Waterloo outfielder Max Jennings makes a sliding attempt at a fly ball on Saturday. For more photos of the county tourney, visit www.republictimes.net/photo-store.

The Waterloo Bulldogs showed during Saturday’s Monroe County Baseball Tournament why they are winning so many games this spring, combining stellar starting pitching and offensive balance to claim local bragging rights.

The ‘Dogs, who posted a Friday win over Mascoutah on senior night to run its Mississippi Valley Conference record to 8-0, topped Columbia and Gibault to win this year’s county tourney.

In the 4-1 win over Columbia, starting pitcher Erik Kaiser allowed just three Eagles hits over seven innings, striking out nine. Leading hitter Jordan McFarland went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases.

The tourney final was a “Battle of Waterloo” at Borsch Park in Valmeyer, as the Bulldogs faced Gibault. Waterloo emerged victorious, 5-1. Noah Thaggard struck out nine Hawks batters over six innings. Cole Kaiping went 3-for-3 with three stolen bases and two RBIs. McFarland added two hits and three more stolen bases. Quinn Albrecht also had two hits.

In Friday’s MVC win, Tyler McAlister homered twice while also picking up his seventh pitching win. McFarland also homered and Kaiping doubled twice in the 8-3 victory.

McFarland is hitting .529 with six home runs, 41 runs scored and 32 stolen bases. McAlister is 7-1 with a 0.62 ERA and 50 strikeouts on the mound in addition to five homers and 30 RBIs at the plate.

Kaiser is 5-0 with a 0.66 ERA and 43 strikeouts to go along with a .348 batting average. Thaggard is 5-1 with a .305 ERA and 45 strikeouts. Kaiping is now hitting .522 this season in limited action.

The Bulldogs (22-4) hope to close the MVC season without a blemish this week, hosting Civic Memorial on Wednesday and playing at CM on Friday. Waterloo ends its regular season next Monday with a game against Edwardsville at GCS Ballpark in Sauget.

Waterloo is the top seed in the Class 3A Mascoutah Regional and will play the winner of East St. Louis vs. Cahokia next Wednesday. The regional final will be played on May 28.

Columbia is in that same regional, and will play Mascoutah on May 26.

The Eagles bounced back from Saturday’s loss against Waterloo to defeat Valmeyer for third place in the county tourney, 9-7. A six-run fifth inning propelled Columbia to victory.

Cameron Roth went 3-for-4 with four RBIs in the win. Zach Rosencrans went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Luke Watson picked up the win on the mound.

The Eagles (17-11) are led offensively by Cameron Touchette (.522, 28 runs, 10 stolen bases) Roth (.375) and Ryan Gudeman (.337). Watson is 6-1 on the mound with a 3.74 ERA.

Columbia plays at Marquette on Thursday, at Mascoutah on Friday and will host Belleville West for a Saturday doubleheader to close out the regular season.

Gibault topped Valmeyer in the other opening game of the county tourney, with a wild pitch in the sixth inning leading to the decisive run in a 3-2 contest.

The Hawks made the most of three total hits, with Austin Sweeney and Johnny Francescon recording RBIs. Collin Kessler went the distance on the mound.

Michael Chism went 2-for-2 with a stolen base and Easton Wallace went 1-for-3 with two RBIs for the Pirates.

Prior to the county tourney, Gibault dropped a 13-0 contest to Carlyle on Friday. The Hawks (13-17) begin play in the Class 2A Nashville Regional on Thursday with a game against DuQuoin.

Trevor Davis is hitting .380 to lead Gibault and is 3-4 on the mound with a 2.86 ERA. Tyler Brinkmann is hitting .361 with 24 runs scored. Kessler is 4-2 with a 3.24 ERA.

For the Pirates, the two losses in the county tourney came on the heels of a Kaskaskia Conference clinching victory last Tuesday against Lebanon. Mark Nappier went 1-for-2 with a homer and two RBIs in the 13-0 win. Erickson Wallace and Cole Juelfs added three hits each.

The Pirates (19-14-1) now have their sights set on a long-awaited regional title. Valmeyer will open Class 1A New Athens Regional play today (Wednesday) against either Madison or New Athens. The regional final takes place this Saturday.

Easton Wallace leads the team in hitting at .487 with 35 runs scored and 17 stolen bases. He is also 4-1 on the mound with a 3.57 ERA.

Nappier is hitting .413 with nine homers and 47 RBIs. Jake Krekel is hitting .394 with 40 runs and 19 stolen bases. Juelfs is 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

Dupo is 16-8 on the season following a split of recent games. The Tigers topped Althoff on Friday, 9-5, followed by a Monday loss at Wesclin, 7-5.

Jake Hart went 3-for-3 and Drake Harvell, Austin Francis and Taylor Stanek added two hits apiece. Stanek also picked up the pitching win.

Harvell is hitting .508 with 30 RBIs and is 6-3 on the mound. Francis is next at .448 and 36 runs. Collin Roth is hitting .363. Stanek is 5-0 with a 3.76 ERA.

The Tigers face Gillespie on Thursday in the Class 2A Gillespie Regional, with a spot in Saturday’s final going to the winner.