Senior catcher Nate Novinska and the Verona baseball team won three Big Eight Conference games to stay in second place in the league.
Verona (13-3, 10-2 Big Eight) clipped Janesville Craig 6-4 on Wednesday, May 1, at Riverside Park. The Wildcats swept a doubleheader from Janesville Parker on Tuesday, April 30, at Riverside Park. Verona beat Janesville Parker 10-4 in the first game and 11-6 in the nightcap.
Verona extended its winning streak to six straight games with an 8-5 victory over Monona Grove in a nonconference game on Monday, May 6, at Stampfl Field.
Verona 8, Monona Grove 5
Senior Owen Davis went 3-for 4 with two RBIs to lead the Wildcats over the No. 11-ranked Silver Eagles.
Verona rallied from a 4-1 deficit after the first inning. Verona stormed back with a six-run fifth. Alex Rech had a two-run single in the big inning.
The Wildcats pounded out 11 hits. Senior Jack DeTienne went 2-for-2 with one RBI and a run scored. Senior Tre Grignon finished 2-for-4. Michael Scharenbroch scored two runs and knocked in a run.
Verona sophomore Brady Patten pitched 6 ⅔ innings and gave up two earned runs on four hits to get the win. He struck out six and didn’t issue a walk. Senior Braden Rozga got the save.
Verona 6, Janesville Craig 4
Novinska went 3-for-4 with three RBIs to propel the Wildcats by the Cougars.
Verona jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first. Novinska had a two-run triple and Davis knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.
DeTienne had an RBI double in the top of the second. Grignon finished 3-for-3 at the plate with one RBI and a run scored. Patten went 2-for-4 and senior Garrison Codde scored two runs.
DeTienne pitched 5 ⅔ innings to get the win. He gave up four earned runs on nine hits, while striking out six and walking one. Rozga pitched 1 ⅓ shutout innings for the save.
Verona 11, Janesville Parker 6
Michael Scharenbroch went 3-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the Wildcats over the Vikings in the second game of a doubleheader.
Verona pounded out 13 hits. Max Jones went 3-for-3 and scored three runs. Novinska finished 2-for-3 and drove in two runs. DeTienne scored two runs and had one RBI.
The Wildcats used three pitchers. Nathan Kirwan tossed 2 ⅔ innings in relief to get the win. He gave up one earned run on one hit, while striking out eight and walking one. Sean Hornberger started on the mound and struck out two in two shutout innings.
Verona 10, Janesville Parker 4
Codde went 4-for-5 with three runs scored to Verona.
The Vikings rallied with four runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead, butVerona responded by scoring five runs in the sixth to take a 8-4 lead. The big hit in the inning came on Jones’ two-run single.
Rozga pitched 1 ⅓ shutout innings in relief to get the win.
Patten went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Grignon and Novinska each finished 2-for-4 with one RBI.
