Granite Falls in Opener Despite Out-Hitting Badgers
By GameChanger Media

Granite out-hit the Badgers 10 to 9, but couldn’t convert those hits into runs, falling 9-1 in their season opener on Sunday.

The Badgers opened the scoring in the top of the third inning with an RBI single from Jose Ojeda and never looked back. They added to their lead across the middle innings, capitalizing on free passes and timely hits.

Troy Barber earned the win for the Badgers, delivering a strong performance on the mound. He allowed just one run on eight hits over seven innings, striking out three and walking none. Brian Waldman took the loss for Granite, tossing four innings while giving up four runs (two earned) on six hits. Waldman struck out four and walked three.

Despite the loss, Granite had four players with multi-hit performances—Aaron Stella Sr., Brad Backowies, Brian Remillard, and Matt McMahon each collected two hits. Backowies drove in the team’s lone run, going 2-for-3 on the day. 

For the Badgers, Paul Knowles delivered out of the nine spot with two RBIs, while Jake Kleckner and John Beattie each recorded two hits. Mike Bernard drew two of the team’s seven walks, as the Badgers showed strong plate discipline throughout the game. 

Granite will look to bounce back next Sunday versus the Seacoast Braves after showing promising signs at the plate.

Top Granite Performers
⚾ Brad Backowies – Went 2-for-3 with Granite’s only RBI
⚾ Brian Remillard – Continued his consistent hitting, going 2-for-3
⚾ Matt McMahon – Tallied two hits and tossed a scoreless inning in relief
⚾ Aaron Stella Sr. – Collected two hits to spark the Granite offense