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Hoppers snap losing streak with wins over Gays Mills and Sparta
Carter Copsey fields ground ball vs Gays Mills
Hoppers pitcher Carter Copsey comes off the mound to field his position on a ball bounced back to him during the first game of PdC’s doubleheader against Gays Mills last week. - photo by Derick Kelly

Following a tough weekend at the Viroqua Tournament, the Prairie du Chien Grasshoppers traveled to North Crawford last Monday, July 6 for a doubleheader against the Gays Mills Grizzlies.

Game one was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Gays Mills managed to take a 4-0 lead. The Hoppers would cut into that lead with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning but that was all PdC would get as the Grizzlies held on for the 4 to 2 win.

Carter Copsey started on the mound for the Hoppers and took the pitching loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. Offensively, the Hoppers were led by Alan Hernandez’s 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Hernandez also had an RBI in the game. Westin Marx (1-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI) had a double in the game, PdC’s only extra-base hit of game one.

The second game was all Prairie du Chien as the Hoppers scored three runs in the top of the second inning, three more runs in the top of the third inning and six times in the top of the fourth inning as they defeated the Grizzlies by the score of 12 to 0 in five innings to snap their five-game losing streak.

Starting pitcher Brady Lenzendorf got the win for the Hoppers, allowing zero runs on just two hits and one walk with one strikeout in 5.0 innings pitched. The Hoppers collected 11 hits as a team in the win, including multi-hit games by Bryce Lenzendorf (2-for-4), Blake Reynolds (3-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two runs scored and one RBI) and Jacob Mara (2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI). Draven Moris (1-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs) added a double in the win for PdC.

PdC wrapped up the week last Thursday, July 9 with a home contest against Sparta Post 100. A six-run bottom of the first inning by the Hoppers offense gave pitchers Hernandez and Carter Tonne plenty of support to work with on the mound as PdC went on to add one run in the third inning, two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings and one final run in the sixth inning as the Hoppers earned a 12-4 victory.

Hernandez (two runs allowed (both unearned) on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched) got the win, while Tonne (two runs allowed on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2.2) got the final eight outs on the mound.

The Prairie du Chien offense broke out for 12 runs on 16 hits. Five different players had multiple hits in the game including Bryce Lenzendorf (4-for-4 with one run scored and three RBIs), Copsey (3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and two RBIs), Cael Koenig (2-for-5 with two runs scored and one RBI), Reynolds (2-for-5 with two runs scored) and Brady Lenzendorf (3-for-3 with a double and three runs scored). Marx and Jack Simmons also each doubled in the win.

Prairie du Chien (6-7) began this week with another road doubleheader this past Monday at Westby/Coon Valley before traveling to Stoddard tomorrow night for a single game starting at 6:00 p.m. The Hoppers then conclude the regular season with a home doubleheader against Viroqua this Sunday, July 19 starting at noon and a home doubleheader against Fennimore next Monday, July 20 at 5 p.m.