Alexandria went undefeated over the weekend to repeat as tournament champions this year after doing the same last year, where the Mudcats were runners-up.

“We saw some really good arms. We’ve seen that in the first two tournaments of the year. That’s what we like about our legion schedule. When we go to Alexandria, you’re guaranteed to see a handful of good arms, and then at the home tournament, we expect to see the same thing,” head coach Mitch Maxwell said. “I think over the course of the weekend, we come out of this thing 2-2, and nothing to hang our heads about.”

Marshall moves to 5-4 on the season, and will return to the field Tuesday to host New Ulm at 6 p.m.

GAME 1

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Andrew Stelter smiles while throwing the ball in from shortstop on Sunday against Renner during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.

MARSHALL 10, KM 0 (5 inn.)

Marshall got off to a fast start to open the tournament Friday night, building its 10-run lead following the first three innings while Tyler Kraft also pitched a one-hitter with no walks.

The Mudcats ultimately put the game away behind a six-run third inning, to add onto the four they scored the frame prior.

Ethan Boeck got the third-inning rally started with a two-run RBI single to score both Andrew Lee and Chase Alcorn. Both Lee and Alcorn walked to reach base.

“I feel like we swung it well. We got after that good lefty-arm [pitcher], he threw hard,” Boeck said. “We got some good at-bats, worked a lot of walks, and got a couple runs off of it.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Noah Frazee lays down a successful bunt against Renner on Sunday day during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.

Boeck eventually got into scoring position and scored on a wild pitch, just as Marshall proceeded to get the bases loaded as Kasson-Mantorville faced some pitching struggles.

Yet, Marshall continued to take advantage, with Keynan Coequyt scoring after Trae Bailey was hit by a pitch. Alcorn then got in on the action and hit a two-run RBI single as well after getting a fly ball to land perfectly in the right-center field gap to score both Andrew Stelter and Ethan Weedman to give the Mudcats a 10-run advantage. Both Stelter and Weedman walked to reach base.

Kraft finished his complete-game shutout with four strikeouts, no walks while allowing just one hit.

Marshall’s first four runs came in the second inning from Alcorn, Noah Frazee, Coequyt and Lee.

“Once you see the guy ahead of you get on, you just want to keep the line moving and keep the runs scoring,” Boeck said. “We put up six in that one inning, so just keep the line moving. It was a good job.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Andrew Lee throws to first after fielding the ball against Kasson-Mantorville on Friday during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.

Alcorn scored on an RBI double from Frazee, while the Mudcats again got the bases loaded that allowed Frazee to eventually score when Stelter was walked. Both Coequyt and Lee scored on a Weedman single with a line drive to right field.

Putting a staple to the already impressive performance, Marshall wrapped up the game with the final out in the top of the fifth coming from a Bennett Graven successful throw-down from behind the plate to Boeck at second base, to tag a runner out attempting to steal second.

“Tyler pitched a good game, he threw strikes and got outs,” Boeck said. “That was a beautiful throw from Bennett. It was right on the money, got the guy out by a couple steps, and game over.”

BOX SCORE

BATTING

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Chase Alcorn leads off of second base against Kasson-Mantorville on Friday during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.

A. Stelter: 0-1, R, RBI, 2 BB; E. Weedman: 1-2, R, 2 RBI, BB; T. Bailey: 0-2, RBI; C. Alcorn: 1-1, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB; N. Frazee: 1-3, R, RBI; A. Lee: 0-1, 2 R, 2 BB; E. Boeck: 1-3, R, 2 RBI; K. Coequyt: 0-1, 2 R, BB.

PITCHING

T. Kraft: 5 IP, 4 SO, H.

GAME 2

MARSHALL 5, JAMESTOWN 3

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Keynan Coequyt scores a run against Kasson-Mantorville on Friday during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.

A five-run fourth inning gave Marshall everything it needed to win its second game of the tournament on Saturday. The Mudcats faced a slight deficit, but were able to take the lead and hang on to it for a 5-3 win over Jamestown.

The Eagles struck first with a run in the third inning, and attempted to take back their lead with another pair of runs in the fifth, but Marshall’s fourth-inning rally was ultimately enough for the victory.

Marshall got bases loaded early in the fourth with its first three batters. Stelter walked, Weedman had a base hit while Bailey laid down a bunt and reached base following an Eagles’ defensive error.

Stelter scored the first run after Alcorn walked, while Weedman followed close behind in the next at-bat after Kraft hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give Marshall the 2-1 edge.

Bailey and Alcorn then scored with the help of a Frazee and Cannon Craigmile hit, respectively. Frazee ran in the final run of the inning immediately after on a Coequyt sacrifice fly for a Mudcats’ 5-1 lead.

Jamestown chipped into Marshall’s lead in the top of the fifth in its next plate appearance behind a two-run RBI, following a Mudcats’ fielding error, but Marshall halted any more Eagles’ momentum after a pair of outfield catches by Weedman and Coequyt.

Frazee pitched a majority of the game through six innings for the win, retiring six batters while allowing two walks and four hits. Stelter came in the final inning for the save, striking out two batters without a hit or walk.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 0-2, R, BB; E. Weedman: 1-3, R; T. Bailey: 0-2, R, BB; C. Alcorn: 0-1, R, RBI, BB; T. Kraft: 0-2, RBI; N. Frazee: 0-3, R, RBI; C. Craigmile: 1-3, RBI; K. Coequyt: 0-2, RBI.

