Photo by Ari Selvey Marshall’s Bennett Graven looks towards first after scoring the go-ahead run during a VFW baseball game against Sleepy Eye Monday at Leavenworth Ballpark on Monday.

LEAVENWORTH — Marshall VFW and Sleepy Eye VFW both saw strong defensive performances in a VFW baseball game Monday at Leavenworth Ballpark, but in the end it was Marshall that came away with the 3-2 victory.

Carson Mensink earned the win for Marshall in relief, shaking off an early line drive hit back at him to strike out five and allow one earned run on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Jack Bly got the start for Marshall, striking out five and allowing one hit and no runs in 3 2/3 innings.

“I thought Jack Bly and Mensing both threw well,” Marshall VFW head coach Charlie Jacobson said. “Carson got stuck in a couple big jams in the end there in the sixth and seventh innings, and for him to compete especially after he took that line drive off the hip early on, that was good to see. He’s a tough kid, obviously he’s going to go out there and compete. And same for Bly.”

At the plate for Marshall, Rocco Rignell was 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Grant Lingl had a hit and a run scored. Mensink had a hit and an RBI, Brendan Price had an RBI and Bennett Graven had a run scored.

Derek Wales took the loss in relief for Sleepy Eye, striking out one and allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. Adam Braulick made the start, striking out three and allowing one unearned run on three hits in 4 1/3 innings. At the plate, Wales was 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Braulick was 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Jared Portner had a hit and a run scored. 

In such a low-scoring game, Marshall came up with several defensive holds with Sleepy Eye base runners in position. Meanwhile, the Marshall offense was able to get that extra hits when they had the opportunity.

“I think it’s just never giving up,” Jacobson said. “I think Price there in the sixth inning put that ball in play and they made an error, turned it into a score and that’s all we ask for. Put the ball in play, and good things will happen when we put the ball into play.”

The scoring had to wait until the fourth inning. Lingl singled and advanced to second on a walk drawn by Bly. Lingl took third on a passed ball, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Price to take a 1-0 lead. 

Sleepy Eye got the run back in the bottom of the fifth, with singles from Portner and Wales and a sacrifice bunt by Jaxon Saenz setting up Braulick for an RBI single to tie the game. However, Marshall scored again in the sixth on an error put into play by Price that scored Graven. 

Marshall tacked on one more run in the seventh error as a single by Rignell was followed by a single by Mensink that brought Rignell home for a 3-1 lead. Sleepy Eye rallied in the bottom of the seventh, bringing home Wales on a single by Braulick, but once again came up short with more runners in scoring position as Marshall escaped with the win.