Photo by Chris Drummond Marshall 17U’s Braxton Koster delivers a pitch during their game against RTR on Thursday. RTR defeated Marshall 17U 2-1 in eight innings.

MARSHALL — Fresh off a pair of victories against New Ulm VFW Gold earlier in the week, the Marshall Black 17U baseball team wanted to finish the month of June in style. But their opponent, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, had other ideas and went toe-to-toe with Marshall, forcing extra innings before scoring a run in the top of the eighth to earn a 2-1 victory on Thursday at Legion Field.

The Knights scored off a wild pitch where leadoff hitter Jack Christianson slid into home safely putting up the first score for RTR in the top of the first. The Tigers quickly responded with starting pitcher Braxton Koster hitting a rocket deep to left-center field for an RBI double to tie up the ballgame at the end of the first inning. The Tigers would only muster up one more hit for the entire game, though. Both teams were kept at bay with some amazing defense played, forcing the game to go into extra innings. 

It wasn’t until the top of the eighth where the 1-1 tie was broken up, where RTR would score another run off an RBI double, retaking the lead 2-1. On their final at-bat, the Tigers would go down in order and the Knights preserved the win 2-1.

Karson Rowe for the Tigers was the only other player to get a hit on the team. Cody Wichmann for the Knights went a solid five innings and struck out eight in the team’s victory and also led his team in hits with two. Jack Christianson also had two hits in the game for the Knights. 

Marshall 17U (9-3) is back in action on July 8, as they will play three consecutive days in the Alexandria tournament.

Hitting: Marshall (Koster 1-3, RBI; Rowe 1-3); RTR (Jack Christianson 2-5; Gravely 1-3; C. Wichmann 2-3; Blake Christianson 1-3; Lamote 1-3; Anderson 1-3; Appel 1-2; Elton 1-2; #12 1-2, RBI).

Pitching (IP-R-ER-H-BB-SO): Marshall (Koster 7-1-1-9-2-8; Myhre 1-1-2-0-0); RTR (C. Wichmann 5-1-1-2-1-8; Jack Christianson 1-0-0-0-2-1; Lamote 1.2-0-0-0-0-2).