PITCHING

N. Frazee: 6 IP, 6 SO, 4H, ER, 2BB; A. Stelter: 1 IP, 2 SO.

GAME 3

DAKOTA VALLEY 4, MARSHALL 2

Despite battling late to come back, Marshall came up short in its second game on Saturday with a 4-2 loss to Dakota Valley. The Mudcats scored a run each in the sixth and seventh innings, but weren’t able to fully overcome the early deficit.

The Panthers struck early and held Marshall without a run through the first five innings. Dakota Valley scored a pair of runs in the second inning, and added some insurance with one in the first and fourth.

Alcorn led Marshall offensively going 2 for 3 at the plate along with accounting for one of the runs.

Stelter scored the Mudcats’s first run in the bottom of the sixth following a ground-out from Weedman. Stelter initially reached base after being hit at the plate, and proceeded to steal second and advanced to third on a Panthers’ error.

Alcorn then brought Marshall within two runs after scoring in the bottom of the seventh with a Frazee RBI single. Alcorn hit a leadoff double on a line drive to center field to get some Marshall momentum started.

Yet, Dakota Valley got three straight outs to end the game following Alcorn’s score with a pair of strikeouts and an outfield catch.

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 0-2, R; E. Weedman: 0-3, RBI; C. Alcorn: 2-3, R; B. Graven: 1-1; N. Frazee: 1-3, RBI.

PITCHING

B. Graven: 6 IP, SO, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB.

RENNER 5, MARSHALL 4

Seeing a competitive defensive battle in Marshall’s final game of the weekend tournament on Sunday, the Mudcats took an early 4-0 lead but Renner found its offense in the final inning to secure the come-from-behind win to hand Marshall a 5-4 loss.

Marshall scored all four of its runs in the third inning to build its four-run lead, yet Renner found a quick response in scoring two runs in the fourth. Following a pair of scoreless innings by both teams, the Royals ultimately embarked on a three-run rally in their last at-bat in the seventh to take the lead.

“We talked before the game about preparation and making sure that we’re ready as soon as we come to the ballpark, and I thought that they did that,” Maxwell said. “We were pretty locked in, I thought more in this game maybe than we even were in the two games that we won. So, I like that effort from them. Yeah, in the [third] inning we were able to get on, get over and get them in, so I’m proud of them for that.”

The first of the Royals’ three runs in the seventh inning came off an RBI single where the ball took a bounce off third base and proceeded up the foul line, allowing a runner at third enough time to charge home.

Renner then got bases loaded, and on a full count with two outs, hit a two-run RBI double on a line drive to right field to take the 5-4 lead.

Coequyt made an impressive diving catch in right field for the final out in the next at-bat to stop Renner from deepening its lead.

But, the Royals held Marshall off in the bottom of the seventh looking for a tie or walk-off behind two infield fly-ball catches and a strikeout.

Prior to the comeback, Marshall initially caught fire in the third inning to score its four runs.

Stelter got the action started with a leadoff double on a line drive to deep left field, and scored the first run on a sacrifice fly from Bailey. Graven then reached base on a single, and scored off an Alcron RBI double to center field.

The hits kept coming, and Kraft sent home Alcorn on a single to left field, and Kraft scored the final run with the help of an RBI single from Coequyt.

Alcorn also went 3 for 4 at the plate with a run and RBI to lead Marshall.

Despite the loss, the game was competitive in all aspects between the Mudcats and Royals. Marshall finished with 10 hits and one error, to Renner’s eight hits and no errors.

Stelter, a primary infield defender, had to step up for his team and take on pitching duties twice over the weekend for an inning, against Renner on Sunday and in the win against Jamestown on Saturday. Weedman got the start against the Royals, battling through the first five innings and tossed five strikeouts.

“Both Ethan and Andrew, we’re short a few arms right now, so they’ve been asked to do something that they wouldn’t typically be asked to do. We knew going into the summer, we’re going to play a lot of baseball, and those guys were going to see some mound time, but didn’t think that it would be a couple times this weekend already,” Maxwell said. “Ethan did a great job, threw a great game. I thought Stelter did a good job, too. Sometimes, you gotta tip your cap to the other team. They were patient in that last inning, drew a walk or two, and then the kid hit a ball, it hits a ramp at third and goes over Weedman’s head, and those are tough-luck things that can happen in baseball. Then, the kid worked a 3-2 count with two outs, drove the ball the other way and put the go-ahead run up.”

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 2-4, R; E. Weedman: 1-4, R; T. Bailey: 0-4, RBI; C. Alcorn: 3-4, R, RBI; T. Kraft: 2-3. R, RBI, BB; N. Frazee: 1-2, BB; K. Coequyt: 1-3, RBI.

PITCHING

E. Weedman: 5.1 IP, 5 SO, 5 H, 2 ER, 3 BB; A. Stelter: 1.2 IP, SO, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Tyler Kraft throws to first for an out against Kasson-Mantorville on Friday during the Wood Bat Tournament at Legion Field in Marshall.