WILLMAR - Brandon Wedel narrowly missed a no-hitter and a Willmar offense that struggle to score runs put up more than enough for their pitcher in a 7-0 win over Melrose on Thursday at Bill Taunton Stadium.
Wedel didn’t allow a hit until Melrose’s Drake Meyer doubled with one out in the seventh inning.
Wedel walked three and struck out eight.
“He had a good fastball and he mixed in his breaking ball,” said Willmar head coach Wade Adamson. “He threw the ball over the plate and we made some nice defensive plays behind him.”
Willmar nicked Melrose starter Carter Kladson for two runs in the first two innings, then scored twice in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
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Austin Smith was 2-for-3 and drove in three runs, and Josh Tinklenberg was 2-for-3, with two doubles, and he drove in two runs.
Tyler Stegeman, Brandon Christenson and Logan Wigton also had RBIs.
Willmar plays host to Tri-Town at 7 p.m. Monday at Bill Taunton Stadium.
Willmar 7, Melrose 0
Melrose 000 000 0 - 0 1 1
Willmar 110 230 x - 7 12 0
HITTING – Melrose: Drake Meyer 1-3 … Willmar: Tyler Stegeman 1-1 rbi r bb-3, Austin Smith 2-3 rbi-3, Tony McCleary 1-4, Brandon Christenson 2-4 rbi, Cole Christenson 1-3 3b, Josh Tinklenberg 2-3 2b-2 rbi-2, Cole Hagen 1-1, Adam Nibaur 1-1, Logan Wigton 1-1 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Melrose: Carter Kladson (L) 4.1-10-7-7-3-3, Adam Van Beck 1.2-2-0-0-1-0 … Willmar: Brandon Wedel (W) 7-1-0-0-3-8
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Madison 5, Prinsburg 4
Connor Oie drove in three runs, including the eventual winner in the seventh inning, to help Madison outlast Prinsburg 5-4 Thursday.
Oie had a pair of one-out run-producing hits for the visitors with a two-run single in a three-run first and an RBI single in the seventh. Ty Kanstrup singled to lead off the top half of the seventh and moved up on a wild pitch during Cole Bungarden’s at bat to get into scoring position.
Prinsburg stranded the tying run when the game ended after Austin Bulthuis’ infield single knocked in Grant Hoekstra to pull the Orioles within one at 5-4. Hoekstra slugged a one-out double and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Garrett Olson worked into the sixth, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out four to earn the win. Austin Haas, who was hitless at the plate but stole three bases and scored twice after reaching on an error and drawing a walk, then got the final four outs to pick up the save.
Tanner Stoel singled twice and stole three bases, and Bulthius drove in two runs for Prinsburg, who aided Madison’s fast start by committing three errors in the first.
Madison 300 100 1 - 5 7 0
Prinsburg 101 100 1 - 4 7 3
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HITTING – Madison: Connor Oie 2-4 rbi-3, Daniel Baldwin 2-4, Ty Kanstrup 1-3 runs-2, Cole Bungarden 1-2, Garrett Olson 1-4 … Prinsburg: Tanner Stoel 2-3 run sb-3, Austin Bulthuis 1-4 rbi-2, Grant Hoekstra 1-2 2b runs-2, Matthew VanEps 1-2 run, Aaron Zwart 1-3 rbi, Matt Meyer 1-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Madison: Olson (W) 5.2-5-3-3-4-4, Austin Haas (S) 1.1-2-1-1-0-0 … Prinsburg: Sam Ohden (L) 4-4-4-1-2-6, Bulthuis 3-3-1-1-1-4
Osakis 5, Morris 1
Osakis’ Jordan Frederick tossed a one-hitter and struck out 11 to down the Morris Legion team.
Bryce Jergenson had Morris’ hit, an RBI double in the fifth inning.
Frederick was also 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI.
The 2-3 29ers next play Monday at West Central Area.
