Photo by Jake McNeill
Marshall Senior Legion second baseman Eli Weedman throws a ball to first base during the Marshall Mudcats’ season-opener against Sleepy Eye at Legion Field in Marshall on Monday.

Marshall next competes over the weekend at the Alexandria tournament.

GAME 1

Sleepy Eye 7, Marshall 6

Marshall broke the tie in the bottom of the third. With one out, Shep Jensen and Andrew Stelter hit back-to-back singles to put runners on base.

Eli Weedman sent a deep fly ball into left-center field for an RBI double to get Marshall on the board and Liam Kruse followed up by dropping a fly ball in between the third baseman and the left fielder for an RBI single. Josh Kraft also hit a sacrifice fly to score Weedman and cap off the inning with a 3-0 Marshall advantage.

Sleepy Eye plated its first run in the top of the fourth when Austin Uecker, Talan Helget and Cody Schultz singled consecutively to load the bases. Kruse struck out the next batter, before Kameron Kosak drove in Uecker on a ground out, but Josh Kraft took over for Marshall on the mound and got another strikeout to escape the inning without further damage.

Yet, Sleepy Eye again rallied in the fifth. With one out, Carson Uecker walked, Jon Petermann singled and Uecker walked to load the bases again. Kraft came up with a strikeout before hitting Schultz to force in a run, and Kayden Klein worked a walk to force in Petermann for the tying run. Braxton Koster took over on the mound from there, but Kosak took the first pitch he faced to the helmet to drive in the go-ahead run.

Kraft struck out three batters, but was charged with the loss after giving up three earned runs on a hit and three walks.

Kruse finished his start with a no-decision after throwing the first 3 2/3 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts.

Sleepy Eye continued to pad its lead in the top of the sixth. Carson Uecker got on base with a single, advanced on an Austin Uecker single with two outs and scored on a Helget single into left field. Schultz then lined a single into the gap to drive in another pair of runs for a 7-3 lead.

Marshall battled its way back into the game in the bottom of the sixth. Leyton Wherry drew a walk and scored on three passed balls. Andrew Stelter then doubled before scoring on a Weedman single and Liam Kruse doubled in Weedman to bring Marshall back within a run.

Schultz tossed the first five innings for Sleepy Eye to earn the win. He gave up three earned runs on eight hits and struck out four batters without allowing a walk.

In relief, Kessler Severson gave up three earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks over two innings

Sleepy Eye nearly plated a run in the seventh when Severson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. JR Vierstraete couldn’t handle a line-drive single from Colin Uecker at first, but he recovered in time to scoop the ball in the outfield and throw

it on the rope to home, where Levi Maeyaert made the inning-ending tag on Severson to save a run.

Maeyaert drew a walk with two outs to put the tying run on base, but Leyton Wherry’s hard-hit ball into left-center was caught for the final out.

GAME 2

Marshall 5,

Sleepy Eye 0

A fourth-inning offensive explosion gave Marshall the boost necessary to earn a redemption win in game 2. Weedman walked, advanced to third on a wild pitch and a ground out, and scored the game’s go-ahead run on a Kraft single.

Another walk by Koster put two runners on before Maeyaert hit an RBI double, and JR Vierstraete kept the momentum going with a two-run double. Marshall added in one last run when Tyson Louwagie reached base on an error with two outs to score Vierstraete, bringing Marshall’s lead to 5-0.

Owen Kesteloot put together a quality start for Marshall, throwing four scoreless innings before being pulled with two runners on in the fifth. He struck out three batters while giving up a pair of hits and a pair of walks, though he was charged with one unearned run after he left when a batter who reached on an error scored off a Helget single off of Logan Phillippe.

Sleepy Eye scored its first run in the top of the fifth when Eckstein reached on an error and scored on a Helget single. Yet, Marshall responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame; Vierstraete and Wherry singled, and Vierstraete stole home on a pick off attempt to first before Stelter doubled in Wherry for a 7-1 Marshall lead.

Tyler Mathiowetz threw the first four innings for Sleepy Eye, giving up four earned runs and one unearned run on six hits and four walks.

G Strong walked, advanced to third on a Kosak single and a ground out, and scored on an Austin Uecker single with two outs to cut the deficit to 7-2.