MONTAGUE — Tuesday’s doubleheader against Oakridge was a tale of two very different games—and two very different Montague teams.
In the opener, the Wildcats were on the ropes early and never quite recovered. Oakridge came out swinging and never let up, dealing Montague a 12-3 loss in what was easily one of the more lopsided showings the Wildcats have seen this season. The Eagles scored in five of seven innings, racked up 13 hits, and looked like a team fighting to stay in the title race—because they were.
Montague, meanwhile, struggled to find momentum. A two-hit, two-RBI performance from Ryver Jarka and a triple from Eli Petersen were lone bright spots in a game that slipped away quickly. Bryton Belinger struck out eight over 6.1 innings, but Oakridge chipped away constantly, with Michael Wambaugh leading the charge on both sides—striking out 13 and holding the Wildcats to just one earned run.
But Montague wasn’t going to let one bad game define their night—or their season.
Montague took control early in game two, hanging a four-spot in the bottom of the first thanks to a mix of aggressive baserunning, smart situational hitting, and a couple defensive miscues from the Eagles. Eli Petersen laced a two-run single to spark the rally, Fletcher Thommen added an RBI knock, and by the time the first inning ended, Montague had the lead it needed.
From there, it was all about hanging on, Petersen would make sure that they did.
The junior righty settled in and delivered a gutsy performance on the mound, scattering six hits across 6.2 innings, striking out nine, walking none, and stranding Oakridge threats inning after inning. He got stronger as the game went on and leaned on a defense that tightened up considerably after game one’s miscues.
Jack Degan reached base twice and swiped two bags, Bryton Belinger doubled and scored, and the bottom of the order played clean baseball to help Petersen finish what the offense started.
Oakridge made it interesting in the first, answering back with three runs of their own, including a two-RBI hit from Chase Dutton, but that’s where their offense stalled. Petersen bore down, the Wildcats cleaned up their execution, and the 4-3 lead held firm through the final pitch.
It’s a familiar spot for Montague, who has now found themselves in the WMC Lakes title picture three years running. Since the conference restructured into two divisions in 2022, the Wildcats split the crown with Oakridge in 2023, watched the Eagles win it outright in 2024, and now—with Tuesday’s bounce-back win—have a chance to finish the job on their own terms against a 4-18 Orchard View squad next week.
Oakridge Notable Performances – Game One
- Batting:
- Chase Dutton: 3 Hits, 2 RBIs
- Zac Cribbens: 2 Hits, 2 RBIs
- Evan Miller: 2 Hits, 2 RBIs, 1 Double, 1 Triple
- Pitching:
- Michael Wambaugh (W): 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 13 K, 0 BB
Montague Notable Performances – Game One
- Batting:
- Ryver Jarka: 2 Hits, 1 HR, 2 RBI
- Eli Petersen: 1 Hit, 1 RBI, 1 Triple
- Bryton Belinger: 1 Hit, 1 Run
- Pitching:
• Bryton Belinger (L): 6.1 IP, 11 H, 12 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 8 K’s
Oakridge Notable Performances – Game One
- Batting:
- Chase Dutton: 1 Hit, 2 RBIs
- Dylan Cunningham: 1 RBI
- Michael Wambaugh: 1 Hit, 1 Run
- Pitching:
- Landon Southard (L): 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 7 K, 3 BB
Montague Notable Performances – Game Two
- Batting:
- Fletcher Thommen: 1 Hit, 1 RBI
- Cole Herremans: 1 Hit
- Jack Degan: 1 Run, 1 BB
- Pitching:
• Eli Petersen (W): 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 9 K’s
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