Awesome Blossoms edge out J/W/P

Published 8:27 pm Tuesday, May 18, 2010

BLOOMING PRAIRE — The Awesome Blossoms kept their cool in an 8-7 win over Janesville/Waldorf/Pemberton’s baseball team in BP Tuesday.

BP (10-7 overall) trailed 7-6 after five innings and Jeff Doerhoefer knocked in the go-ahead run with a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth.

“I was just looking for a pitch to hit and to drive it somewhere,” said Doerhoefer, who had five RBIs on the day. “It was nice to have a comeback and play good enough to beat them, although it wasn’t our best.”

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J/W/P (3-10 overall) had the game-tying run on second with one out in the bottom of the seventh and BP relief pitcher Aaron Krejci responded by striking out Joe Galler, who had a double and a triple, and getting Sawyer Galler out on strikes.

Krejci used an off-speed pitch to get Galler on a swinging third strike.

“I knew I just had to throw strikes and I wasn’t too worried about it (with a runner on second),” Krejci said. “Me and (BP catcher) Justen (Ingvalson) are always on the same page and we always know what to do. Off-speed is always good for me and it was good to use that there.”

BP head coach Chris Staloch said the team always has faith in Krejci, who came in during the fifth inning, on the mound.

“When the game’s on the line, the ball’s going to be in his hands,” Staloch said.

BP jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first when Zach Herdina doubled in a run and Doerhoefer knocked in two runs with a bases loaded single, but BP left runners on second and third.

BP starter Isiah Toquam walked four and hit a batter in the second inning, that saw the Bulldogs score twice .

“I told Isiah, when you’re on the mound and things aren’t going right, you still have to act like things are going right and you have to have that look in your eye that you’re going to get it done,” Staloch said. “He’s a young guy and he did a good job of battling. He’ll do a good job next time.”

J/W/P surged to a 5-3 lead in the top of the third and BP sophomore Ryan McCabe tied it up with a two-out, two run single up the middle in the third inning.

J/W/P 0 2 3 0 2 0 0 — 7 8 1

BP 3 0 2 1 0 2 X — 8 9 1

BP pitching: Isiah Toquam, 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 BB, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 K, HBP; Aaron Krejci, 2 1/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K

BP hitting: Justen Ingvalson, 1-for-4, double, R; Zach Herdina, 2-for-2, double, RBI, 2 R, BB, HBP; Cooper Nelson, 2-for-3, 3 R, 3 SB; Jeff Doerhoefer, 2-for-4, 5 RBIs; Luc Zellmer, 1-for-3, R, BB; Luke Hueman, 0-for-2, 2 BBs, R, SB; Toquam, 0-for-3, BB; Ryan McCabe, 1-for-2, 2 RBIs, BB