton Lakers sit atop the SCL with two wins a piece.
After starting the season with a non-league loss to Dimock-Emery on May 3, the Jays beat the Freeman Blacksox on the road, 14-9 on May 14. They followed with another road loss to Menno, 12-6 on May 21.
In the Freeman game, Austin Gobel went 4-5 in the batter's box, including a seventh inning double to lead the way on offense. The scoring got going for the Jays in the first inning when James Kaiser was hit by a pitch, scoring Gobel. Colton Schieffer scored on a wild pitch from third, and Tyler Koch took third. That's when Braxton Foxhoven doubled to right field, scoring Koch and Kaiser, giving the Jays the lead at 4-0. Later in the inning, Andy Knapp hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Foxhoven.
Freeman would score a run in the bottom of the first, and would scatter nine runs over nine innings, including three runs in the bottom of the ninth. But the Jays added another five runs in the top of the fourth inning and four runs in the top of the ninth to get the 14-9 win. Brayden Hegge pitched seven innings in the outing, allowing eight hits, striking out three and only offering one walk. Ben Hegge pitched cleanup for two innings, striking out three to close out the game.