The Verona baseball team proved up to the challenge, earning a split in two games against Vel Phillips Memorial, ranked 12th in the preseason Wisconsin Prep Baseball Report’s Power 25.

Verona (1-2, 1-1 Big Eight) slid by Memorial 4-3 on Friday, April 10, at Stampfl Field. That came on the heels of a 1-0 loss to the Spartans in a pitchers’ duel in the season opener on Thursday, April 9, at Mansfield Stadium.

The Wildcats then lost a nail-biter to ninth-ranked Milton 4-3 on Saturday, April 11, at Milton High School. Will Scharenbroch got off to a hot start with six hits in the first three games.

Milton 4, Verona 3 (8 inn.)

Milton’s Jake Cummins delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel the Red Hawks over the Wildcats on April 11, in Milton.

Scharenbroch went 4-for-4 with one RBI. He had a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh to give the Wildcats a 3-2 lead. Verona junior Oliver Heckelsmiller went 3-for-5 at the plate and Jaxon Wepking finished 2-for-4 with one run scored.

The Wildcats used a trio of pitchers. JJ Rufer pitched 1 â…“ innings and took the loss, after giving up one earned run on one hit, while striking out two and walking two. Cooper STier started on the mound, and surrendered two earned runs on five hits. He struck out three and walked one. Griffin Kilcoyne tossed 3 â…“ innings in relief and gave up one earned run on one hit, while striking out two and walking two.

Verona 4, Vel Phillips Memorial 3

Scharenbroch went 2-for-3 with two RBIs to lift the Wildcats to a win over Vel Phillips Memorial on April 9, at Stampfl Field.

Verona took an early lead on senior Peyton DiMaggio’s RBI single in the first. DiMaggio went 2-for-3 at the plate. Caden Martin went 2-for-2 with one RBI.

Martin pitched 4 ⅔ innings and gave up one earned run on five hits to earn the win. He struck out five and didn’t issue a walk.

Vel Phillips Memorial 1, Verona 0

Verona senior Landon Lassahn and Vel Phillips Memorial senior Brayden Banyai were locked in a pitcher’s duel in the season opener on Thursday, April 9, at Mansfield Stadium in Madison.

Memorial scored on an error to tip Verona 1-0. Lassahn pitched five shutout innings and struck out seven and walked two. Banyai for the Spartans tossed five shutout innings and struck out six. He limited Verona to three hits – singles by Ben Erdman, DiMaggio and Caden Martin.