The Valmeyer Patriots picked up their first wins of the summer last week in independent baseball action as part of the COVID League in Missouri.

After losing their first three games, the Patriots finally broke into the win column Thursday at Elsberry, Mo.

The Patriots – which feature high school players from Valmeyer, Waterloo and New Athens – won two games against Elsberry and are 2-3 on the season.

The Patriots won the first game, 8-2. They scored in the top of the second inning after Sam Fitzwilliam was hit by a pitch, took second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on Drake Downing’s ground out.

Elsberry plated unearned runs in the third and fourth innings for a 2-1 lead, but the Patriots tied the game in the sixth on Philip Reinhardt’s leadoff single. A two-out hit by Riley McCarthy drove him in.

Downing singled to start the seventh inning and Jordan McSchooler’s hit gave the Patriots the lead. 

George Schneider’s hit and a walk to Reinhardt loaded the bases again and Jacob Rowold came through with a two-run single. A walk to Nate Albrecht loaded the bases again and McCarthy’s double drove in three runs.

Reinhardt, who had relieved in the sixth inning, shut out Elsberry in the seventh for the win.

McCarthy was 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Schneider went 2-for-3.

The Patriots used five pitchers to combine for a no-hitter in the second game, winning 4-0.

The Patriots did all of their scoring in the first inning. Reinhardt walked, reached second on an error, stole third and scored on a wild pitch. With two outs, McCarthy and Henry Weber were each hit by pitches and Fitzwilliam and McSchooler followed with RBI hits. McSchooler then scored on an error.

The Patriots mustered just one more hit the rest of the way, that being a single by Rowold. 

Nate Albrecht picked up the pitching win with seven strikeouts in three innings. Schneider had three strikeouts in one inning and Weber, Jake Kempfer and Logan Seidler each stuck out two in an inning of work.

The Patriots junior squad plays a doubleheader this Wednesday at Elsberry. The seniors will compete in a tourney this weekend at Washington, Mo.