GRANITE FALLS - Entering the home half of the ninth inning, it appeared as if the game was over, but a wild arm and some patient at bats led to an exciting finish.
The Milroy Yankees led the Granite Falls Kilowatts 6-2, Matt Bauer entered in relief in the ninth and was set to face pinch-hitter Tom Doyle, the first pitch drilled Doyle just above the elbow, putting the leadoff man on first, after a strikeout, the game got interesting.
Tim Olson stepped in the box next and was also hit in the arm, Luke Berg then drew a walk putting the top of the Kilowatt order to the plate with the bases load. Bauer hit James Gallagher walking in a run making it 6-3 and that called for a Yankee pitching change.
Chris Eichten came in relief and got Tyler Kanten to ground out to the first baseman, but Cody Fruin who ran for Olson scored making it 6-4.
The Kilowatts now had runners in scoring position with two outs and their No. 3 batter, Craig Listel at the plate, after working the count to 3-1, Eichten got Listel to pop-out to the first baseman ending the game and giving the Yankees their 13th win of the season.
"It came down to a couple plays," Granite Falls manager Mike Richter said. "Both teams played errorless baseball, Matt (Bauer) came in and hit a couple guys and put a couple guys on base and it put the pressure back on them. There's not much more you can ask for with your No. 3 hitter up and runners on second and third, we just couldn't get a timely hit."
The Yankees jumped on the board right away, putting two runs across the dish in the first inning. Eichten got things going with a blooper to shallow right field. Matt Bauer scored Eichten on a grounder to third base. Justin Schlemmer kept things going with a double and scored when Eric Dolan ripped a single to left field.
"We have been trying to string some hits together for a while now," Milroy manager Ryan Rohlik said. "So it was good for the guys to get some confidence at the plate in the first inning. The guys knew if we just kept our mentality in the right place we could score some runs."
Granite Falls answered quickly, James Gallagher led off the home half of the inning with a single and Tyler Kanten, starting pitcher for the Kilowatts helped himself hitting a two-run shot to right to knot the game at 2-all.
"They got a couple line drives that fell in in the first inning," Richter said. "There wasn't much we could do about it, but I was watching Tyler to see how he would react on the mound. Then he came back and hit a home run to tie the game, both teams played well - they have a very nice ball club and were getting there."
The Yankees added a run in the fifth when Andy Schmidt led the inning off with a single, to ground balls put him on third and Eric Dolan used a Texas leaguer to pick up his second RBI of the game.
Milroy opened the game up in the seventh when Bauer he crushed a solo-shot to right field. Schlemmer followed up with a home run of his own, his going to left field for back-to-back Yankee home runs.
"That was huge," Rohlik said. "It was a 3-2 game, they (Granite Falls) answered back in the first, but the home runs deflated them I think. Bauer hadn't had a hit yet, Schlemmer is trying to get a couple hits here to get things going. We had to win this game, another league game for us and we had to win."
Milroy 200 010 201 - 6 14 0
Granite Falls 200 000 002 - 4 6 0
M-Mahlon Zimmermann, Andy Williamson (7), Matt Bauer (9), Chris Eichten (9). G-Tyler Kanten, Walters (9). WP-Zimmermann. LP-Kanten. HR: M-Matt Bauer, Justin Schlemmer. G-Tyler Kanten. 2B: M-Justin Schlemmer, Eric Dolan.
