Marshall Mudcats 8,

Mankato National 4

MANKATO — A leadoff homer from Andrew Stelter set the tone for the Marshall Mudcats in their game against Mankato National Legion on Tuesday. The hits kept coming from there, and Marshall shut out Mankato for the final five innings of the 8-4 Mudcat victory.

In addition to Stelter’s solo home run, which came on the third pitch of the game, Eli Weedman also scored in the first after he walked, advanced to third on an error and scored on a JR Vierstraete ground out.

Liam Kruse earned the win on the mound for Marshall with a complete-game outing. He struck out seven batters on the day while giving up three earned runs on six hits and a walk.

Mankato took its lone lead of the day in the bottom of the first. Charlie Hudrlik hit a leadoff single before scoring on an Evan Maes double, and Emmitt Rentas singled in Maes for the tying run. Gavin Torvick also hit an RBI single to give Mankato a 3-2 lead before Weedman turned a 4-6-3 double-play to escape the inning.

Marshall promptly took the lead in the top of the second and retained it for the remainder of the game. Owen Kesteloot and Leyton Wherry hit back-to-back singles to put the go-ahead run on base, and Weedman reached on an error with two outs to load the bases.

The rally continued with Kruse hitting a game-tying RBI single and Levi Maeyaert was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. JR Vierstraete then reached on an error by Torvick at third to score two more runs and give Marshall a 6-3 advantage.

Marshall had six hits from six different players, with Stelter and Weedman each reaching base twice on a hit and a walk. Maes led Mankato with a double, a single and two RBIs.

After three scoreless innings, Marshall added a pair of insurance runs in the final two frames. Stelter walked before scoring on a Weedman single in the sixth, and Vierstraete walked before scoring on a Deagan Maurice single in the seventh.

Brant Kenward took the loss for Mankato after allowing five unearned runs and one earned run over two innings of relief. Torvick also pitched two shutout innings, Mason Schreiber pitched one and Avery Matejcek and Rentas each gave up one earned run over one inning of relief for Mankato.

BOX SCORE

Marshall

Batting

A. Stelter: 1-3 (HR), BB, RBI; E. Weedman: 1-3, RBI, BB; L. Kruse: 1-4, RBI; L. Maeyaert: 0-3, HBP, RBI; J. Vierstraete: 0-3, RBI, BB; D. Maurice: 1-4, RBI; O. Kesteloot: 1-3, HBP; L. Wherry: 1-4.

Pitching

L. Kruse: W, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

Mankato National

Batting

C. Hudrlik: 1-4; E. Maes: 2-3 (2B), 2 RBI; E. Rentas: 1-3, RBI; B. Kenward: 0-2, BB; G. Torvick: 1-3, RBI; A. Matajcek: 1-3.

Pitching

B. Kenward: L, 2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 1 BB; G. Torvick: 2 IP, 2 SO; M. Schreiber: 1 IP, 2 SO; A. Matejcek: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB; E. Rentas: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO.

Marshall Mudcats 8,

Mankato American 7

MANKATO — In its second game of the day, the Marshall Mudcats held a seven-run lead through three innings against Mankato American before Mankato surged back. The game came down to the final out, but the Mudcats retired consecutive batters to leave three Mankato runners stranded and hold on for an 8-7 win.

Marshall held an 8-5 lead heading into the final frame when Mankato threatened to spoil the Mudcats’ lead. Caeden Willaert and Caden Hansen drew consecutive walks and, after Marshall took out Logan Phillippe for Logan Miller on the mound, Koltin Kolbinger hit an RBI single to put the tying run at first and bring the winning run to the plate.

The rally continued when Alex Fast reached base on a ground ball error, scoring Hansen and putting runners on first and second with no outs.

From there, Phillippe locked in. He struck out one batter before hitting another to load the bases. Still, Phillippe came up with a clutch strikeout and induced a pop out to end the game with Marshall’s lead still intact.

Marshall’s big second inning started with Deagan Maurice getting hit by a pitch and Owen Kesteloot singling. Leyton Wherry then drew a walk to load the bases with two outs and Andrew Stelter was hit by a pitch to push across the first run of the frame.

