Spring Grove started the baseball week coming from behind to vanquish visiting Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, 6-1, and ended the week in the Rochester rain with a strong start to ultimately subdue a stubborn Schaeffer Academy squad, 10-6. In between, Lyle/Pacelli appeared worthy of its No. 5 state ranking with a 17-1 road romp at Blayne Onsgard Memorial Field. The winners of all three contests completed Southeast Conference sweeps. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Lions (8-7 overall, 8-4 SEC), left the diamond with a firm grasp on fourth place in the nine-team conference race. The only B-team game was a 15-4 loss to Lyle/Pacelli.
Photos by Lee Epps
SG 6, AC/GE 1
Isaac Griffin was a master on the mound, but the Lion bats were hitless for three innings and scoreless for the first four frames. Griffin got 16 of the 21 outs by strikeout, walked only one, allowed no earned runs and only four hits and was backed by a one-error defense. But two of those hits, a sacrifice fly and that lone Lion error came together as AC/GE scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning.
That 1-0 score held until a Brandon Jahnke single, an error and a hit batter set up Caleb Griffins’ 2-RBI hit with two outs in the fifth. Grove finally led 2-1. The Lions added four insurance runs in the next (sixth) inning. It started with two AC/GE errors and a walk, followed by back-to-back, two-out singles from Isaac Griffin and Nathan Solberg.
“Another tremendous performance from Isaac Griffin,” said coach Chris Strinmoen. “He has pounded the strike zone all year and has been rewarded with some high strikeout totals. Sixteen strikeouts tonight was extremely impressive. I was getting worried that we wouldn’t get him some run support, but his brother, Caleb, finally came through with a big two-out, 2-RBI hit to get us a lead. Our lineup did a nice job tacking on some runs late to give Isaac some insurance at the end.”
AC/GE dropped to 5-8 and would finish the week at 5-11 (5-9 SEC) on an eight-game losing streak. It was the sixth straight win for Spring Grove versus AC/GE. The Lions have won seven of the eight games played against the shared program, including a much more comfortable 11-0 conquest earlier this season at Glenville.
SG 6, AC/GE 1
AC/GE-000 100 0 = 1 4 4
SG —–000 024 x = 6 5 1
Left on base: SG 6, AC/GE 4
Stolen bases: SG 4, AC/GE 6
SG 5 hits (5 singles): Caleb Griffin 2-4, 2 RBI, steal; Brandon Jahnke 1-2, run; Isaac Griffin 1-3, 2 RBI, 2 runs; Nathan Solberg 1-3, RBI, steal;
AC/GE 4 hits (1 double, 3 singles): Brady Lair 1-2, run
PITCHING – SG
Isaac Griffin (WP) 7 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 0 ER, 1 BB, 16 K
PITCHING – AC/GE
Kole Nelson (LP) 4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Brady Lair 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Records: SG 7-6 (7-3 SEC), AC/GE 5-8 (5-6 SEC)
SG LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Logan Brumm, 1b Ty Cleven & Lawrence Skauge, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke & Matthew Doering, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Zach Brumm & Braedon Solie, rf Jacob Olerud (dh Caleb Griffin)
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Lyle/Pacelli 17, SG 1 (5 innings)
The state-ranked No. 5 Athletics, even with two regular starters missing, scored 14 runs before the Lions came to bat. On the afternoon, only the first of the 12 L/P hits went for extra bases. The Lions managed only three base hits (all singles), but they came back-to-back-back to load the bases, soon resulting in the lone Lion run. Caleb Ranzenberger singled and would eventually score on a ground out. In between were singles from Isaac Griffin and Nathan Solberg.
“Another rough result,” said the coach, “but it came at the hands of an extremely good team in Lyle/Pacelli. Today they just hit and hit and hit. I didn’t think we were ever going to get out of that first inning. They are a well-coached, veteran team, and I could see them representing our section strongly in the state tournament, if they happen to get there.
“I was happy once again with Jaxon’s (Strinmoen) performance on the mound in relief. He’s throwing more strikes and is getting players off balance. So that is something we can take away from this game.”
The Athletics, who had defeated the Lions, 11-1, back in game four, improved to 11-1 in this rematch and ended the week at 13-1 (11-1 SEC) with the lone loss by one run coming against state-ranked No. 2 Randolph.
>>SG 1, L/P 17
>>L/P (14)21 00 =17 12 1
>>SG— 001 00 = 1 3 4
Left on base: SG 5, L/P 7
Stolen bases: SG 0, L/P 3
SG 3 hits (3 singles): Caleb Ranzenberger 1-2, run; Isaac Griffin 1-3; Nathan Solberg 1-2; Caleb Griffin RBI;
L/P 12 hits (1 double, 11 singles): Sam Nelson 3-5, 3 RBI; Landon Meyer 2-4, 4 RBI; Jayden Lewis 2-3, 3 RBI
PITCHING – SG: 9 BB, 1 K
Ty Cleven (LP) & Jaxon Strinmoen
PITCHING – L/P: 2 BB, 5 K
Jed Nelson (WP) & Cole Walter
Records: SG 7-7 (7-4 SEC), L/P 11-1, (10-1 SEC)
SG starting LINEUP: p Ty Cleven, c Logan Brumm, 1b Jaxon Strinmoen, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Zach Brumm, cf Isaac Griffin, rf Caleb Ranzenberger, dh Caleb Griffin, pinch hitter Ezra Griffin
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SG 10, Schaeffer Academy 6
On a chilly, drizzly, mostly miserable afternoon in Rochester, Spring Grove enjoyed a 9-0 lead until Schaeffer rallied with five runs in the sixth inning. Five of Schaeffer’s nine hits, including both doubles, and both Spring Grove errors came during that eye-opening uprising.
