NIAGARA, Wis. — Crivitz scored in the top of the seventh to edge Niagara 3-2 in an M&O Conference matchup Monday.

The Badgers (0-2, 0-2) struck out in order to end the game.

The Wolverines (7-3, 3-1) started the seventh with a walk to Jaden Werner. He advanced to third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Gosse.

Niagara scored its only runs in the first inning. Landen Kaldor’s single was followed with two strikeouts and a walk to Anthony Hansen. Ethan Sweig hit a two-out, two-run single with two strikes.

Other than that, the Badgers struggled avoiding strikeouts. Crivitz starter Werner struck out 16 of 26 batters faced and walked one in 6 2/3 innings. Kougar Wagner relieved for the final out and struck out the only batter he faced.

Werner struck out every Badger at least once, and racked up at least two strikeouts in all but one inning. At one point he struck out six in a row, from the third out in the first to the second out in the third.

“Tough game. Another good conference game — Crivitz is tough,” Niagara head coach Dean Neveau said. “Too many strikeouts. Beginning of the order is doing great. Bottom of the order — we’re young so you expect that.”

Hansen pitched 3 1/3 for Niagara and gave up a run on three hits with three walks and seven strikeouts.

Josh Weber pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up one hit. Kaldor pitched an inninga nd gave up an unearned run on two hits, a walk and a strikeout. Tristan DeJardin pitched the final inning and gave up a run.

In the long run this is going to help us tournament time. This game was a good experience,” Neveau said. “Lose the game 3-2 and you’re right in it and you’re throwing everything you can at them to make sure you’ve got pitchers. And we’re young. For us to get any better we have to start hitting the ball better and putting the ball in play — make them make plays.”

The Badgers host Wausaukee today in another M&O Conference bout. Niagara also hosts Gillett on Thursday and a tournament with Iron Mountain, Kingsford and Norway on Saturday. So efficient pitching will be a premium for the Badgers.

“Landen will throw tomorrow and Josh Weber will throw for about 30 pitches along with Tristan DeJardin,” Neveau said. “The kids that came in and threw later today, I think they did well.”

Kaldor and Sweig had two hits each for Niagara. Sweig had a double for the game’s only extra-base hit for the Badgers. Werner had a double and triple for the Wolverines.

“I’m impressed with the kids for their second time on the field,” Neveau said. “We lost 10 innings with Coleman and we lost Crivitz, who’s right there with them. Two tough losses but it could be a good builder for the kids, if we can stick with them. We’re moving kids all over and trying to do stuff with pitching.”

Crivitz 001 010 1 — 3 6 0

Niagara 200 000 0 — 2 4 3

LOB — Crivitz 9, Niagara 4. ERR –Lincoln, Oslund, DeJardin. 2B — Werner, Ethan Sweig. 3B — Werner. SACF — Gosse.

SACB — Burnside, Gruszynski. SB — Kaldor (4), Hansen.

PB — Kaldor. WP — Werner. SO — Gosse (2), Burnside, Andrist (2), Wagner, Behrendt, Pelkin, Sweig, Lincoln (3), Carlson (3), Oslund (3), Kaldor, DeJardin (2), Hansen, Peterson (2), Weber. BB — Andrist, Grandaw, Werner (2), Hansen.