Kesteloot and Wherry scored on a pair of wild pitches and Eli Weedman doubled in Stelter. Levi Maeyaert then hit an RBI single to bring Marshall’s lead to 6-0.

Kesteloot pitched the first four innings for Marshall to earn the win. He limited Mankato to two earned runs on two hits and five walks while striking out four batters.

In relief, Phillippe gave up one earned run on three walks with three strikeouts over three frames, while Miller pitched one shutout inning.

Mankato faced a 7-0 deficit heading into the fifth inning when its offense started to click. American drew three consecutive walks to start the inning and got on the scoreboard with back-to-back RBI singles and a wild pitch to cut Marshall’s lead to 7-3. An error then allowed another pair of runs to score, bringing Mankato within two runs.

Maeyaert gave Marshall what would be a much-needed insurance run in the top of the sixth when he drew a walk and then scored on a Kesteloot single with two outs.

The Mudcats first got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first when Stelter walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error by Mankato catcher Austin Hendley and scored on a passed ball.

Stelter and Weedman each had a pair of hits in the game.

With two outs in the third, Shep Jensen was hit by a pitch and scored on a Stelter single to give Marshall a seven-run cushion.

Jacob Langworthy was charged with the loss for Mankato, giving up three earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks over two innings. Nate Bridger and Grant Quam each gave up one earned run over two innings for Bridger and one for Quam.

Marshall improves to 8-7 on the season with the pair of wins and will look to remain over .500 when it heads to South Dakota for a doubleheader against Watertown on Thursday at 5 p.m.

BOX SCORE

Marshall

Batting

A. Stelter: 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, HBP, SB; E. Weedman: 2-5 (2B), RBI; L. Kruse: 0-4, BB; L. Maeyaert: 1-3, RBI, BB, HBP; J. Vierstraete: 1-5; D. Maurice: 1-4, HBP; O. Kesteloot: 1-3; L. Phillippe: 1-2, RBI; S. Jensen: 1-3, HBP; L. Wherry: 1-2, 2 BB.

Pitching

O. Kesteloot: W, 4 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO; L. Phillippe: 2 IP, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO; L. Miller: IP, H, 2 SO.

Mankato National

Batting

M. Diede: 0-3, 2 BB; Z. Bosse: 1-3, RBI, BB; C. Willaert: 1-3, RBI, BB; C. Hansen: 1-3, BB; K. Kolbinger: 1-4, 3 RBI; A. Fast: 0-4, RBI; A. Hendley: 0-2, HBP, BB; J. Hanson: 0-2, 2 BB, SB

Pitching

J. Langworthy: L, 2 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, SO; N. Bridger: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 SO; G. Quam: 3 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO

Slayton JL 6, Marshall Orange 3

SLAYTON — The Slayton Junior Legion baseball team put together a seventh-inning rally to break a 3-3 tie and claim a 6-3 win over Marshall VFW Orange on Tuesday night.

With the game all tied up, Evan Joens reached base on an error, and a Dugan Kluis walk and a Tristan Behrends single loaded the bases with one out. Two go-ahead runs scored when Krew Schneider reached base on an error and Carter Lewis hit a sacrifice fly into left field to give Slayton a 6-3 lead.

A Jack Bly single and a Brendan Price walk brought the tying run to the plate for Marshall with two outs in the bottom of the frame, but Cayden Veldhuisen struck out the final batter to seal the win for Slayton.

Veldhuisen earned the win on the mound with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, limiting Marshall to a hit and a walk with a strikeout. Kluis pitched the first 4 2/3 frames, allowing three earned runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts.

Marshall trailed by a pair of runs through three innings before Price was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a Jaxsen Bednarek walk with two outs and scored on a Rocco Rignell single. Carson Mensink then singled to load the bases and Charlie Moline walked in the tying run.

An inning later, Bly singled and was replaced on first when Price reached on a fielder’s choice. Grady Wajer then tripled in Price with two outs for the go-ahead run.