After Ty Cleven doubled home an insurance run in the top of the final seventh inning, Schaeffer threatened again and added the final run before Udstuen picked off a runner at second base and ended the game with a strikeout. “I was happy … that we were able to execute another pick play in a big spot to help us end the game when things could have gotten worse,” said Coach Strinmoen.
“What seemed like a runaway game early turned a bit tense at the end. We were doing everything we could to keep Isaac (Griffin) under a certain pitch count, but we just couldn’t push a 10th run across to end the game early. We turned the game over to Jonah Udstuen, who did a nice job throwing strikes. But we just missed some opportunities to get outs in the sixth inning, and that made things closer than they needed to be. They guys got the “W,” and that’s what we came to get.”
Both teams had nine base hits, but Spring Grove had more base runners, taking advantage of seven walks and a hit batter while three reached base on errors. Meanwhile SG starter Isaac Griffin and Jonah Udstuen combined to walk only three while striking out 11.
There were three double plays in the game, two by Schaeffer, but the home team also committed six errors. Spring Grove stole 14 bases, including a theft of home plate by Jaxon Strinmoen during a double-steal scenario.
Spring Grove, after sweeping the regular-season series, is now 9-6 all-time versus Schaeffer Academy. The Lions from Houston County had defeated the Lions from Rochester, 11-1, back in game five. Schaeffer (1-14, 1-10 SEC) is in eighth place in the nine-team conference race.
SG–402 300 1 =10 9 2
SA–000 005 1 = 6 9 6
Left on base: SG 6, SA 2
Stolen bases: SG 14, SA 4
SG 9 hits (1 double, 8 singles): Isaac Griffin 1-4, 2 runs, 2 steals; Nathan Solberg 2-3, 2 runs, 2 steals; Jaxon Strinmoen 2-4, run, 4 steals; Logan Brumm 2-3, RBI, run, steal; Matthew Doering run, steal; Brandon Jahnke 1-2, RBI, steal; Ty Cleven 1-4, double, RBI
Schaeffer 9 hits (2 doubles, 7 singles): Caleb Lamers 3-4, 2 RBI
PITCHING – SG
Isaac Griffin (WP) 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K
Jonah Udstuen 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
PITCHING -Schaeffer
Nolan Gora (LP) 4 IP, 5 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 2 K
Cole Morgan 3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Records: SG 8-7 (8-4 SEC; SA 1-14 (1-10 SEC)
SG starting LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Logan Brumm, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Zach Brumm, cf Isaac Griffin, rf Jacob Olerud, dh Caleb Griffin (courtesy runner Matthew Doering, pinch runner Lawrence Skauge)
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SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
2021 conf. season
BASEBALL W L W L
Randolph 11 – 0 15- 0
Lyle/Pacelli 11 – 1 13 – 1
Southland 7 – 1 9 – 3
Spring Grove 8 – 4 8 – 7
GMLOK* 6 – 7 8 – 8
Mabel-Canton 5 – 8 3 – 7
A-C/G-E 5 – 5 5 – 9
Schaeffer Academy 1 -10 1 -14
Houston 0 -14 0 -17
* defending champion
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Spring Grove Baseball 2021
8 wins, 7 losses (8-4 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
W vs. Mabel-Canton……………………………….. 6-5
Fri. 04/30 Southland, ppd to May 27
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W at Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons………. 11-0
W vs. Houston………………………………………….. 6-4
L at GMLOK (Spring Valley)……………….. 10-11
L vs. Hayfield……………………………………… 5-12
L vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown ……. 5-19
W vs. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 6-1
L vs. Lyle/Pacelli…………………………………. 1-17
W at Schaeffer Academy (Rochester)………….. 10-6
Mon. 05/17 at Mabel-Canton
Thur. 05/20 Randolph
Tues. 05/25 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
Thur. 05/27 at Southland (Adams) double header
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B-team Lions
5 wins, 5 losses
W at Houston ………………………………………. 10-1
L at Wabasha-Kellogg ………………………….. 4-10
L vs. Grand Meadow/-Ostrander/Kingsland 2-4
W at Lyle/Pacelli ……………………………………… 14-9
L at Randolph……………………………………….. 3-9
W vs. Mabel-Canton…………………………………… 4-2
L at AC/GE…………………………………………… 6-9
W vs. Houston…………………………………………… 6-0
W at GMLOK……………………………………………. 7-1
…..L vs. Lyle/Pacelli…………………………………… 4-15
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Junior high Lions
2 wins, 10 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)
L at Houston 0-9
L at Houston 0-10
L at Mabel-Canton 0-2
L at Mabel-Canton 1-8
L vs. GMLOK 1-5
L vs. GMLOK 8-9