BROOKINGS — Carson Mensink helped lead the Marshall VFW Orange 15U baseball team to a pair of wins on the first day of a weekend tournament in Brookings, S.D., behind a strong batting performance in the first game followed up with competitive pitching the second game. Marshall won the first game against the Minneota Junior Legion Vultures 9-5, and defeated the Yankton Blacksox 16U team 10-1 in five innings. 

Marshall recorded nine hits and four errors in the first game to Minneota’s five hits and five errors. VFW then had back-to-back four-run innings in the second game to help get into mercy-rule territory, along with its six hits and no errors. Yankton was limited to just three hits with one error. 

Marshall (12-7) returns to the field today for another two games in Brookings, with one more on Sunday. They’ll start the day off against Beresford Post 72 at 10:30 a.m., and will face the East River Nationals at 1 p.m. 

GAME 1

Marshall 9, Minneota 5 

Marshall took an early lead by scoring three runs in both the first and second innings, and topped the game off with another trio of runs in the fifth inning for a 9-5 victory against the Vultures. Minneota attempted to rally back with three of its own in the fourth, along with one in the second and sixth, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to fully come back from its early deficit. 

Mensink went 3 for 4 at the plate, including a triple, along with a team-high three RBIs. 

VFW got its offense started in the first inning with a Grant Lingl RBI single to score Charlie Moline, followed up with Bennett Graven and Lingl taking home after a Minneota error during J Bly’s at-bat. 

The early momentum carried Marshall the rest of the way, with six different players recording at least one hit throughout the afternoon. 

Minneota’s three runs in the fourth came by Creed Stassen scoring on an error, and a Seth Paluch two-run RBI single. 

Jack Bly was credited with the win on the mound, pitching six innings with six strikeouts while allowing two walks, two earned runs and four hits. 

Isaac Roberts relieved the final inning, and tossed a pair of strikeouts with three walks and one hit. 

For Minneota, Paluch led offensively with two RBIs on his one hit. 

Kaden Christensen was the starting pitcher for the first two innings, throwing one strikeouts while allowing three walks and three earned runs. Ian Myhre stepped in as relief the final four innings, and finished with two strikeouts, also with three walks and earned runs.

BOX SCORE 

Marshall

K. Christensen: 2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO; I Myhre: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO. 

GAME 2

Marshall 10, Yankton 1 (5 inn.) 

Moline brought in a game-high four RBIs against the Yankton Blacksox while Mensink pitched all five innings for six strikeouts, while allowing just three hits and one earned run in Marshall’s 10-1 five-inning win in its second game of the day. 

Moline and Grady Wager each hit a double, and VFW only went scoreless in the fourth inning. 

To spark Marshall’s offense in the second inning, Wager doubled on a fly ball to right field that allowed Price to score. 

Wajer eventually stole home on a wild pitch, and Moline right after hit a sacrifice fly to center field that gave Gavin Williams enough time to take home after tagging up. 

In the third inning when Marshall scored another four runs, Rocco Rignell was hit by a pitch with bases loaded to send home Peyton Beek from third. Price then scored off a Mensink sacrifice, while both Wajer and Rignell went home off a Moline double line drive to center field. 

Yankton’s lone run of the game came in the bottom of the third inning with two outs off an RBI double. 

BOX SCORE 

Marshall

Batting

S. Kampshoff: 2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO. S. Maibaum: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO.