By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Aside from one game last week, the Elkhorn Area High School baseball team is playing competitive baseball.
Now the squad just needs to string together some wins and have something to show for its improved play.
The Elks slipped to 0-8 on the season after losing both games of a doubleheader April 18 at home to Racine Horlick. Elkhorn lost the first game 14-7 and the second game 15-5.
Elkhorn lost two games last week to Southern Lakes Conference foe Lake Geneva Badger. The Elks lost 5-0 April 16 at home and 5-2 April 14 at Lake Geneva.
The Elks (0-8, 0-4 SLC) played Tuesday at Wilmot (1-6, 1-2 SLC), and play Wilmot again today at home.
“We’re not getting the result we want, but were starting to do things better,” Elks coach Jon Anzalone said. “We seem to be hitting the ball harder.”
Anzalone said opponents are commenting that the Elks are staying aggressive at the plate and playing well in the field.
The Elks trailed Horlick 8-5 after scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Horlick (5-0) scored seven in the bottom of the fifth and put the game out of reach.
Brandon Komar finished with two hits for Elkhorn.
In the first game against Horlick, Elkhorn trailed 5-4 before Horlick scored five runs in the fourth. The Rebels added another two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings.
Lucas Harding finished with three hits for Elkhorn, and Komar and Joe Konopski each added two. Dylan Linhart drove in two runs.
Badger no-hit the Elks on April 16. Lake Geneva (3-2, 3-0 SLC) scored four runs in the third inning of the April 14 meeting and ended a 0-0 tie.
Konopski finished with three hits, and Riley Reed and Matt Schnitzler each drove in a run.
“Against Lake Geneva, we didn’t give up that really big inning,” Anzalone said. “It was a couple of hits there and there. We need to have some shut-down innings.”
After facing Wilmot the Elks play host to non-conference opponent Fort Atkinson Friday. Fort started the week at 0-8, and played Oregon Tuesday and DeForest Thursday.
“One thing about these kids,” Anzalone said. “They don’t like the outcome, but they’ve never faltered, as far as consistent effort, and they come to practice and they work hard. They play hard, from the first inning to the last inning. I’m pretty impressed with that.”
