For the first time this fall, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes are above the .500 mark.
The Shoes got to that point by sweeping a doubleheader Thursday from Altamont, improving their record to 9-8 on the season.
T-Town got a walk-off 3-2 win in the opener and then completed the sweep with a 4-1 win in the nightcap. Altamont dipped to 10-6.
In the opener, the game was knotted at 2-2 when the Shoes came to bat in the bottom of the seventh. An error started the at-bat, but the runner was still at first base with two outs when Mitch Althoff singled.
Then after not receiving a walk the entire game, Kayden Althoff coaxed a walk and Konkel followed with another, literally giving the Shoes a “walk-off” win.
The game was close throughout.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the third. Dillan Elam got a lead-off double, stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Stuemke.
The Shoes responded by scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning. Sam Bushur lined a one-out double. Then with two outs, Kayden Althoff singled to drive in Bushur. Althoff stole second and scored on an RBI single by Derek Konkel.
Altamont tied the game in the fourth. Jared Hammer led off with a base hit and later scored on a single by Elam.
Konkel pitched a complete game for THS and got the win. He allowed seven hits and two runs. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter. Tyler Robbins took the loss for Altamont. He also went all the way, allowing five hits and three runs, while striking out two and walking those final two batters.
In the nightcap, Teutopolis scored single tallies in the fourth, fifth and sixth to break a 1-1 tie.
The Shoes grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second. Logan Roepke and Joey Ruholl both walked and Luke Koester singled to load the bases. With two outs, Bushur drew a walk to force in the run.
Altamont tied the game in the third. With two outs, Mason Robinson doubled to right, went to third on a base hit by Robbins and scored on an error.
The Shoes scored the go-ahead run in the fourth on a wild pitch, Koester added an RBI single in the fifth and an error accounted for the tally in the sixth.
Ben Goeckner, the second of three pitchers for T-Town, got the win. He relieved Cade Buehnerkemper in the third. He gave up four hits and a run in 2.2 innings of work. Caleb Siemer pitched the final two innings to record the save. Hammer took the loss for Altamont.
The Shoes have now won six of their last seven games. They will be back in action today (Friday) at St. Anthony.