MILROY — The Marshall Black VFW team took on the Willmar VFW in a doubleheader on a beautiful Thursday night of baseball.

Marshall was able to sweep Willmar, thanks to brilliant pitching in game one and spectacular outfield defense in game two.

The first game featured a one-hit gem by Carson Mensink to win 9-0, and the second game was highlighted by some late game heroics by Rocco Rignell to give the Black a 3-2 walk off win.

In game one, Marshall started the game by scoring three runs in the first inning. Rignell drove in the first run, followed by Grant Lingl and Bennett Graven RBI base hits to give Marshall an early 3-0. That would be all they would need, since Carson Mensink was strong on the mound, not allowing a hit until there was one out in the seventh inning.

Marshall added a run in the second when Grady Wager scored. Marshall tacked on two more runs in the third, with RBI’s from Grant Lingl and Bennett Graven. Mensink scored a run for the Black in the fourth inning to make the score 6-0. Marshall ended the scoring by getting another run in he fourth and two more runs in the sixth inning, with Lingl and Graven each driving in a run. That would be more than enough for Carson Mensink, as he only allowed a one-out single by Quintin Peppin in the seventh inning to finish off a 9-0 victory.

“I was able to be efficient with my pitches, and we played well defensively. We also got timely hitting, and that is a good formula for winning,”Mensink said after his pitching gem.

Game two ended up being a defensive battle, combined with solid pitching on both sides.

Willmar struck first, with Jake Ellingson scoring on a double by Peppin. Marshall answered back in the second inning, with Lingl leading off with a double, moving to third on a wild pitch, and scoring a sacrifice fly.

Willmar regained the lead in the third when Dane Pearson lead off with a single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a passed ball. There could have been more damage that inning, but with two outs, Brady Fostervold was thrown out at home by a terrific throw from right field from Brendon Price.

Marshall tied it up in the fourth inning when Charlie Moline singled, advanced to third on two wild pitches, and scored on a Peyton Beek double. Neither team was able to score in the fifth and sixth innings, so it all came down to the last inning.

Hunter Butterfield led off for Willmar with a single. But after a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Jude Huselid singled to center. Rocco Rignell came up with a terrific throw to gun down Fostervold at third with the potential go-ahead run.

But Rignell wasn’t done with his great night just yet. Brenden Price looped a double down the left field line to start the inning. Then Mensink was intentionally walked.

After a wild pitch put runners on second and third with nobody out, Willmar decided to pitch to Rignell, and he promptly lined a single to left to give the Black a walk-off win.

Bennet Graven got the win in relief, coming in to pitch in the second inning with the bases loaded and nobody out and only surrendering only one run. He shut Willmar out the rest of the way, and gave Marshall a sweep of the doubleheader.