Spring Grove could not protect its first three-run lead, but the Lions went back ahead by three and held on to turn back visiting Mabel-Canton, 6-5, on April 20. Mabel-Canton, after erasing the first three-run deficit, had a two-run rally fall short later with the tying run on base in the final seventh inning. The Lions’ second scheduled game of the week, versus Southland, was postponed. The B-team (3-3), defeated M-C, 4-2. There were no junior high games.
Photo by Lee Epps
The varsity Lions and Cougars each had five earned runs, six base hits and struck out 13 times. But free passes were determinant. A trio of Cougar hurlers issued eight (6 walks, 2 hit batters), and half would come around to score, accounting for four of the six Spring Grove runs. Two Lion pitchers combined to offer only three charity trips (2walks, 1 hit batter); none figured into Mabel-Canton runs.
Both starting pitchers turned in strong performances. Winning pitcher Isaac Griffin (6 innings) struck out 12 and walked only two. Meanwhile, Cougar freshman hurler Cayden Tollefsrud (4 and 2/3 innings) struck out 11 and also walked only two.
Then with the bat, Tollefsrud belted two triples while scoring twice and driving in another pair of runs. Cougar singles came from juniors Alex Arneson (RBI) and Jaymeson Tollefsrud, sophomore Jordan Larson and eighth grader Tyler Larson (RBI).\
Lion sophomore Logan Brumm smacked an RBI triple while going 2 for 3. Two other sophomores, Ty Cleven and Caleb Griffin, each contributed an RBI double. In his first varsity start, eighth grade outfielder Zach Brumm added a single as did freshman Jaxon Strinmoen.
The Lions scored one run in each of the first three innings only to see the visitors tie it up with a three-run fifth. The Cougars had gone without a base hit through the first four innings before ripping off three hits in both of their fifth and seventh inning rallies.
In between those Mabel-Canton comebacks, Spring Grove – immediately after losing the lead – achieved another three-run advantage (6-3) with two hits, two walks, a hit batter and a Cougar error. But M-C came back again and had the tying run on base when the game ended.
The Cougars remained winless at 0-4 (0-4 SEC), while the Lions improved to 4-3 (4-2 SEC). Spring Grove has won all 10 games against Mabel-Canton since the Lions revived their stand-alone baseball program in 2016.
SG 6, MC 5
MC 000 030 2 = 5 6 3
SG 111 030 x = 6 6 2
Left on base: SG 8, MC 5
Stolen bases: SG 8, MC 5
SG hits (triple, 2 doubles, 3 singles): Logan Brumm 2-3, triple, RBI, steal; Caleb Griffin 1-3, double, RBI, 2 runs, steal; Ty Cleven 1-3, double, RBI; Zach Brumm 1-3, run; Jaxon Strinmoen 1-4, RBI; (Isaac Griffin run, 2 steals; Nathan Solberg 2 runs, 3 steals)
MC hits (2 triples, 4 singles): Cayden Tollefsrud 2-4, 2 triples, 2 RBI, 2 runs
PITCHING – SG (WP) Isaac Griffin
Isaac Griffin 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 K
Nathan Solberg 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
PITCHING – MC (LP) Cayden Tollefsrud
Cayden Tollefsrud 4.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 HB, 11 K
Alex Arneson 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K
Owen Underbakke 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0R, 1 BB, 2 K
Records: SG 4-3, (4-2 SEC); MC 0-4 (0-4 SEC)
SG LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Logan Brumm, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Caleb Griffin, rf Zach Brumm (pinch runner Lawrence Skauge)
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SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
2021 conf. season
BASEBALL W L W L
Randolph 6 – 0 9 – 0
Lyle/Pacelli 6 – 0 6 – 0
Southland 3 – 0 4 – 2
Spring Grove 4 – 2 4 – 3
A-C/G-E 5 – 3 5 – 4
GMLOK* 3 – 4 4 – 5
Schaeffer Academy 1 – 5 1 – 7
Mabel-Canton 1 – 6 1 – 6
Houston 0 – 9 0 -10
* defending champion
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Spring Grove Baseball 2021
4 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
W vs. Mabel-Canton……………………………….. 4-2
Fri. 04/30 Southland, ppd
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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)
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B-team Lions
3 wins, 3 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
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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)