It was a busy week for the Seneca Baseball team last week with four games in five days. First up for the Royals was a trip to La Farge last Monday, May 4.
The Royals earned a 19-4 win over the Wildcats in five innings despite trailing 2-1 after the first inning. Seneca’s offense really got rolling in the third inning with six runs and in the fourth inning with nine more runs before adding three final runs in the top of the fifth inning. The hosts scored twice in the bottom of the fourth but it was not enough to overcome the Royals’ offensive explosion.
Preston Kuhnke started on the mound and earned the win for the Royals, allowing two runs on one hit and three walks with six strikeouts in 3.0 innings pitched. He was relieved by Hunter Hagensick (two runs allowed on one hit and three walks with one strikeout in 1.0 inning pitched) and Kaden Roberts (zero runs allowed on zero hits and zero walks with three strikeouts in 1.0 inning pitched).
Seneca’s offense dominated the Wildcat pitching to the tune of 19 runs on 19 hits. Of those 19 hits, an incredible 10 of them went for extra bases. Four different Royals had multiple hits in the win, including Gage Wall (3-for-5 with a double and a triple, three runs scored and three RBIs), Jackson Konichek (3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs scored and four RBIs), Sawyer Swiggum (3-for-3 with a walks, two runs scored and three RBIs) and Kuhnke (3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs).
Other Royal hitters with hits in the game included Roberts (1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored), Cole Swiggum (1-for-1 with a double), Hagensick (1-for-4 with a double, two walks and three RBIs), Anthony Caya (1-for-1 with one run scored), Sam Gallagher (1-for-2 with one walk, two runs scored and one RBI), Dakota Owens (1-for-1 with a double and one run scored), and Jax Wall (1-for-2 with a triple, walk, one run scored and one RBI).
The Royals traveled to Patch Grove the following afternoon to take on River Ridge and the host Timberwolves defeated Seneca by the final score of 10 to 5. The hosts scored four runs in the bottom of the first and three more in the bottom of the second inning to go up 7-0 on the Royals after two innings. Seneca would outscore the T-Wolves 5-3 during the last five innings but it was not enough to overcome the first two innings.
Jax Wall started on the mound for the Royals, allowing seven runs (four earned) on nine hits and zero walks with one strikeout in 1.2 innings pitched to earn the loss. Taking the mound in relief of J. Wall included Hayden Alvarado (two runs allowed on one hit and three walks in 1.0 inning pitched), Konichek (one run allowed on two hits and zero walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings pitched) and G. Wall (zero runs allowed on one hit and zero walks with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched).
Seneca’s offense had nine hits in the loss, including multi-hit games by G. Wall (2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs), Gallagher (2-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI) and J. Wall (2-for-3 with one run scored and one RBI). Hagensick (1-for-4), Kuhnke (1-for-3 with one run scored) and Alvarado (1-for-2 with one run scored) had the other three hits in the game for the Royals.
The Royals were back at home and in conference play two days later when they hosted the De Soto Pirates. Seneca scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning that proved to be the difference as they held on to win 5-2. The Pirates made it a one-run game in the fifth inning with two runs but the Royals answered with two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the final score of 5 to 2.
Gallagher (two runs allowed on six hits and three walks with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched) started on the mound for Seneca before being relieved by Konichek (zero runs allowed on one hit and zero walks with two strikeouts in 1.0 inning pitched). The offense had eight hits in the win, including multiple hit games by G. Wall (2-for-4 with one run scored) and S. Swiggum (2-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs). J. Wall (1-for-2 with two runs scored), Konichek (1-for-2 with one walk, two runs scored and one RBI), Kuhnke (1-for-2) and Basil Hall (1-for-1).
Seneca ended the week with a non-conference game at Coulee Conference contender Viroqua last Friday evening. The Blackhawks took an early 3-0 lead after two innings before the Royals scored twice in the top of the third inning to make it a one-run game. Viroqua answered immediately with one run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-2. Seneca would add another run in the fifth inning to once again get within one of Viroqua. The Blackhawks would add two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make the score 6-3. The Royals would get one run in the top of the seventh inning but would not get any closer as Viroqua would hold on for the 6-4 victory.
Konichek (three runs allowed (two earned) on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts in 2.0 innings pitched suffered the pitching loss for Seneca, while Roberts (three runs allowed (all unearned) on three hits and zero walks with two strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched) finished the game on the mound for the Royals.
The Royals had eight hits as a team in the loss, with J. Wall (2-for-4 with one run scored) being the only Seneca batter with multiple hits in the game. G. Wall (1-for-4 with two runs scored), Konichek (1-for-2 with two walks and one RBI), S. Swiggum (1-for-4 with three RBIs), Kuhnke (1-for-3), Hagensick (1-for-3 with a double) and Gallagher (1-for-3 with one run scored) rounded out the Royals offense in the loss.
Seneca dropped to 9-4 overall with the two non-conference losses while improving to 7-1 in the Ridge & Valley Conference with the two conference victories. This week is another busy one for the Royals schedule wise with four games in five days again.
Seneca was at home to start the week as they hosted Wauzeka-Steuben and Royall this past Monday night and last night respectively before traveling to Ithaca tomorrow afternoon and Wauzeka on Friday.
