Baseball/Softball: GMLOK/M-C/Houston SEC Triangle

The last week of the SEC baseball/softball seasons ended with GMLOK at M-C (doubleheaders), GMLOK at Houston, and M-C at Houston; an SEC triangular of sorts. Five of eight contests were competitive. The GMLOK/M-C series had three close games. In Mabel, Bulldog softball pulled the sweep. In the first, GMLOK’s Lucie Voigt had two-run triple, and then scored, to break a 0-0 game in the top of the fifth (five-inning game). M-C scored twice in the bottom but left the tying run on second. GMLOK prevailed 3-2. Voigt (1-1, 3B, 2 RBI, R) and Aspen Kolling (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K, Win) led GMLOK. MC was led by Hope Erickson (1-3, 2B, RBI), Kira Snyder (1-3, R), and Tylar Wenthold (5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 11 K, Loss). Game two saw GMLOK plate runs via RBI walk and fielder’s-choice in the second to lead 6-4. Said score stood as the final. Voigt (2-3, RBI), Jaelee Hagstrom (1-3, 2 R), and Kolling (5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 2 K, Win, 1-2, R) did work for the Bulldogs. Wenthold (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI, 4 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 6 K, Loss) and Ella Halverson (1-2, R) led the Cougars. It was GMLOK’s fifth straight win. The baseball games took place in Spring Valley. The first five-inning contest was tied 3-3 after five. M-C scored four in the top of the

sixth on just one hit, to lead 7-3, the final. Jordan Larson (3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R) led M-C, helped by Milton Hutchinson (1-3, 2B, RBI, R), Darian Hershberger (2-3, R), and Isaac Underbakke (5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, Win). Caden Reiter (2-3, R), Blake Oeltjen (1-2, 2B, R), Parker Johnson (1-2, 2B), and Connor Munson (5 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, No Decision) paced GMLOK. M-C ended a 10-game losing streak. They then took game two handily, 11-2 (in five). Tyler Larson (2-2) had five RBIs. Cayden Tollefsrud (1-2, 2 RBI, 3 R, 4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, Win), Kale Tollefsrud (2-3, 2 R), Underbakke (0-0, 2 RBI, 2 R), J-Larson (1-3, 2 RBI), and Hutchinson (1-2, 2B, R) helped. Munson (2-2, three SB), Johnson (1-3, 2B, R), Sam Howard (1-2, 2B), and Oeltjen (1-2, RBI) led the Bulldogs. GMLOK and Houston then played Wednesday. Hurricane softball, fresh off getting swept in the SEC-deciding doubleheader versus Southland, took out their frustrations. They jumped out 11-0 and prevailed 12-5. Emily Botcher (2-3, two 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R), Lilly Carr (2-4, 2 RBI, R, 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, Win), Olivia Beckman (2-4, RBI, 2 R), Ellasyn Carrier (2-2, R), Olivia Yohe (1-3, 3 RBI), and Julia Swenson (1-1, 2 RBI, 2 R) did work. GMLOK was led by Hailee Warren (2-3, RBI, R), Hagstrom (1-4, RBI, R), Cheyenne Bakken (2-3, R), and relief pitcher Caisa Kolling (3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, No Decision). Baseball went down to the wire. The Bulldogs led 3-0 until Morgan Rohweder hit a two-run home run in the fourth to make it 3-2. Houston then led 4-3 after five. After tying it in the sixth, GMLOK successfully pulled off the delayed

double-steal, plating winning run Cole Kruegel. Houston got a runner to second in the bottom of the seventh, but Logan Olson’s hotshot was snagged on a diving play by Bulldog shortstop Parker Johnson, who then threw to get out number three at first, clinching the 5-4 GMLOK win. Johnson (1-2, 2 R), Noah Mundfrom (2-2, 2B, RBI), Kruegel (1-3, two SB, RBI, 2 R), Reiter (1-3, RBI), Howard (2-3, R), and Conner Tangen (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, Win) did good work. Rohweder (1-3, HR, 3 RBI, R, 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, Loss) and Zach Olson (1-2, R) paced Houston. The Hurricanes then entertained M-C. Baseball was again down to the wire. Trailing 6-5, M-C scored three in the top of the seventh, all with two out, to lead 8-6. Houston plated a run and had a runner on second with no out in the bottom of the seventh, but could not tie the game. M-C prevailed 8-7, Houston’s third straight one-run loss. J-Larson (2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R, 6 1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, Win), C-Tollefsrud (2-4, two 2B, 2 RBI, R), Underbakke (2-3, 2 R), and T-Larson (2-4, RBI, R) led the charge. Arik Melbo (2-3, 3 R), Z-Olson (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Austin Swenson (2-4, RBI, R), Rohweder (1-3, 2 RBI), Conner Porter (2-3, RBI), and L-Olson (7 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, Loss) led Houston. On the softball diamond, Houston won 11-0 in five innings. M-C had just one hit. O-Beckman (3-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Botcher (1-3, 2 RBI, R, 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K, Win), Swenson (2-2, two 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R), Carrier (1-2, RBI, R), Carr (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K, No Decision), and Nicole Beckman (1-2, RBI, R) did work for Josh Swenson’s group (10-2, 14-3). M-C finished at 5-7, 7-11.