Massive Second Inning Propels Litchfield Past Althoff Catholic 13-0

The Litchfield varsity baseball team used a massive 10-run second inning and a combined three-hit shutout to defeat Althoff Catholic 13-0 in a five-inning, non-conference matchup on Thursday.

Litchfield set the tone early, pushing two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning before completely breaking the game open in the second. Capitalizing on Althoff Catholic’s defensive miscues, the hosts erupted for 10 runs in the frame. Colton Stearns started on the mound for the Crusaders and suffered the loss, surrendering 12 runs over 1.2 innings. However, only two of those runs were earned, as a pair of crucial errors prolonged the inning and punished the Althoff Catholic defense. Stearns struck out three but allowed eight hits, including a home run.

Lucas Jacquot provided solid relief out of the bullpen for the Crusaders, pitching two innings and allowing just one earned run on one hit while striking out three. Aden Quinn recorded the final out of the fourth inning for Althoff Catholic, but the early deficit proved insurmountable.

Offensively, Althoff Catholic struggled to generate any momentum against a highly efficient Litchfield pitching staff. The Crusaders managed just three scattered hits in the shutout. Evan Williamson, Robbie Smith, and Brock Nordstrom each tallied a single, while Tyler Birdsong showed a good eye at the plate by drawing a pair of walks. Ultimately, the Crusaders stranded six runners on base.

Litchfield tacked on its final run in the bottom of the third to finalize the 13-0 run-rule victory, cleanly protecting its home field and stifling the visitors from start to finish.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives

• First Inning:

  • Litchfield opens the scoring with 2 runs.

• Second Inning:

  • Litchfield erupts for 10 runs, heavily aided by defensive errors, to extend the lead to 12-0.

• Third Inning:

  • Litchfield tacks on 1 additional run to cap the scoring.