Falcons Top D-E and PEM, End TRC Streak
Last year was a tough one for Fillmore Central/Lanesboro baseball. They took on the season with essentially a junior varsity and the result was a winless TRC campaign and a 1-20 overall record. Those things will not happen this year. Josh Jones’ crew notched back-to-back wins over TRC foes to end that losing streak. Hosting Dover-Eyota, the Falcons had three big innings, a four-run first, a six-run third, and a three-run fourth. FC/L ended things early, topping the Eagles 13-3 in five innings. Levi Rogers (2-3, R, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) and Joey Pederson (1-3, 2 R, 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) each drove in three runs while relieving starter Jarek Schultz, who collected the win (3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K). Lead-off man Thomas Pikula (2-4, 2 RBI) scored thrice. Clayton Schoepski (2-3, RBI, 2 R) and Bridon Bahl (2-3, RBI, R) also contributed. Hosting PEM a couple nights later, a five-run second and a three-run fourth got FC/L off to an 8-1 start. They prevailed 9-4. Pikula (4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1-4, 2 R) collected the win. He combined with Pederson (3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 K) to pitch a two-hitter. Rogers (1-3, 2 RBI, R) hit the Falcons’ first home run of the year. Pederson (2-4, RBI) and Tyson Sprenger (2-4, RBI, R) each had a double. C-Schoepski and Reid Olson with each 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Carter O’Connor (1-1) scored twice. PEM’s biggest hit was a seventh-inning two-run home run by Jace Schumacher (1-4, R). The Falcons (2-2, 3-3) evened both their TRC and overall records. They have won three in a row. Heading into the D-E game, FC/L had lost 19 straight league contests dating back to a win over Rushford-Peterson in 2023.
Warriors Handle Saints, Falcons North
Caledonia baseball allowed just three runs in 14 innings in notching back-to-back league wins. Shawn Bauer’s group handled St. Charles 3-1 behind Garrett Konz on the mound. The 6’6” senior struck out nine in earning the victory (7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB). He set down the final nine batters he faced. The Warriors led 2-1 thru six innings before Reid Klug authored an RBI-double to add an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Offensively, the Ginther brothers scored all three Warrior runs. Sophomore Tyson was 3-for-3 (2B, RBI, R) while senior Tanner was 2-for-4 (2B, 2 R). Jack Schmitz (2-3) also had multiple hits while Will Allen (1-2) had an RBI. Evan O’Bryan (6 2/3 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 K, Loss) nearly went the distance for the Saints. Hosting Wabasha-Kellogg, Caledonia had a five-run fourth to break a 0-0 tie. They scored four more in the fifth to make it 9-2, which held as the final. Allen (4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 8 K) collected the win, joining with Landon O’Heron (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K) to pitch a two-hitter. Allen (2-3, 2 R) and Konz (2-4, 2B, 3B) each had three RBI. Schmitz (2-3, 2B, RBI, 2 R) and Ben Stemper (2-2, 2 R) each also had multiple hits. Tan. Ginther (1-3, R), Ty. Ginther (1-3, R), and O’Heron (1-2, RBI, R) each also contributed offensively. W-K left 10 men on base, as Warrior pitching gave up 10 total free passes (eight walks, two hit batters). The Warriors (4-2, 4-3) have won three of four.
Three Rivers Conference Baseball (4/14 – 4/18)
La Crescent/Hokah 4, Chatfield 2 (C: Cole Ramaker 5 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 0-3, RBI; Kaisen Johnson 1-4, R; Sean Kirchner 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, Loss. The score was tied 2-2 after four. LCH plated a run each in the fifth and sixth innings. LCH had 10 hits, Chatfield four. Chatfield had four errors, the Lancers two)
Rushford-Peterson 9, Wabasha-Kellogg 1 (R-P: Jonah Bunke 3-3, 2 RBI, R; Creighton Hoiness 2-4, 2 R; Cole Thompson 1-3, RBI, R; Caden Johnson 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, Win, 1-3, 2B, R; Owen Lange 1-4, 3B, RBI, R. RP led 9-0 after five)
Chatfield 1, Rushford-Peterson 4 (R-P: Elias Johnson 4 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 K, Win; C. Hoiness 2-3, RBI, R; Zach Baker 2-4, R; J. Bunke 2-4, 2B; Cayden Lea 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, No Decision, 2-4. C: Westin Nolte 1-2, 2B. Chatfield > 1-3, 1-5)
Rushford-Peterson 2, La Crescent/Hokah 8 (R-P: C. Lea 2-3, R; Z. Baker 1-3, R; Carson Johnson 2-3, RBI; Cad. Johnson 1-2, RBI, 4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, Loss. LCH led 3-2 after four but scored two in the fifth and three in the sixth. R-P (3-1, 3-2) entered this game in second place behind the Lancers (3-0, 6-0) in the TRC-East. RP > 3-2, 3-3)
Southeast Conference Baseball (4/15)
GMLOK 14, Schaeffer Academy 2 [5] (GMLOK: C. Reiter 1-3, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R; Sam Howard 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI, R; Ira Schmidt 2-3, 2 RBI, 3 R; Logan Diemer 2-4, 3B, R; Carter Strobel 1-1, 2B, RBI, R, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, Win; Tyson Stevens 1-3, RBI, R; Blake Oeltjen 1-4, 2 RBI, R; Blake Hershberger 1-2, 2 R. Up 3-0, GMLOK had an 11-run fifth inning)
Non-Conference Baseball (4/17)
Cannon Falls 5, GMLOK 0 1 (GMLOK: C. Reiter 2-3; B. Hershberger 6 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, Loss. The game had just five total hits and the Bulldogs were credited with 9 errors. Four of five Bomber runs were unearned while Bomber pitcher Jack Meyers (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB) struck out 15. GMLOK 3-3, 3-6)
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