Slayton tied the game at three runs apiece when Lewis and Veldhuisen reached on back-to-back errors with one out. Lewis then scored on a wild pitch with two outs to tie the game before a ground out ended the rally.

Levi Kraft was charged with the loss for Marshall, allowing four unearned runs over 1 2/3 innings of relief with three hits and two walks allowed. Rocco Rignell got a no-decision in his start after allowing one earned and one unearned run over three innings, while Isaac Roberts and Carter Phillippe each pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Schneider had four RBIs without a hit for Slayton while Behrends logged a double and a single in the win. Bly led Marshall with a pair of singles, Price recorded a single and a walk and Bennett Graven walked twice.

Behrends reached on an error before scoring the game’s first run on a Schneider ground out in the first, and Noah Frisk was hit by a pitch before scoring on a Behrends double in the second.

Marshall falls to 10-7 on the year and next hosts Minneota on Friday at 11:30 a.m. while Slayton hosts Pipestone on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

Marshall

Batting

R. Rignell: 1-4, RBI; C. Mensink: 1-4; C. Moline: 0-2, RBI, BB, HBP; B. Graven: 0-2, 2 BB; J. Bly: 2-4; B. Price: 1-1, 2 HBP, BB, SB; G. Wajer: 1-3 (3B), RBI, HBP; J. Bednarek: 0-2, BB.

Pitching

R. Rignell: 3 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO; I. Roberts: IP, SO; C. Phillippe: IP, H; L. Kraft: L, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB; B. Price: 0.1 IP. 

Slayton

Batting

D. Kluis: 1-3, BB, SB; T. Behrends: 2-4 (2B), SB; K. Schneider: 0-3, 4 RBI; C. Lewis: 0-2, RBI, BB, SB; C. Veldhuisen: 1-4. D. Larson: 1-4, SB. E. Gillette: 0-2, BB. L. Kopperud: 0-1, HBP. N. Frisk: 2 HBP. 

Pitching

D. Kluis: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO; C. Veldhuisen: W, 2.1 IP, H, BB, SO.

Minneota 7, Patriots 4 

A four-run third inning and a no-hitter pitching performance from Mason Javers through his four innings on the mound led the Minneota Junior Legion Vultures to a 7-4 victory over the 16U Patriots Tuesday evening on the road. 

Javers earned the win, tossing six strikeouts while allowing three walks and one earned run with no hits. He also had the night’s largest hit with a double, and went 2 for 4 at the plate. 

The Patriots were the first to get on the board with a run in the first inning, however Minneota took control of the game in the fourth with runs from Seth Paluch, Kaden Christensen, Ian Myhre and Creed Stassen.

Stassen’s infield grounder allowed both Christensen and Myhre to score off a Patriots’ error. 

Christensen helped lead the Vultures offensively going 2 for 3 at-bat, while RJ Sorensen and Sawyer Bradley each recorded one RBI on the night. 

Although the Patriots attempted to comeback late in the bottom of the seventh with two runs, Minneota was able to hold off for the win after creating a cushioned-lead with another two runs in the fifth and one more in the top of the final frame. 

Myhre relieved Javers on the mound in the fifth inning, and threw one strikeout with four walks and two hits. Owen Dalager finished the final two innings with a trio of strikeouts and four walks. 

Overall, Minneota finished with five hits and five errors, to the Patriots’ two hits and six errors. 

The win marks three straight for the Vultures, who improve to 5-7 on the season. 

BOX SCORE

Minneota

Batting

K. Christensen: 2-3, 1 BB; I. Myhre: 0-3, 1 BB; M. Javers: 2-4 (2B); C. Stassen: 0-3, 1 BB; L. Pohlen: 0-2, 1 BB, HBP; R. Sorensen: 0-3, RBI, 1 BB; S. Bradley: 0-2, RBI, 1 BB, HBP; S. Paluch: 1-4. 

Pitching

M. Javers: 4 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO; I. Myhre: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 SO; O. Dalager: 2 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 SO.