Marshall 9, Luverne 5

LUVERNE — After trailing early, the Marshall baseball team seized momentum with a five-run third inning and never looked back against Luverne on Tuesday. The Tigers went on to defeat the Cardinals 9-5 in their season opener.

Marshall trails 2-0 heading into the top of the third. Ashton Blomberg and Coby Brownlee were both hit by a pitch while Jude Knudson walked in between the two to load the bases with one out. 

Josh Kraft capitalized in the next at-bat with a hard-hit grounder up the middle. The ball found its way into the gap and Bomberg and Knudson scored to tie the game up on Kraft’s single.

A pop out put the Cardinals an out away from ending the inning with limited damage but Talan Plante smacked a double to left field to score Brownlee and Kraft. 

Braden Myhre came in to courtesy run for Plante, a catcher, and then scored on a Liam Kruse double to right field to give Marshall a 5-2 lead.

Luverne responded with a pair of runs with two outs in the bottom of the frame, both of which came unearned due to a Marshall error, but the Tigers still never relinquished their lead.

Kruse recorded the win on the mound for the Tigers. He allowed four runs in four innings pitched but only one was unearned. He limited the Cardinals to just three hits and a walk while striking out five batters.

Ashton Blomberg and Josh Kraft each came in as relievers to seal the game. Blomberg surrendered a run on two walks and a hit over two innings while Kraft pitched a perfect seventh inning to close out the game.

Kraft was the only Tiger with multiple hits on the day, going 3 of 4 at the dish with two RBIs. He hit a triple in the fifth inning before going on to score on a passed ball for a 6-4 Marshall lead and he hit a double in the seventh inning before going on to score when JR Vierstraete was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, making the score 8-5. Myhre also hit an RBI single on the next at-bat to drive in another run before the Cardinals got out of the inning.

Marshall (1-0) will next host Jordan for its home opener on Friday at 5 p.m.

E/SWC 8, Lakeview 2

EDGERTON — The Lakeview baseball team couldn’t shut down the Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian bats on Tuesday night. The Dutchmen scored at least one run in each inning except the first and went on to defeat the Lakers 8-2.

After a scoreless first inning, the Dutchmen rallied with a hit batter and a single to put runners on the corners with two outs. A double drove in their first two runs of the game before a strikeout ended the frame in the next at-bat.

After E/SWC shut down Lakeview in the top of the third, a walk and a single gave them a 3-0 lead. After putting runners on with another hit batter and a walk, a pair of wild pitches allowed them to scratch two more runs across the plate for a 5-0 lead. They scored one run in each of the next three innings, the only other innings in which they batted.

Both of the Lakers’ runs came trailing 8-0 in the top of the seventh. Logan Herrick drew a leadoff walk and Blake Peltier and Easton Schmidt were hit on consecutive pitches to load the bases. Herrick got caught trying to steal home but Peltier managed to accomplish the feat a few pitches later.

Brooks Smith drew a walk to put two runners on with one out and a Dylan Caron walk loaded the bases. 

The Dutchmen made a pitching change, putting in J Van Dam for C Scholten, but Braylon Breyfogle was hit by a pitch on the first at-bat to force in another Laker run. From there, however, Van Dam induced a double play to end the game with an E/SWC victory.

Tucker Fiene allowed three earned runs on seven hits and 3 1/3 innings of relief. Fiene also had a single in the game, making him the lone Laker with a hit on the day.

Jace Danielson got the start for the Lakers, throwing 2 2/3 innings with five earned runs allowed. He surrendered just two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Lakeview falls to 0-2 with the loss and will look to bounce back on Thursday when they host Tracy-Milroy-Balaton for their home opener at 4:30 p.m.

TMB 6, HLOF 1

HERON LAKE — Alex Munson was a star on the mound for the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton baseball team on Tuesday night, holding Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda without an earned run in six innings of work as the Panthers pulled out a 6-1 victory.

Munson surrendered just four hits and two walks during the game, striking out nine of the 25 batters he faced.

The sole run Munson allowed en route to the win was an unearned second-inning run. He struck out the first two batters he faced but back-to-back errors and an RBI single made the score 1-1 before he induced a pop out to end the frame.

The Panthers didn’t stay tied for long. Jaret Ankrum reached base on an error in the first at-bat of the third frame, advancing to third on the errant throw. From there, Ashton Squires singled to left field to drive in Ankrum for the go-ahead run.

Eathan Martinez kept the Panthers’ momentum going by reaching on a ground ball error to put runners on second and third. While Squires was called out at third in the next at-bat on a fielder’s choice, Espn Radke hit an RBI single to score Martinez for a 3-1 TMB lead. They never looked back.

Noah Knakmuhs pitched a perfect final inning, striking out each of the three batters he faced. On the offensive end, he came up with a game-high three hits. 

Knakmuhs hit a single in the first inning to load the bases for Squires’ RBI single to give TMB a 1-0 lead. He also hit a single to load the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh. Martinez then drew a walk to drive in one run, Meyer grounded out to drive in Knakmuhs and Squires scored on a passed ball to make it 6-1 before a strikeout ended the inning.

TMB improves to 2-0 with the win. The Panthers play each of their first six games of the year on the road, with a matchup against Lakeview in Cottonwood coming up next on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Game 1

Sleepy Eye 5, Wabasso 0

SLEEPY EYE — The Wabasso baseball team couldn’t get any offense going in the first game of its doubleheader against Sleepy Eye on Tuesday, falling 5-0 on the road.

Cody Schultz pitched the full seven innings for Sleepy Eye, holding Wabasso to four hits and two walks while striking out eight batters.

Joe Liebl, Jaxson Wagner, Preston Remiger and Eathen Jenniges each singled for the Rabbits. Wagner and Remiger’s hits came in consecutive at-bats to start the seventh inning but an infield groundout and a pair of strikeouts ended the inning before Wabasso could capitalize.

Liebl recorded the loss for Wabasso, allowing two earned runs and one unearned over four innings. He allowed four hits and two walks while striking out three batters.

Kaysen Harms pitched a scoreless inning of relief, walking two batters without allowing a hit, while Calvin Hanna allowed two runs in another two innings of relief.

Sleepy Eye 9, Wabasso 0

SLEEPY EYE — Sleepy Eye’s dominance from the first game of its doubleheader against Wabasso only grew heading into the second as the Indians glaimed a 9-0 win.

Liebl led the Rabbits offensively with a single, a double and a steal while Kaysen Harms added a single, a walk and a steal.

Ethan Jenniges took the loss on the mound, allowing four earned runs on three hits over three innings of work. Noah Anderson and Jaxson Wagner combined to allow another five earned runs over three innings on the mound.

Liebl hit a double in the first inning and reached third base in the sixth inning after hitting a leadoff double. Harms was the only other Rabbit to get past first base when he walked and stole second base in the second innings.

Wabasso falls to 0-3 with the loss. They’ll return to action on Thursday when they go on the road to face Minnesota Valley Lutheran at 5 p.m.