SAUK RAPIDS - Willmar got solid pitching from five players Tuesday, but miscues in the field hurt the Cardinals’ chances of snapping their losing streak as Sauk Rapids swept the Cardinals in a Central Lakes Conference doubleheader 9-1 and 5-3.
Willmar actually completed three games Tuesday as the Cardinals fell 4-1 to St. Cloud Apollo in Sauk Rapids in a game that was suspended on May 7 in Willmar due to rain.
The doubleheader ended the regular season for Willmar. Head coach Tom DeBoer will drive to Chaska today for the Section 2AAA seeding meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. The Cardinals (1-17) will likely receive the No. 12 seed in the 12-team bracket and will open the playoffs on Friday at 5 p.m. at a site to be determined at today’s meeting.
SC Apollo 4, Willmar 1
The game resumed Tuesday with one out and runners on second and third in the top of the seventh with the Eagles owning a 4-1 lead.
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The Cardinals got their lone run in Willmar when Josh Tinklenberg scored on Carter Sack’s sacrifice fly to right-center.
Austin Smith had three of Willmar’s six hits, while Tinklenberg doubled and singled.
SC Apollo 010 000 3 - 4 8 0
Willmar 000 001 0 - 1 6 0
HITTING – St. Cloud Apollo: Cooper Gray 2-4, Brandon Bisset 2-3 … Willmar: Austin Smith 3-4, Josh Tinklenberg 2-3 2b r, Trae Murphy 1-1 hbp-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - St. Cloud Apollo: Mike Tiede (W) 6-5-1-1-2-0, Tanner Aleshire (S) 1-1-0-0-0-1 … Willmar: Jon Linden (L) 6.1-8-4-4-4-0, Brandon Wedel 0.2-0-0-0-0-0
Game One
Sauk Rapids 9, Willmar 1
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Lucas Bentrud held Willmar to two hits while striking out nine to earn a complete-game win.
Sack and Sam Vreeman singled for Willmar with Sack scoring the Cardinals’ lone run on a wild pitch in the fourth.
The Storm broke a 1-1 tie by scoring six unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth.
Willmar starter Grant Bangen surrendered six hits, one earned run and three walks while striking out three in six innings of work.
Willmar 000 100 0 - 1 2 5
Sauk Rapids 001 611 x - 9 9 2
HITTING – Willmar: Carter Sack 1-2 r, Sam Vreeman 1-3 … Sauk Rapids: Matt Johnson 3-3 r-2, Zack Fuecker 1-3 r-2, Jordan Schlichting 2-3 2b r
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Willmar: Grant Bangen (L) 5-6-8-1-3-3, Matt Flaig 1-3-1-1-1-2 … Sauk Rapids: Lucas Bentrud (W) 7-2-1-0-2-9
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Game Two
Sauk Rapids 5, Willmar 3
The Cardinals pulled within one run of the Storm’s lead in the bottom of the sixth, but Sauk Rapids got the final out of the inning on a play at the plate.
Bryce Broman hit a bases-loaded single up the middle in the sixth to bring in Tinklenberg and cut the Storm’s lead to 4-3.
Sack doubled and Willmar also got singles from Sam Vreeman and Zach Hormann. Willmar starter Garrit Kooistra got tagged with the loss after scattering seven hits, four walks and three earned runs in six innings of work.
Sauk Rapids 102 001 1 - 5 8 0
Willmar 101 001 0 - 3 4 3
HITTING – Sauk Rapids: Bjorn Hanson 4-4 2b r, Tanner Zwilling 1-3 2b … Willmar: Sack 1-3 2b r, Austin Smith 0-2 bb-2 r, Tinklenberg 0-3 r, S. Vreeman 1-2, Zach Hormann 1-3, Bryce Broman 1-2 rbi
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PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Sauk Rapids: Schlichting 3-2-2-2-4-1, Jeremy Thorson (W) 4-2-1-1-4-6 … Willmar: Garrit Kooistra (L) 6-7-4-3-4-1, Braden Sunder 0.1-1-1-0-1-0, Smith 0.2-0-0-0-0-2
West Central
Minnewaska 11, Benson 0
Michael Gruber was 3-for-3 and scored three runs, and Riley Thompson tossed a one-hitter as the Lakers rolled over the Braves in a West Central Conference game on Tuesday in Benson.
Jake Amundson, Riley Thompson and Matt Paulson all had two hits for the Lakers.
Adam Lindahl had Benson’s lone hit.
The Braves play host to Melrose at 6:30 p.m. today, then begin Section 3AA against Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop at 1 p.m. Saturday in Marshall.
