TOLEDO — The Toledo Riverhawks’ unconventional offensive tsunami to start the 2025 season continued into their Central 2B League opener Friday against Onalaska in a five-inning 14-1 rout.
That brings their run total to 31 in just eight innings of action. Toledo only needed 12 hits to do so.
“We’ve been pretty patient at the plate. We’re seeing a lot of walks,” Toledo head coach Mack Gaul said. “We’re not being overly aggressive and swinging at their junk. We’re going to be aggressive on the bases this year and get runs in.”
Onalaska gave Toledo plenty of help with its disciplined approach at the plate. Loggers starter Desean Stewert had a first inning to forget in his season debut, walking four batters and giving up five runs on two hits. Two runs scored on a fly ball to right ball that dropped between two fielders, and all five first-inning runs came with two outs.
The second inning was more of the same, as the Riverhawks scored four runs without a hit; two came from errors and two came on wild pitches. Toledo led 9-0 heading to the third inning.
“We’ve got a lot to work on. A lot of little mistakes. We can’t get out of an inning,” Onalaska head coach Weylin Womack said. “We look good in the beginning of an inning and then give up a few at the end.”
Toledo tacked on five more runs in the third inning, including two off of an infield error and two from balks by reliever Jaxon Dhone. Onalaska pitchers were responsible for at least four balks Friday afternoon.
“We got close to setting the state record in balks,” Womack joked.
Freshman right fielder Brady Weeks continued his torrid start to his career at the plate with two hits, three runs and a walk against Onalaska in three plate appearances. He opened the season with two doubles, two RBI and a walk in his debut against Raymond-South Bend on Wednesday in a 17-2 Riverhawks win.
“He’s exactly what we expected out of him. That’s why I put him in the three hole as a freshman right away,” Gaul said of Weeks. “We’ve got a lot of trust in him, and he’s a pretty good ball player.”
Starting pitcher Ryker Sorenson impressed on the mound in three hitless innings of work, striking out four and walking one batter. Not a single pitch left the outfield as every out was recorded either via strikeout or an infielder.
“Just nails,” Gaul said of his senior pitcher. “I know exactly what he’s gonna give me. He doesn’t throw the ball extremely hard, but he’s gonna throw me strikes and pitch to contact. More times than not, they’re gonna have weak contact.
The Riverhawks (2-0, 1-0 C2BL) and the Loggers (0-1, 0-1 C2BL) will meet again in Onalaska Monday at 3 p.m. Before the rematch, Toledo will host Kalama Saturday at noon for a non-league contest.
