Hits and runs were scarce for Spring Grove during the first no-win week. In two games, the seven Lion hits produced no runs. The only four runs were scored without a hit. Spring Grove scored the first four runs of the week, but the Lions did not cross home plate again. The boys were overtaken at Mabel-Canton, 8-4, as the Cougars earned a season split on Monday, May 17. Back home on Thursday, it was 12-0, the second shutout this season against the second-ranked squad in the state, Randolph (18-0). The Rockets, while averaging 13 runs a game, posted their 18th win, half of them whitewashes.
Photo by Lee Epps
In both games, the Lion play of the day was a diving catch by eighth grade outfielder Zach Brumm.
The young Lions (8-9, 8-6 SEC) slipped below .500 for the first time this season but remain in the top half of the conference as they enter the final week of the regular season. Five of the nine losses have come against top-five-ranked Class A teams (No. 1 Hayfield, No. 2 Randolph, No. 5 Lyle/Pacelli). The B-team boys fell at Mabel-Canton, 7-6, while the junior high Lions split with Mabel-Canton and dropped both ends of a twin bill at Caledonia.
The 15-team Section 1A Tournament begins on Monday, May 31.
Mabel-Canton 8, Spring Grove 4
When the charity stopped, Lion bats could not keep up with the slow-starting but ultimately productive Mabel-Canton attack. Spring Grove led 4-0 without a base hit – thanks to five early walks, a hit batter and three Cougar errors. There would be a few more walks but no more errors as Mabel-Canton left-handed reliever James Arneson tossed four and two-thirds innings of shutout baseball.
Three Spring Grove singles, scattered into three different innings, would not produce a run during the final five innings. The Lions left the bases loaded in four innings, stranding 14 runners overall, while the Cougars left six on base.
Spring Grove hurler Isaac Griffin (5-1) went the distance, walking only two while striking out seven and allowing only three earned runs. But the Cougars’ nine hits, aided by three Lion errors, led to the home team pulling even at 4-4 in the fourth inning and then doubling that output in the fifth frame to turn a four-run deficit into a four-run lead. Sophomore Fred Williams (2 for 3) delivered two doubles during the Cougars’ two big innings.
For Spring Grove, the defensive errors were costly, but only three base hits would not be nearly enough – even to protect a four-run lead.
Mabel-Canton, after having come close in April with a narrow 6-5 loss at Spring Grove, finally snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Lions. The Cougars improved to 6-9 (6-8 SEC), while Spring Grove slipped to 8-8 (8-5 SEC).
MC 8, SG 4
SG 310 000 0 = 4 3 3
MC 001 340 x = 8 9 3
Left on base: SG 14, MC 6
Stolen bases: SG 2, MC 3
SG 3 hits (3 singles): Logan Brumm 1-2, 2 RBI; Caleb Ranzenberger 1-3; Jonah Udstuen 1-4
MC 9 hits (2 doubles, 7 singles): Fred Williams 2-3, 2 doubles, 2 RBI; Alex Arneson 2-4, RBI, 2 runs
PITCHING – SG: Isaac Griffin 6 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
PITCHING – MC:
Cayden Tollefsrud 2.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
James Arneson (WP) 4.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K
Records: SG 8-8 (8-5 SEC); MC 6-9 (6-8 SEC)
SG LINEUP: p Isaac Griffin, c Logan Brumm & Ezra Griffin, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Jaxon Strinmoen, cf Zach Brumm, rf Caleb Ranzenberger, dh Caleb Griffin, pinch hitter Braedon Solie
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Randolph 12, Spring Grove 0
The first Lion batter, Isaac Griffin, was hit by a pitch. But that would be the only gift as two young Randolph pitchers would combine to walk no one and allow only four hits while backed by an error-free defense. The only Lion to reach second base came with back-to-back singles from Ezra Griffin and Isaac Griffin with only one out in the third inning. But a fly-out and a strikeout ended the lone Lion threat.
Caleb Griffin and Brandon Jahnke had the other two hits with four Lions each going 1 for 2. Jonah Udstuen was robbed of a base hit with an outstanding stop and throw by a Rocket reserve second baseman.
Three Spring Grove errors helped the Rockets score four unearned runs for a 5-0 lead after two innings. Then six of the visitors’ 10 hits came during a seven-run salvo to make it 12-0 in the fourth inning. Randolph swiped 15 bases.
Including an earlier 17-0 win at Randolph, the Rockets have now won all eight games played against Spring Grove in a series likely coming to an end, since Randolph is leaving the conference next year and is in a different section for the playoffs.
Randolph 12, SG 0
Ran 140 70 =12 10 0
SG 000 00 = 0 4 3
Left on base: SG 4, Ran 6
Stolen bases: SG 0, Ran 15
SG 4 hits (4 singles): Isaac Griffin 1-2; Caleb Griffin 1-2; Brandon Jahnke 1-2; Ezra Griffin 1-2
Randolph 10 hits (1 double, 9 singles): Mason Lorenzen 3-3, 3 RBI
PITCHING – SG
Jaxon Strinmoen (LP) 3.1 IP, 7 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Ty Cleven 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Nathan Solberg 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 W, 0 K
PITCHING – Randolph
Collin Otto (WP) 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 W, 3 K
Tayven Geiger 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
Records: SG 8-9 (8-6 SEC); Ran 18-0 (13-0 SEC)
SG LINEUP: p Jaxon Strinmoen, c Ezra Griffin, 1b Ty Cleven, 2b Jonah Udstuen, ss Nathan Solberg, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Zach Brumm, cf Isaac Griffin, rf Logan Brumm (dh Caleb Griffin)
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SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
2021 conf. season
BASEBALL W L W L
Randolph 14 – 0 18- 0
Southland 10 – 1 12 – 3
Lyle/Pacelli 12 – 2 14 – 2
Spring Grove 8 – 6 8 – 9
GMLOK* 6 – 8 8 – 9
Mabel-Canton 6 – 9 6 -11
A-C/G-E 5 -10 5 -13
Schaeffer Academy 1 -12 1 -16
Houston 0 -14 0 -17
* defending champion
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Spring Grove Baseball 2021
8 wins, 9 losses (8-6 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
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
L at Mabel-Canton 4-8
L vs. Randolph 0-12
Tues. 05/25 Fillmore Central/Lanesboro
Thur. 05/27 at Southland (Adams) double header
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B-team Lions
5 wins, 6 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
L at Mabel-Canton 6-7
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Junior high Lions
3 wins, 13 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
W vs. Mabel-Canton 5-4 (WP Ben Udstuen)
L vs. Mabel-Canton 4-12
L at Caledonia 3-10 (8th grade)
L at Caledonia 0-9 (7th grade)