“We were down in both games, they were really tight ball games, and we avoided some things in the middle innings that kept us around at the end,” Marshall head coach Chace Pollock said. “We had the walk-off win in game 1, and then game 2 just broke through there in the bottom of the sixth and started just getting the ball in play.”

Andrew Lee put together a quality start for Marshall in the first game, and Noah Pieper earned the win in relief. Carson Mensink made his first varsity start in the second game, holding Montevideo without a hit for the first five innings and change, and Jack Bly and Eli Alcorn earned a win and a save, respectively.

“Obviously I was nervous, but I was just trying to throw strikes and trust my teammates a lot,” Mensink said. “It just felt like one of those days where I was throwing well, hitting my spots, and again just trusting my teammates. They did a really good job of backing me up today and making some plays.”

Each of the Tigers’ wins came over future Division I pitchers. The Tigers faced off against University of Iowa-commit Keaton Wojcik in the win over Mankato East, and University of St. Thomas-commit Griffin Epema in the win over Montevideo.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall third baseman Andrew Stelter makes a throw to first base during a non-conference baseball game against Montevideo, Saturday in Marshall.

Marshall improves to 16-3 on the year, and its 6-1 section record is the best in 2AAA. The Tigers next host New Ulm, second in the section at 5-2, in a pivotal game at Legion Field on Monday at 5:30 p.m. The Eagles handed the Tigers their lone section loss of the season, 18-8, on April 21. The game was still in progress at the time of print.

“I feel like we’re in a good spot. Pitching-wise, we’ve found all of the arms, or most of the arms, that we can throw. Probably not all of them yet, but pitching-wise, we’re really solid,” Stelter said. “Hitting is coming around really well too. Like this weekend, we’re facing two D1 arms and doing great.”

GAME 1

Marshall 2, Mankato East 1

Tyler Kraft singled with one out in the seventh to put the go-ahead run on base for Marshall in a 1-1 tie, but the Cougars struck out the next batter to put the Tigers’ backs against the wall. Still, Marshall remained disciplined at the plate. Levi Maeyaert walked and JR Vierstraete was hit by a pitch to load the bases when Bailey stepped up to the plate.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Marshall pitcher Carson Mensink throws from the mound during a non-conference baseball game against Montevideo, Saturday in Marshall.

Bailey fell behind 0-2 in the count, and fouled off the third pitch to stay alive. Still, he remained unfazed by the pressure, taking four straight balls to draw the walk and push across the game-winning run.

The Tigers trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but Stelter quickly got Marshall back into a tie when he swung at the first pitch of the inning and launched a homer over the right-field wall to knot up the score.

“Pitcher on the mound was a great pitcher, made it to [the University of] Iowa, so I was just looking to get in there, be confident in myself and what I’ve done and put the ball in play,” Stelter said. “I guess I put it in play and it went over the fence, so good things happen when you put it in play.”

Lee pitched the first five innings of the game for Marshall, striking out three batters while limiting Mankato East to two hits and five walks. He allowed a leadoff double in the first that eventually scored on a ground out, but he locked in to hold East scoreless for the remainder of his start.

Pieper threw two innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, holding Mankato East to one walk with no hits and a pair of strikeouts.

Marshall had eight different players account for its eight hits in the game, including a double from Maeyaert. Maeyaert, Bailey and Pieper each reached base twice with a hit and a walk.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 1-4 (HR), RBI, R, SO; L. Maeyaert: 1-3 (2B), BB, 2 SO; J. Vierstraete: 1-3, HBP, SB, SO; T. Bailey: 1-3, BB, RBI, 2 SO; N. Pieper: 1-2, BB, SO; El. Weedman: 1-3, 2 SO; Et. Weedman: 1-3, SO; T. Kraft: 1-3, R, SO.

PITCHING

A. Lee: 5 IP, 2 H, R, ER, 5 BB, 3 SO; N. Pieper: W, 2 IP, BB, 2 SO.

GAME 2

Marshall 3, Montevideo 1

Mensink was cool, calm and collected in his first varsity start. Holding the Thunderhawks hitless for the first 5 1/3 innings, he struck out three batters while giving up three hits and a walk with one earned run.

Marshall trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth but rallied when it mattered most. Lee led off the inning with a single and scored the tying run on a Maeyaert double with one out.

Still, the Tigers weren’t satisfied just being tied. Chase Alcorn singled to put runners on the corners when Bailey hit the go-ahead RBI single, and Jackson Sirovy followed up with an RBI single to give Marshall a two-run cushion.

“Just put the ball in play and good things happen,” Bailey said. “Coach always says that if there are guys in scoring position, just put the ball in play and good things happen, that’s how it goes.”

Jack Bly retired each of the first two batters of the seventh before giving up a walk and a single to put the tying run on, prompting a Marshall pitching change. With Eli Alcorn on the mound, Bailey caught a line drive at first to end the game, giving Bly the win and Alcorn the save.

Once again, the Tigers’ offense was well-rounded in the game with seven different batters accounting for the team’s seven hits. Marshall did not draw a walk in the game.

Both teams were scoreless through the first six innings, but with one out, Montevideo loaded the bases with three consecutive singles. Mensink got a strikeout to put two away before walking in the game’s first run, but Bly took over for the inning’s final at-bat and got a strikeout to keep the deficit at a single run.

Vierstraete hit a ground ball in the first inning and was injured on his sprint to first as he tried to beat out the throw. He did not return to the game.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 1-3, SO; L. Maeyaert: 1-3 (2B), RBI, R; C. Alcorn: 1-1, HBP, R, SB; T. Bailey: 1-3, RBI, SO; J. Sirovy: 1-3, RBI, SO; N. Pieper: 1-3, 2 SO; A. Lee: 1-2, R, SB.

PITCHING

C. Mensink: 5.2 IP, 3 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 6 SO; J. Bly: W, IP, H, BB, 2 SO; E. Alcorn: S, 0.1 IP.