Minnewaska 143 12 - 11 12 0
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Benson 000 00 - 0 1 1
HITTING – Minnewaska: Michael Gruber 3-3 r-3, Jake Amundson 2-3 3b, Riley Thompson 2-3, Matt Paulson 2-2, Jon Nygaard 1-4, Matt McIver 1-4, Luke Nielsen 13 … Benson: Adam Lindahl 1-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Visitor: Thompson (W) 5-1-0-0-3-2 … Home: Connor Staton (L) 0.2-3-1-1-0-0, Aaron Ahrndt 0.2-2-4-3-0-1, Andrew Lindahl 1.1-1-3-3-5-1, Taner Gimberlin 1.1-2-1-1-0-0, Jacob Connelly 1-2-2-2-0-3
Minnewaska 4, Paynesville 0
Austin VerSteeg was on top of his game in the Lakers’ second game of the day on Tuesday.
VerSteeg two-hit the Bulldogs, one of the top teams in the West Central Conference. He struck out nine.
VerSteeg battled Grant Thompson, who allowed just one run through five innings until the Lakers broke through with two more runs in the sixth.
Minnewaska’s Riley Thompson was 3-for-4 and Jackson Hendrickson and Jon Nygaard both were 2-for-4.
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Mitch Weidner and Nathan Stang had the Bulldogs’ hits.
Paynesville, 12-6, closes the regular season hosting Sauk Centre at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Minnewaska 100 002 1 - 4 11 0
Paynesville 000 000 0 - 0 2 0
HITTING - Minnewaska: Justin Amundson 1-4, Riley Thompson 3-4, Jackson Hendrickson 2-4, Matt Paulson 1-3, Michael Gruber 1-3, Jon Nygaard 2-4 … Paynesville: Mitch Weidner 1-2, Nathan Stang 1-3
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Visitor: Austin VerSteeg (W) 7-2-0-0-3-9 … Home: Grant Thompson (L) 6-9-3-3-3-3, Andrew Kerzman 1-2-1-1-0-0
Paynesville 14, Montevideo 4
Paynesville scored 11 runs in the fourth inning to blow out Montevideo on Tuesday.
Matthew Quade was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and Josh Mackedanz was 2-for-3 with a double for the Bulldogs.
Mackedanz pitched four innings, striking out three and giving up just one earned run to earn the win.
Tristian Weber was 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Thunder Hawks.
Montevideo challenges Morris/Chokio-Alberta on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Spicer in the first round of the Section 3AA-North playoffs.
Paynesville 102 (11)0 - 14 9 2
Montevideo 013 00 - 4 4 6
HITTING – Paynesville: Grant Thompson 1-2 r-3 rbi, Trent Gertken 1-4 2b rbi-2, Matthew Quade 3-4 rbi-3, Nick Dingmann 1-4 rbi, Brandon Schleper 1-3 rbi, Josh Mackedanz 2-3 2b rbi … Montevideo: Andrew Peters 1-2, Tristan Weber 2-2 rbi, Garrett Christianson 1-2 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Paynesville: Mackedanz (W) 4-5-4-1-1-3, Andrew Kerzman 1-0-0-0-0-1 … Montevideo: Christian Kanten (L) 3.1-8-11-7-4-3, Christianson 1.2-1-3-0-1-2
Morris/CA 10, YME 0
Toby Sayles and Trent Marty combined on a one-hitter as Morris/Chokio-Alberta defeated Yellow Medicine East in five innings on Tuesday in Morris.
Sayles worked the first three innings, allowing a hit while striking out five, and Marty finished up, striking out four.
Brady Jergenson was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs, and Noah Grove was 2-for-2 and drove in a run. Nathan Anderson also had two hits and scored twice.
Austin Thorstad had the Sting’s only hit.
Morris/CA finishes a suspended game against BOLD at 5 p.m. today in Morris. The game will resume with BOLD leading 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning.
YME 000 00 - 0 1 4
Morris/CA 342 1x - 10 9 0
HITTING – Yellow Medicine East: Austin Thorstad 1-1 … Morris/Chokio-Alberta: Nate Anderson 2-3 r-2, Noah Grove 2-2 rbi r-2, Riley Biesterfeld 1-2 r-2, Philip Anderson 1-1 rbi, Brady Jergenson 2-3 rbi-2, Toby Sayles 1-3 rbi, Allen Tanner 1-1 r
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - YME: Chase Richter (L) 2-5-7-3-1-1, Nick Peterson 2-4-3-2-2-2 … Morris/CA: Sayles (W) 3-1-0-0-2-5, Trent Marty 2-0-0-0-1-4
Morris/CA 1, LQPV 0
Brady Jergenson plated Riley Biesterfeld with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and three Morris/CA pitchers made the run hold up in the second game of the day for the Tigers at Chizek Field in Morris.
