The Spring Grove boys were delayed by two days of cold temperatures, but once on the diamond, they experienced two extremes of opponents and results – a 10-run-rule, home 11-1 win over winless Schaeffer Academy a day before a run-rule 17-0 loss at undefeated, state-ranked Randolph.
Photo by Lee Epps
It was the Rockets fifth shutout in eight games and fifth time they have scored 17 or more runs. Randolph has won seven games by whopping double-digit margins, outscoring opponents, 120 to 8. The Rockets improved to 8-0 (5-0 SEC). while Schaeffer slumped to 0-4 and finished the week at 0-5 (0-4 SEC).
Spring Grove closed the week halfway between winless and undefeated with a 3-3 record (3-2 SEC). Two of the three setbacks have come against state-ranked clubs, No. 9 Randolph and No. 10 Wabasha-Kellogg. The other loss came against still undefeated Lyle/Pacelli.
The April 22 game with Schaeffer was a makeup from earlier in the week, a day before the long Friday bus ride to Randolph. The other early-week postponement versus Mabel-Canton was slated for an April 26 makeup date.
The Lion B-team (2-3) dropped a 9-3 decision at Randolph. The junior high Lions are 2-4 after splitting doubleheaders with Mabel-Canton and GMLOK and being swept in a twin bill versus Houston.
SG 11, Schaeffer Academy 1 (6 innings)
Spring Grove led a competitive contest 3-1 before salting away the decision with back-to-back four-run frames. With two out in the bottom of the sixth inning, a 2-RBI double from Logan Brumm ended the game with the 10-run rule.
“We finally got to see the bats come to life a little bit tonight,” said coach Chris Strinmoen. “I was happy to see Zach Brumm, making his first varsity start, get us going with an RBI single in the second inning. It got contagious after that, as Nathan Solberg delivered a triple to open the next inning, and a bunch of runs would follow. Gora threw well for Schaeffer (9 strikeouts, 2 walks) but didn’t get much help from his defense.
“Isaac Griffin was terrific again. Hard to believe he could follow up his last performance (14 strikeouts) with 15 strikeouts this time. He’s been pounding the zone and eliminating the free passes.”
Seven different Spring Grove batters contributed to an 11-hit attack. Solberg went 2 for 3 and Caleb Griffin 2 for 4. Logan Brumm (3 RBI) and Zach Brumm (RBI) both batted 2 for 3, and both belted a double in the sixth-inning finale.
Nolan Gora supplied most of Schaeffer offense with half of the team’s hits and both extra-base knocks, a triple and double, while batting 2 for 3. The only Schaeffer run was unearned, aided by the only Spring Grove error.
The hometown Lions never trailed, but the visiting Lions from Rochester tied it 1-1 in the top of the third inning. The Grove guys answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the inning, featuring Solberg’s lead-off 3 bagger, a single from Caleb Griffin and a sacrifice fly from Jaxon Strinmoen, aided by a Schaeffer error.
That 3-1 lead held until a three-hit, four-run outburst made it 7-1 in the fifth. An inning later, the final four-run salvo ended the game an inning early.
“Good win and great night of weather finally,” added Coach Strinmoen.
Spring Grove is 8-6 all-time versus Schaeffer Academy and has split with these other SEC Lions the past three seasons. The 2021 rematch is in Rochester on May 14.
SG 11, Schaeffer 1
- 001 000 x = 1 4 4
SG 012 044 x =11 11 1
Left on base: SG 4, SA 4
Stolen bases: SG 9, SA 3
SG hits (triple, 2 doubles, 8 singles): Nathan Solberg 2-3, triple, RBI, 2 runs, steal; Logan Brumm 2-3, double, 3 RBI, 2 runs, 3 steals; Zach Brumm 2-3, double, RBI, run, steal; Caleb Griffin 2-4, 2 runs, steal; Jonah Udstuen 1-3; Isaac Griffin 1-4, run, steal; Brandon Jahnke 1-4, RBI; Jaxon Strinmoen RBI, 2 runs, steal; Ty Cleven RBI; Matthew Doering run, steal
SA hits (triple, double, 2 singles): Nolan Gora 2-3, triple, double, run, steal
PITCHING – SG: WP – Isaac Griffin 2-0
Isaac Griffin 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 15 K, 1 BB
PITCHING – SA: LP – Nolan Gora
Nolan Gora 5.0 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 5 ER, 9K, 2 BB
Cole Morgan 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB
Records: SG 3-2 (3-1 SEC); SA 0-4 (0-3 SEC)
SG LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Logan Brumm, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke & Matthew Doering, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Caleb Griffin, rf Zach Brumm
——————————–
SG 0, at Randolph 17 (5 innings)
“We knew going into this game that it was going to be a tough task to upset the Rockets,” said Coach Strinmoen. “They are one of the best teams in Class A. When you look at programs that you want to model, I tend to appreciate how they go about their business on the baseball field.
