AMATEUR BASEBALL: Marshall A’s open season with win over Mudhens
MARSHALL – There is no better feeling than opening day. The only thing that can top that feeling is capping off opening day with a victory to begin the season. That’s exactly what the Marshall A’s did Wednesday evening, with a 8-3 victory over the Minneota Mudhens.
The Mudhens opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the opening frame. Unfortunately for the Mudhens that would be the only runs they could muster until the ninth inning when they scored one run.
With the bases loaded for the Mudhens, Adam Durfee hit a sacrifice-fly to score the first run. The Mudhens added one more on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the second inning the A’s scored four runs on five walks and a throwing error.
Both starting pitchers settled in after issuing a combined nine walks through the first three innings.
The A’s struck for four more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Nate Hoeft started the scoring with an RBI double to push the A’s lead to 5-2. With the bases loaded and one out, Barry Meyer hit a grounder to second base that scored a run. Jake Leighton capped off the inning with a two-out, two-run single to put the A’s up 8-2.
Derek Branson and Jake Leighton both recorded two hits to lead the A’s. Leighton drove in two of the A’s eight runs.
Mike Luke led the Mudhens with two hits and drove in one run.
The A’s will be back in action on Friday against Cottonwood on Bremer Bank Night at Legion Field.
With the loss the Mudhens are now 3-3 overall. The Mudhens will be back in action on Monday when they travel to Rosen to take on the Express.
A’s 8, Mudhens 3
Mudhens 200 000 001 — 3 5 3
A’s 040 000 40x — 8 5 0
HITTING: Mudhens (Beau Buysse 1-5; Preston Nuy 1-1; Luke 2-2; Drager 1-3); A’s (Branson 2-5; Meyer 1-2; Leighton 2-3).
No pitching stats were available at press time.