Rogowski strikes out 10 as Union Grove breaks through late to beat Waterford 6-1
Union Grove finally found its breakthrough in the eighth inning, then rode a dominant start from Jude Rogowski to a 6-1 victory over Waterford in a Southern Lakes Conference game Tuesday at Union Grove High School.
For most of the afternoon, runs were hard to come by. Rogowski made sure that was not a problem for the Broncos on the other side. The right-hander struck out 10, allowed three hits and one run over seven and two-thirds innings, and walked one as Union Grove stayed in position until its offense erupted late. Reisenauer came on in relief to finish it off after Rogowski carried the bulk of the work.
The decisive sequence came in the top of the eighth. Cooper Dye started the rally with a run-scoring double, Weist followed with an RBI single, and another run crossed on a Waterford error. Union Grove then delivered the biggest swing of the day when Schmitz doubled home three runs, turning a tight game into a five-run cushion. The Broncos did their damage quickly after being held scoreless through the first seven innings.
Schmitz finished 2-for-4 and drove in a team-high three runs, while Tucker Katterhagen also collected two hits. Batting back-to-back in the lineup, Katterhagen and Schmitz provided much of Union Grove’s offensive pressure. Dye and Weist each delivered key hits in the eighth as the Broncos capitalized on the inning that changed the game.
Waterford received a strong start from Read, who worked four and two-thirds scoreless innings, striking out six and walking four. Reliever Veit took the loss after going two and two-thirds innings and allowing four runs, one earned, on three hits with three strikeouts. At the plate, Thoen, Butler, Sturma and Thoen were each credited with one hit for Waterford, and Thoen drove in the Wolverines’ lone run. Union Grove also helped preserve the lead defensively by turning a double play.
The Broncos will see Waterford again Friday, May 15, 2026, at Union Grove for a 4:00 PM CDT rematch.
