“We kind of wiggled out of some jams there, but when we threw strikes, we were good today,” Marshall head coach Chace Pollock said. “Give their guy a lot of credit, he was a good pitcher and that was the difference in this thing.

Marshall’s second game of the day against Mankato West was still in progress at the time of print. Coverage of both games will be available in the online version of this article.

Jordan Ellingson singled and walks to Jake Ellingson and Alex Hoppe loaded the bases to start the game. Andrew Lee fielded a ground ball and turned a 6-4-3 double play to minimize the damage, but Jordan Ellingson scored on the play to give Willmar the lead.

JR Vierstraete broke up Hudson Sjoberg’s shutout bid to lead off the fourth, chopping a single past the shortstop. Yet, Ellingson retired each of the next two batters to keep the Tigers off the board.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall catcher Jackson Sirovy (back) makes a tag at the plate during a non-conference baseball game against Willmar, Friday in Marshall.

Tyler Kraft took the mound with one out and runners on first and second in the fourth inning. He got a ground out to put one away, but consecutive walks to Logan Fagerlie and Jordan Ellingson pushed across one run.

Logan Phillippe was charged with the loss for Marshall, giving up a pair of earned runs on two hits and four walks over 3 1/3 innings. Kraft threw another 3 2/3, giving up one unearned run with no outs on two walks.

Another pair scored when Jake Ellingson got on base via a Marshall error. Vierstraete eventually fielded the loose ball and made the throw home, where Jackson Sirovy made the tag to end the inning with Willmar leading 4-0.

With one out in the fifth, Sirovy hit a double deep to left field and advanced to third to get into scoring position. An Andrew Lee walk put runners on the corners, and Keynan Coequyt — in as a courtesy runner for Sirovy — beat the throw home on a Stelter ground ball to get Marshall on the scoreboard.

Eli Weedman followed up with a ground ball to second, beating the throw to first base after Willmar got the out at second. Yet, Stelter was called for interference on his slide into second, nullifying the run and leaving the Tigers still trailing 4-1.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall shortstop Andrew Lee fields a ground ball at shortstop during a non-conference baseball game against Willmar, Friday in Marshall.

Sjoberg pitched all seven innings for Willmar, striking out six batters and holding Marshall to one earned run on four hits and four walks.

“His velocity was good. I mean, he was popping today,” Pollock said. “We got better as the game went along, but we had some good at-bats against him. I think we ended with four hits, a couple of those balls could have gone either way. Look at the way the game ended, the kid makes the pick at first base. He doesn’t make that pick, all of a sudden the tying run’s on second. Could have gone either way today, all-in-all I thought there was some good and some bad.”

Sirovy accounted for two of Marshall’s four hits, including the Tigers’ lone extra-base hit, while Lee also reached base twice with a pair of walks.

After a 7-0 start, the Tigers now sit at 7-2. After the nightcap against Mankato West, Marshall next hosts New Ulm on Monday at 5:30 p.m.