The Red Bud Musketeers played their first games this past week, and the season opener was an overcast tuesday in Valmeyer. Returning All-Cahokia Conference pitcher Thomas Friess started the game and went three innings, striking out four. When Friess left the game, Red Bud trailed 4-2, but reliever Will Simpson and the Musketeer batters were able to turn things around. Simpson pitched the last four innings, striking out ten batters, and also led the charge at the plate, adding three hits and three RBIs to lead the Musketeers past the Pirates, 10-4.

The Musketeers then played another away game the next day against the always tough Nashville Hornets. Dustin Salger and Dylan Minneman both pitched, and neither found much success or got much help at the plate, as Nashville ended this game in the fifth inning after putting up 12 runs to Red Bud’s zero.

Last week was finished off with the home opener, and the Musketeers hosted the Pirates of Perryville, MO. Red Bud looked to be in control early, maintaining a 4-2 lead going into the fifth inning thanks to the consistent pitching of Chase Lucht. Perryville then broke the game open in a bad way with a six-run surge in the top of the fifth, the pirates did not look back from there, and stole one from the Musketeers on opening day, 9-5.

The Musketeers began a busy week this week by hosting DuQuoin on Monday in what was a high-scoring game from the start. The two teams combined for 15 runs through three innings, before pitchers for both teams began to settle down. Thomas Friess and Will Simpson again worked as a pitching tandem in this one, Friess starting and striking out seven, and Simpson closing, which included getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with Red Bud only up two runs. Multiple hit days from Nick and Noah Gantner, Dylan Minneman, and Will Simpson also helped, and Red Bud got back to .500 by defeating the Indians, 10-8.