The Marshall A's needed two different ways to play this weekend, with pitching and defense being key on Saturday and offense being paramount on Sunday.
The A's were able to battle through two completely different kind of games to stay undefeated with a pair of wins over the weekend, beating Pipestone 4-2 at home on Saturday before blowing out Minneota 12-4 on the road Sunday.
At 4-0 overall, Marshall stays home on Wednesday to play Bird Island in a Corn Belt League game.
Article Photos
Photo by Joe Brown
Marshall pitcher Zach Olson, right, tosses a pitch during the A’s amateur baseball game against Pipestone on Saturday at Legion Field. Making his first start in an A’s uniform, Olson struck out five and didn’t walk a batter en route to a 4-2 complete-game victory. Along with Saturday’s win, Marshall traveled to Minneota on Sunday, picking up a 12-4 win.
On Saturday against Pipestone, Zach Olson shined in his first start with five strikeouts and no walks to pick up the win. Except for a two-run inning for Pipestone in the top of the sixth, Olson held Pipestone without a run.
Four Marshall players - Ryan Engels, Tyler Flattum, Kyle Young and Cody Curry - had two hits each, accounting for eight of the A's 12 hits. Engels and Curry each finished with a double, with Curry tallying an RBI.
Against the Mudhens on Sunday, Jordon Kontz was dominant on the mound with 15 strikeouts in eight innings. He also went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Flattum pounded Minneota's pitching with three hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Kyle Young belted a deep home run, going 2-for-4 at the plate.
Along with Kontz, Flattum and Young, Brandon Wilhelmi and Andrew Kinney had two hits in the A's victory.
Riley Carpenter led the Mudhens' offense with a 2-for-3 outing. He hit for a double and had a run scored. Jason Myhre and Jason MacKinnon each had two RBIs in the loss for Minneota, which moves to 3-1 overall. The Mudhens head to Luverne on Sunday.
Saturday
Pipestone000 002 000-2 8 1
Marshall010 002 10X-4 12 0
WP-Zach Olson (M). 2B: M-Ryan Engels, Cody Curry.
Sunday
Marshall202 201 102-12 17 1
Minneota000 200 200-4 7 1
MAR-Jordon Kontz, Tyler Flattum (9); MIN-Matt Musser, Jesse Drager (4), Tony Shaikoski (5), Danny Hennen (6), Wade Gillund (9). WP-Kontz. LP-Musser. HR: MAR-Kyle Young. 2B: MAR-Brandon Wilhelmi, Flattum, Kontz, Andrew Kinney, Young, Tanner Neale; MIN-Riley Carpenter, Jason MacKinnon.