Columbus Catholic baseball knocks off Spencer

MARSHFIELD – Bryce Fuerlinger drove in four runs and Marshfield Columbus Catholic used 14 walks from Spencer pitching to down the Rockets 17-8 in a Cloverbelt Conference East Division baseball game Thursday at Jack Hackman Field.

Columbus trailed 5-2 and 7-4 before pulling ahead for good with four runs in the third inning and six more in the fourth.

Spencer is now 7-3 overall and 7-2 in the Cloverbelt East, while Columbus Catholic improves to 2-5 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

The Dons scored in all six of their at-bats as they took advantage of 14 walks and three errors by Spencer.

Fuerlinger went 2-for-6 with four RBIs, Jaden Nienast drove in a pair with a triple, Will Schlafke added three RBIs, and Jarred Mandel had two RBIs for the Dons.

Fuerlinger also earned the win for Columbus, allowing one run in a 3 2/3 innings of relief.

Chase Higgins was 4-for-5, and Carson Hildebrandt and Austin Bacon each had two RBIs for Spencer.

Spencer hosts Neillsville and Columbus Catholic is at Gilman on Friday.

Dons 17, Rockets 8
Spencer 142 100 0 – 8 11 3
Columbus Catholic 224 612 x – 17 9 4
WP: Bryce Fuerlinger. LP: Tanner Kleinschmidt.
SO: Austin Bacon (2 2/3 inn.) 1, Kleinschmidt (3 inn.) 2, Carson Hildebrandt (1/3 inn.) 0; Will Schlafke (3 inn.) 2, Fuerlinger (3 2/3 inn.) 5, Will Boyer (1/3 inn.) 0. BB: Bacon 7, Kleinschmidt 6, Hildebrandt 1; Schlafke 3, Fuerlinger 5, Boyer 1.
Top hitters: S, Bacon 2 RBIs; Chase Higgins 4×5; Hildebrandt 2 RBIs; Kyler Bainer 2×4; Dom Post 2×4, 2 runs; Darron Willcome 2 runs. CC, Fuerlinger 2×6, 2 runs, 4 RBIs; Jarred Mandel 1×3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Jaden Nienast 3B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Schlafke 3 RBIs; Brock Bennington 2 runs; Sam Wilczek 2 runs.
Records: Spencer 7-3, 7-2 Cloverbelt Conference East Division; Columbus Catholic 2-5, 2-4 Cloverbelt East.