VFW Baseball: Willmar tips NLS behind quick start

SPICER -- The Willmar VFW jumped out 7-1 and then held off New London-Spicer 12-9 in District 5 baseball on Monday.

The teams logged 25 hits on another the steamy evening with the temperature at 92 degrees at first pitch.

Willmar catcher Buzzy Tollefson smacked a two-run homer to right-center field in the second and lashed an RBI double to the left-center wall in the fifth. He would have had two RBI on that hit, too, but the trailing baserunner stumbled and fell rounding third and had to scramble back to the bag.

Willmar starting pitcher Josh Warne survived a five-run NLS second inning.

NLS got five solid hits in the frame and Willmar poured kerosene on the hot coals with three errors.

Easily throwing 100 pitches, Warne (pronounced Warren) stayed on the hill for all seven innings, giving up 11 hits and walking two.

Nolan Schmitz, the NLS third baseman, went 3-for-4 with a double and Grant Vagle was 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Vagle was the losing pitcher throwing the first four innings.

For Willmar (9-6), Tony McCleary and Alex Nibaur each went 3-for-5 while Patrick Courtney was 2-for-2 and scored four runs.

Willmar will host Morris today to conclude its regular season. The district playoff starts next Tuesday.

Willmar 12, NL-Spicer 9

Willmar 430 121 1 --12 14 6

NL-Spicer 150 000 3 -- 9 11 2

HITTING - Willmar: Tony McCleary 3-for-5, 2b; Buzzy Tollefson 2-for-3, 3 runs, 2b, 2-run HR, 2 rbi; Patrick Courtney 2-for-2, 4 runs, rbi; Brandon Christenson 1-for-4, 3 rbi; Josh Kelly 1-for-3, 2b; Alex Nibaur 3-for-5, 2b, 2 rbi; Tyler Stegeman 2-for-4, rbi ... New London-Spicer: Ryan Vraa 1-for-5, rbi; Logan Brink 1-for-4, rbi; Nick Bergeson 1-for-4, 2 runs, 2b; Treyton Austvold 1-for-3, Jordan Payne 1-for-3, Nolan Schmitz 3-for-4, 2b; Grant Vagle 2-for-3, 2 rbi

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) -- Willmar: Josh Warne (W) 7-11-9-7-2-4 ... New London-Spicer: Grant Vagle (L) 4-8-8-8-5-6, Tyson Gislason 3-6-4-3-1-5