“That being said, we just didn’t give ourselves a chance to even compete with them tonight. Our pitchers issued way too many free passes, and then when there were opportunities to make some plays and get out of innings, we didn’t do it. You can’t give a good team that many free bases and free outs, or the score will get out of hand quickly. And that’s what happened tonight.
“On the positive side, we were able to execute a pickoff play to perfection. I thought Ty Cleven did his best on the mound to battle and give us a chance when he came in relief. And it was nice to see a couple hits out of Jaxon Strinmoen, who has started the season off pretty cold at the plate. We will regroup and get ready for Mabel-Canton on Monday at our place.”
Lion misery came early, in the first inning, as Randolph took advantage of seven walks and an error to score five runs with only one hit. There would eventually be 14 walks but also a dozen Rocket base hits. Batting eighth, Joel Gehrke belted two doubles while driving in five runs and batting 3 for 4.
Meanwhile, a pair of Randolph hurlers combined to strikeout 10 and walk only one while allowing only three Spring Grove hits. Strinmoen went 2 for 2, and Logan Brumm 1 for 2.
Twice, the Lions advanced a runner to third base with only one out, but both Rocket pitchers survived with rally-strangling strikeouts. In the second inning, Strinmoen singled and reached third base after that lone walk to Brandon Jahnke and a wild pitch. But Brandon Gerster struck out the next two Lions.
In the fourth, back-to-back singles by Brumm and Strinmoen plus a wild pitch advanced Brumm to third base. But reliever Joel Gehrke preserved the shutout with back-to-back strikeouts.
SG 0, Randolph 17
SG 000 00 = 0 3 2
Ran 590 3x =17 12 0
Left on base: SG 4, Ran 9
Stolen bases: SG 0, Ran 7
SG hits (3 singles): Jaxon Strinmoen 2-2; Logan Brumm 1-2
Ran hits: (2 doubles, 10 singles) Gehrke 3-4, 2 doubles, 5 RBI, run
PITCHING – SG – LP Jaxon Strinmoen (1-1)
Jaxon Strinmoen 0.2 IP, 1 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 0 K
Ty Cleven 3.0 IP, 11 H, 12 R, 12 ER, 7 BB, 1 K
Nathan Solberg 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
PITCHING – WP Brandon Gerster
Brandon Gerster 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Joel Gehrke 2. 0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Records: SG 3-3 (3-2 SEC); Ran 8-0 (5-0 SEC)
SG starting LINEUP: p Jaxon Strinmoen, c Logan Brumm, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Caleb Griffin, cf Isaac Griffin, rf Zach Brumm, courtesy runner Caleb Ranzenberger
—————————————-
SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
2021 conf. season
BASEBALL W L W L
Randolph 5 – 0 8 – 0
Lyle/Pacelli 4 – 0 4 – 0
Southland 3 – 0 4 – 1
A-C/G-E 4 – 2 4 – 3
Spring Grove 3 – 2 3 – 3
GMLOK* 2 – 3 3 – 3
Mabel-Canton 0 – 3 0 – 3
Schaeffer Academy 0 – 4 0 – 5
Houston 0 – 7 0 – 7
* defending champion
—————————————
Spring Grove Baseball 2021
3 wins, 3 losses (3-2 SEC)
W at Houston………………………………………… 13-2
L at Wabasha-Kellogg…………………………….. 3-12
W vs. Grand Meadow/-Ostrander/Kingsland 2-1
L at Lyle/Pacelli …………………………………….. 1-11
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 11-1
L at Randolph……………………………………….. 0-17
Mon. 04/26 Mabel-Canton
Fri. 04/30 Southland
Mon. 05/03 at Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons (Glenville)
Tues. 05/04 Houston
Fri. 05/07 at GMLOK (Spring Valley)
Sat. 05/08 vs. Hayfield (at Rushford-Peterson) 10 a.m.
Sat. 05/08 vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (at Rushford-Peterson) 2 p.m.
Mon. 05/10 vs. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons
Tues. 05/11 Lyle/Pacelli
Fri. 05/14 at Schaeffer Academy (Rochester)
Mon. 05/17 at Mabel-Canton
Thur. 05/20 Randolph
Tues. 05/25 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
Thur. 05/27 at Southland (Adams)
————————————————————————-
B-team Lions
2 wins, 3 losses
W at Houston ………………………………………. 10-1
L at Wabasha-Kellogg ………………………….. 4-10
W vs. Grand Meadow/-Ostrander/Kingsland 2-4
W at Lyle/Pacelli ……………………………………… 14-9
L at Randolph……………………………………………. 3-9
————————————————————————-
Junior high Lions
2 wins, 4 losses
W vs. Mabel-Canton 11-3 (WP Ben Udstuen)
L vs. Mabel-Canton 3-7
L vs. Houston 1-12
L vs. Houston 5-12
L at GMLOK 4-5
W at GMLOK 9-7 (WP Lyric Wilson-Stadtler)