BEMUS POINT - The Maple Grove Red Dragons and the Randolph Cardinals renewed their rivalry on Thursday.
No, the calendar didn't read October or November and the game wasn't on the Dutch Hollow Road.
It just seemed like it.
Article Photos
Matt Fowler of Maple Grove delivers a pitch to a Randolph batter during his complete-game win on Thursday. See additional photos at cu.post-journal.om.
P-J photo by Scott Kindberg
With temperatures dipping toward freezing, senior Matt Fowler braved the frigid conditions to pitch the Red Dragons to a 13-0 season-opening non-league baseball victory over Randolph.
The right-hander scattered six hits, struck out eight and walked two in his complete-game performance. Meanwhile, Maple Grove scored at least two runs in each of its final four at-bats and heads into the spring break feeling pretty good about itself.
Fowler, Jake Swan and Aaron Germain each had two hits, and Collin Stack, Will Lucas, Fowler and Jeff Tampe all scored a pair of runs. Interestingly enough, the Red Dragons didn't have an extra-base hit, but they didn't need to rely on power to run their record to 1-0.
After leaving the bases loaded with no outs and having nothing to show for it in the second inning, Maple Grove plated three runs in the third, three in the fourth, two in the fifth and five in the sixth.
Randolph starter Nate Gross took the loss after working four innings and surrendering six runs. Hayden Senn finished the game.
Rambacher didn't need to go to the bullpen for relief of Fowler, who didn't allow a runner into scoring position until Randolph put runners and second and third bases in the sixth and seventh. Both times, he worked out of the jam to preserve the shutout.
The Cardinals were coming off an 8-7 victory over Pine Valley on Tuesday, but weren't able to duplicate that effort against the Red Dragons. Ryan Styles led Randolph with two hits.