Morris (2-3) 000 010 0 - 1 1 1
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Osakis 200 300 0 - 5 5 1
HITTING – Osakis: Jordan Frederick 2-2, 2b, rbi-2 … Morris: Bryce Jergenson 1-3, 2b, rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Osakis: Frederick (W) 7-1-1-1-2-11 … Morris: Jergenson (L) 5-5-5-4-2-4; Riley Biesterfeld 1-0-0-0-0-1
Cottonwood 3,
Granite Falls 1
The game in Cottonwood Thursday was shortened due to rain, but a two-run first inning was enough for Cottonwood. Jacob Neu’s RBI triple and Cody St. Aubin’s RBI double gave the home team a quick 2-0 advantage.
Granite Falls got its lone run in the fifth when Zach Fischer led off the inning with a double and later scored on Jordan Olgard’s flyball to centerfield. However, Granite Falls left the bases loaded and the game was then called official.
Granite Falls...................000 01 - 1 3 2
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Cottonwood...................200 1x - 3 5 0
HITTING – Granite Falls: Jordan Olgard 0-1 rbi Joe Sannerud 1-2, Zach Fischer 1-2 2b run, Chris Jensen 1-1 … Cottonwood: Travis Varpness 1-2 run, Jacob Neu 1-1 3b runs-2 rbi, Cody St. Aubin 1-2 2b rbi, Cory Schreier 1-2, Ramzi Gregoire 1-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Granite Falls: Dylan Johnson (L) 4-5-3-3-0-5 … Cottonwood: Seth Boerboom (W) 5-3-1-1-3-7
Tri-City 1, Hector 0
Hector was on the short end of another pitcher’s duel as Brody Larson struck out eight and gave up just three singles in a complete-game performance for Tri-Town Thursday in Atwater.
The game’s only run came in the sixth when Cullen Hoffman reached with a one-out single and later came home on Larson’s two-out single up the middle.
Jake Pettit took the hard-luck loss after striking out seven and not issuing a walk in six innings of work.
Hector 000 000 0 - 0 3 1
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Tri-Town 000 001 x - 1 4 1
HITTING – Hector: Jake Pettit 1-3, Josh Swanson 1-3 sb-2, Brad Ebbers 1-2 … Tri-Town: Brody Larson 1-3 rbi, Jake Mueller 1-2, Ryan Andahl 1-2, Cullen Hoffman 1-3 run
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Hector: Pettit (L) 6-4-1-1-0-7 … Tri-Town: Larson (W) 7-3-0-0-2-9
BOLD 8, Ely 0
Logan Sandgren was his dominant self on the mound, four-hitting Ely and striking out 15 on Thursday in Bird Island.
Both teams were Class A state tournament teams this spring, but BOLD showed why it’s Minnesota Legion baseball’s top-ranked Division II team.
Sandgren also had a triple among his two hits and he drove in two runs.
Riley Kramer drove in two runs and Lane Stadther, Ben Steffel and Joel Erickson also had RBIs.
BOLD opens play at the Luverne Tournament today against Excelsior at 3 p.m.
BOLD plays two pool games on Saturday and will advance to play a Sunday game if it wins its pool.
The 16-team tournament will be played in Luverne and Pipestone, the host sites for this year’s state Division II Legion tournament.
Ely 000 000 0 - 0 4 1
BOLD 300 401 x - 8 7 0
HITTING – Ely: Will Gustafson 2-2 … BOLD: Logan Sandgren 2-4 3b rbi-2, Trent Athmann 1-4, Lane Stadther 0-2 rbi, Riley Kramer 1-3 rbi-2, Ben Steffel 1-4 rbi, Joel Erickson 1-2 rbi, Austin Weis 1-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ely: Gustafson (L) 5-7-7-4-2-2, Ben Gantt (1-0-1-1-3-0 … BOLD: Sandgren (W) 7-4-0-0-4-15
