Photos by Lee Epps
All the drama came in a Junior Legion (16 & under) game with the Lions scoring three runs in the bottom of the final seventh inning to overtake Caledonia, 7-6. The 14 & under Lions were rained out.
RUSHFORD-PETERSON LEGION TOURNAMENT
Rushford-Peterson 20, Houston 3
Spring Grove 8, Lanesboro 1
THIRD PLACE: Lanesboro 11, Houston 5
CHAMPIONSHIP: Rushford-Peterson 7, Spring Grove 1
SG 8, Lanesboro 1
While Griffin was fanning 16 Burro batters in seven innings, the Lions out-hit the Burros only 6 to 5, but there was very little Spring Grove charity – only one walk, one error. Meanwhile, the Lions took advantage of seven walks, four of which resulted in runs. A Brandon Jahnke single plus three straight walks, a wild pitch, a passed ball and a throwing error yielded a 3-0 Spring Grove lead in the second inning.
For the Burros, Wilson Storhoff singled and scored on a clutch Cooper Ferrie two-out double to make it 3-1 in the third. The Lions, who added one insurance run without a hit in the fifth inning, had only two hits through the first five frames before four hits led to four runs in the sixth. The big blows were back-to-back RBI doubles from Caleb Griffin and Nathan Solberg.
Jahnke (2 for 3) and Jaxon Strinmoen (2 for 2) each had two hits and scored twice as Spring Grove finished with eight runs in both games of a season sweep of Lanesboro. The Burros (2-2) completed a season sweep of Houston with an 11-5 win in the third-place game.
SG 8, Lanesboro 1
Lb. 001 000 0 = 1 5 1
SG 030 014 x = 8 6 1
Left on base: SG 4, Lb 6
Stolen bases: SG 3, Lb 0
SG 6 hits (2 doubles, 4 singles): Jaxon Strinmoen 2-2, 2 runs, 1 steal; Brandon Jahnke 2-3, 2 runs; Caleb Griffin 1-2, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 1 steal; Nathan Solberg 1-4, double, RBI
Lanesboro 5 hits (1 double, 4 singles): Cooper Ferrie 2-3, double, RBI, Stefan Schultz 1-2; Payton Olson 1-3
PITCHING – SG
Isaac Griffin (WP) 7 innings, 5 hits, 1 run (1 earned), 1 walk, 16 strikeouts
PITCHING – Lanesboro
Jordan Peterson (LP) 2 innings, 1 hit, 3 runs (2 earned), 4 walks, 2 strikeouts
Adam Ruen 3 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 1 strikeout
Cooper Ferrie 0 2/3 innings, 2 hits, 2 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Records: SG 3-4, Lb 1-2
SG LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Ezra Griffin, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Caleb Griffin, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Zach Brumm, rf Jonah Udstuen
Rushford-Peterson 7, SG 1
Spring Grove pitchers allowed only three hits, but that was three more than allowed by Trojan starter Justin Ruberg (5 innings) and reliever Riley Tesch (2 innings). Lion batter Ezra Griffin came close in the final inning before an outstanding catch in left field by Trojan reserve Shane Rask preserved the no-hitter. The lone Lion run came in the sixth inning after Ben Udstuen was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on an overthrow to third base, the only Trojan error.
The highlights for the Lions came on defense with seventh grader Gabe Klug making a sliding, diving grab in center field and eighth grader Ben Udstuen making a sprinting, back-handed catch in right field.
R-P benefitted from 10 free passes – nine walks, one hit batter. The first Trojan batter of the game, Tommy Ebner, walked and eventually scored without the aid of a hit. Two of the three R-P hits came during a four-run rally that made it 5-0 in the third inning.
