MARINETTE, Wis. — The wins keep coming in the Marinette & Oconto Conference for the Niagara varsity baseball team as it picked up a 9-8 win over St. Thomas Aquinas Academy in Marinette, Wis., on Thursday.

The Badgers are 3-0 on the season and in conference action.

“(It wasn’t) our sharpest outing of the year,” Niagara head coach Brad Richtig said. “Our (defense) was a little flat to start, it’s hard to win a game with 7 errors. But I will give our kids credit for hanging in there and battling the whole way through. We have been on the other end of these games many times. It’s nice to see them work around tough times.”

Christian Hedmark got the ball to start the game for the Badgers. He struck out five batters and walked six while allowing four earned runs in a win.

Blake Holmes shut the door for Niagara, pitching an inning of hitless ball while fanning two batters.

The Badgers got it rolling right away in the first inning as leadoff hitter T.J. Beard walked and sent Cody Bath to the plate. Beard then stole second base and on the third pitch he faced, Bath drove Beard in giving Niagara a 1-0 advantage.

Senior Mason Richtig drove Bath in on a single and the Badgers took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first inning.

The Cavaliers couldn’t muster any runs in the half inning and Niagara tacked on another run in the second pushing its lead to 3-0.

STAA finally broke through in the bottom of the second bringing a run in and by the start of the fourth inning, the score was tied at 4.

Niagara immediately responded as Beard and Bath drew walks, sending Hedmark to the plate. He popped up to the right fielder and drove in Beard as the Badgers took a 5-4 lead.

The Cavaliers took their first lead of the game, 6-5, with a two run showing in the bottom of the fifth. However, the excitement in the STAA dugout wouldn’t last long as Niagara strung together four runs in the top of the sixth, making it a 9-6 advantage for the road team.

STAA added two runs to its total in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cavaliers’ comeback would come up short as Blake Holmes rang up their final two batters.

The Badgers received contributions at the plate from Beard (0-2, 2 walks, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases), Bath (1-2, 1 RBI, 3 walks, 2 runs), Hedmark (2 for 4, 2 RBIs, 1 run), Mason Richtig (1 for 3, 1 RBI, 1 run), Blake Holmes (2 for 4, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 stolen base), Easton Holmes (1 for 3, 2 RBIs), Aiden Sweig (1 for 3, 1 walk, 1 run, 1 stolen base), Brayden Bartels (0 for 1, 2 walks) and Gavin Neuens (1 for 4).

Niagara is back in action on Monday as it travels to Wausaukee, Wis. to face the Rangers at 4:30 p.m.