Lac qui Parle Valley mounted threats in almost every inning but they stranded 13 runners and had another thrown out at the plate in the third inning.
MCA’s Nathan Anderson was 2-for-3 and Biesterfeld, Noah Grove, Sean Amundson and Trent Marty had the Tigers’ other hits.
Grove, Marty and Amundson combined on the shutout, with Amundson working the final three innings for the win.
LQPV’s Brandon Hill was 3-for-3 and Austin Haas and Phil Kleven had the Eagles other hits.
LQPV 000 000 0 - 0 5 1
Morris/CA 100 000 x - 1 6 2
HITTING – Lac qui Parle Valley: Brandon Hill 3-3, Austin Haas 1-2, Phil Kleven 1-3 … Morris/Chokio-Alberta: Nathan Anderson 2-3 2b, Riley Biesterfeld 1-3 r, Noah Grove 1-3, Sean Amundson 1-3, Trent Marty 1-2, Brady Jergenson 0-2 sf rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - LQPV: Hill (L) 4-4-1-1-0-1, Garrett Olson 2-2-0-0-0-3 … Morris/CA: Grove 2-2-0-0-1-1, Marty 2-2-0-0-2-1, Amundson (W) 3-1-0-0-3-2
Sauk Centre 11, ACGC 1
Jake Haskamp was 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs and Dylan Haskamp was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI to pace Sauk Centre’s rout on Tuesday.
Phillip Moe gave up four singles in a complete-game win.
ACGC hosts Royalton on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in the first round of the Section 5A-West playoffs.
Sauk Centre 400 300 4 - 11 14 0
ACGC 010 000 0 - 1 4 2
HITTING – Sauk Centre: Dylan Haskamp 3-5 2b rbi, Jake Haskamp 3-4 hr rbi-5 … Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City: Brett Busskohl 1-4, Brody Larson 1-3, Cullen Hoffmann 1-3, Lucas Lilleberg 1-2
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Sauk Centre: Phillip Moe (W) 7-4-1-1-3-3 … ACGC: Ethan Schultz (L) 5-11-7-6-2-3, Payton Kinzler 2-3-4-4-0-5
Pheasant
Game One
Hancock 11, Ashby 1
Hancock pounded out 17 hits for 11 runs as they blew out Ashby in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
Philip Schaefer was 2-for-5 with an RBI triple, and Brady Carter had three hits including a two-run double in the fifth.
Zach Copa and Cody Greiner also notched three hits, and Greiner drove in two.
Starting pitcher Greiner shut down Ashby with 10 strikeouts and scattering four hits and three walks.
Hancock 101 332 1 - 11 17 0
Ashby 000 100 0 - 1 4 1
HITTING – Hancock: Philip Schaefer 2-5 3b r-2 rbi, Andrew Shaw 2-4 2b rbi-2 r, Zach Copa 3-4 2b r-2 rbi, Brandon Shaw 1-4 rbi-2 r, Logan Kisgen 1-3 r, Cody Greiner 3-4 2b-2 r-2 rbi-2, Bryce Schmidgall 1-2 rbi r, Chandler Gramm 1-1, Brady Carter 3-4 rbi r … Ashby: Cooper Finkelson 2-3 2b
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Hancock: Greiner (W) 7-4-1-1-3-10 … Ashby: Christian Norby (L) 5-12-8-8-3-4; Erin Sorenson 2-5-3-3-3-0
Game Two
Hancock 5, Ashby 1
The Owls got another standout pitching performance, this time from Chandler Gramm, who fanned eight and walked none in a complete game.
An error brought in Brandon Shaw to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth.
Logan Kisgen added an RBI single in the inning to put the Owls up 2-0, and Hancock scored three more in the sixth on two hits and three walks.
Kisgen had two hits, Brandon Shaw was 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored and Collin Brown had a hit and two runs scored.
Ashby 000 000 1 - 1 5 3
Hancock 000 203 x - 5 6 1
HITTING – Ashby: Eric Amundson 1-3 r … Hancock: Schaefer 1-3, Shaw 1-2 2b r-2, Collin Brown 1-2 r-2, Kisgen 2-2 rbi, Micheal Milander 1-3 rbi
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Ashby: Amundson (L) 6-6-5-5-5-6 … Hancock: Gramm (W) 7-5-1-1-0-8