R-P 7, SG 1
SG 000 001 0 = 1 0 2
RP 104 020 x = 7 3 1
Left on base: SG 4, RP 7M
Stolen bases: SG 2, RP 5
SG 0 hits
RP 3 hits (1 double, 2 singles): Rylan Schneider 1-2, double, run; Riley Tesch 1-1, RBI; Justin Ruberg 1-4, RBI, run
PITCHING – SG
Jaxon Strinmoen (LP) 2 1/3 innings, 2 hits, 5 runs (4 earned), 7 walks, 0 strikeouts
Nathan Solberg 2 2/3 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
Jonah Udstuen 1 inning 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
PITCHING – R-P
Justin Ruberg (WP) 5 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 1 hit batter, 8 strikeouts
Riley Tesch 2 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 hit batters, 0 strikeouts
Records: SG 3-5
SG LINEUP: p Jaxon Strinmoen, c Ezra Griffin, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Caleb Griffin, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jonah Udstuen, cf Isaac Griffin, rf Ben Udstuen, dh/OF Gabe Klug
JUNIOR LEGION (16 & Under)
SG 7, Caledonia 6
For the second time in two games between these two teams, the home team won with a bases-loaded, walk-off walk. But in this rematch at Spring Grove, the Lions trailed 6-4 when they came to bat for the last time. Caleb Griffin led off with a walk and would later steal home to make it 6-5. Nathan Solberg singled and would score on an RBI single from Jaxon Strinmoen. Brandon Jahnke singled, went to second on the Strinmoen single, advanced to third on a walk to Ty Cleven and came across with the winning run when Jonah Udstuen drew a walk.
The Lions out-hit the Warriors 10 to 3 – but due to walks, hit batters and errors – trailed 5-0 before the first Caledonia hit drove in the sixth run. Spring Grove relief pitchers, Ben Udstuen and Brandon Jahnke, shut out the visitors through the final four innings while Lion bats fought back out of a six-run hole. Udstuen, an eighth grader, was outstanding during three-and-a-third scoreless innings on the hill – allowing only one hit while striking out four and walking none. Jahnke was credited with the pitching win after one inning of relief.
Solberg batted 3 for 4 with a 2-RBI double. Strinmoen went 2 for 4 while driving in three runs. The Junior Legion Lions improved to 3-1 with the lone loss coming in a 10-inning, three-hour marathon at Caledonia – ultimately decided by a bases-loaded walk.
SG 7, Caledonia 6
Cal 051 000 0 = 6 3 1
SG 002 200 3 = 7 10 4
Left on base: SG 8, Cal 8
Stolen bases: SG 2, Cal 2
SG 10 hits (2 doubles, 8 singles): Nathan Solberg 3-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, steal; Jaxon Strinmoen 2-4, 3 RBI; Gabe Klug 1-2, run; Caleb Griffin 1-3, double, 2 runs; Ben Udstuen 1-3, run; Zach Brumm 1-3; Brandon Jahnke 1-4, run
Cal 3 hits (1 double, 2 singles)
PITCHING – SG
Ty Cleven (LP) 1 inning, 0 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 3 walks
Jaxon Strinmoen 1 2/3 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, 4 strikeouts
Ben Udstuen 3 1/3 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts
Brandon Jahnke 1 inning, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks
PITCHING – Cal
Ben Stemper 3 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs (2 earned) 2 walks, 4 strikeouts
Reid Klug 2 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, (0 earned), 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Josh Beardmore (LP) 2 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs (3 earned) 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Records: SG 3-1
SG LINEUP: p Ty Cleven, c Logan Brumm, 1b Jaxon Strinmoen, 2b Caleb Griffin, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jonah Udstuen, cf Zach Brumm, rf Ben Udstuen, dh Gabe Klug
Spring Grove Legion Baseball (age 19 & under)
3 wins, 5 losses
W vs. Lanesboro 8-4
L at Lewiston 8-29
L vs. Dover-Eyota 1-10
L vs. Chatfield 4-10
L at Caledonia 0-10 (6 inn.)
W vs. St. Charles 6-5
W vs. Lanesboro 8-1
Spring Grove Junior Legion (age 16 & under)
3 wins, 1 loss
L at Caledonia 5-6 (10 innings)
W vs. Lewiston 8-7
W vs. Lewiston 3-1
W vs. Caledonia 7-6
Spring Grove 14 & under
3 wins, 9 losses
W at La Crosse Boys & Girls Club 10-2
L at La Crosse Boys & Girls Club 0-5
W vs. Tomah 6-4
L vs. Tomah 12-19
L vs. La Crescent 3-10
L vs Cochrane-Fountain City 2-14
L vs. Bangor 4-8
L vs. Caledonia 4-9
L vs. Caledonia 1-4
L at La Crosse Boys & Girls Club 4-5
W at La Crosse Boys & Girls Club 4-3
L vs. Goodview 11-21