No.8 section baseball seed Spring Grove hit certainly well enough to win and defended in the field better than usual. But No. 6 Hayfield won the battle of balls and strikes and survived the May 29 Section 1A elimination game in Austin. That 10-8 decision ended the season for the Lions with a 12-9 record, while the defending state-runner-up Vikings (14-10) advanced, among the final four. During the 2023 section tournament, Spring Grove won two and lost two.
Photo by Lee Epps
Spring Grove out-hit Hayfield, 9 to 6, including plenty of power. Five (most) Spring Grove hits were doubles, including a pair of two-baggers from the bat of sophomore Brandon Jahnke (2-3, 3 RBI). The one Lion error, that few in only four of 21 games this season, did not figure in to any Viking scoring. Hayfield committed four errors.
Both pitching staffs recorded nine strikeouts. Spring Grove batters reached base with eight walks, but 18 Viking batters received free passes (16 walks, 2 hit batters). The Lions left eight runners on base, while the Vikings stranded 14. Each team left at least one runner on base in each inning.
Lion starting pitcher, Ty Cleven, struck out as many (8) as he walked (8), and pitched his way out of several jams. He ended three of his four innings with strikeouts. Spring Grove led 7-2 when Cleven left the mound due to the pitch-count rule.
Hayfield threatened to erupt early, but stranded eight runners through the first four innings. The Vikings had only two hits before a game-changing fifth inning when the Vikings put three hits together with five walks and a hit batter to take control with a seven-run explosion for a 9-7 lead.
Grove made it 9-8 in the top of the sixth with a lead-off single by Strinmoen and an RBI double from Ezra Griffin. With the tying run in scoring position and no outs, eventual winning pitcher Jack Thoe made the defensive play of the game. The Viking junior made a diving catch of an airborne Lion bunt and then got up and threw to second base for a double play.
After a home run by Hayfield’s Zander Jacobson made it 10-8 in the final inning, Spring Grove would threaten again in the last half-inning. Singles by Gabe Klug and Braedon Solie put the potentially two tying runs on base with only one out. However, Viking reliever Eric Bermea earned the save by achieving the final two outs with a strikeout and infield pop-up.
It was a late-night affair with a finish well after 11 p.m. Spring Grove had waited in the wings while Hayfield lost a winners’ bracket game to Southland, 9-8. In the double-elimination format, that kept Southland unbeaten in tournament play while dropping the Vikings into an elimination game against Spring Grove. Hayfield has now won all four games ever played against the Lions, three of which during section tournaments.
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SG 8, Hayfield 10
Hay 010 170 1 =10–6–4
- 230 201 0 = 8–9–1
LOB: SG 8, Hay 14
Stolen bases: SG 4, Hay 6
SG 9 hits (5 doubles, 4 singles): Brandon Jahnke 2-3, 2 dbl, 3 RBI;’ Jaxon Strinmoen 2-3, dbl, 2 RBI, 3 runs, steal; Gabe Klug 2-4; Ezra Griffin 1-1, dbl, RBI; Braedon Solie 1-3, run; Caleb Griffin 1-5, dbl, RBI, run
Hay 6 hits (home run, double, 4 singles):
Pitching SG: team total 7 IP, 6 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 HB,16 W, 9 K
Ty Cleven 4.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 W, 8 K
Ben Udstuen 2.1 IP, 3 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 HB, 6 W, 1 K, loss
Jaxon Strinmoen 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 W, 0 K
Pitching Hay: team 7 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 8 W, 9 K (winning pitcher)
Records: SG 12-9, Hay
SG LINEUP: p Ty Cleven, c Ezra Griffin, 1b Jaxon Strinmoen, 2b Ben Udstuen, ss Caleb Griffin, 3b Brandon Jahnke, lf Bryce Berns, cf Zach Brumm, rf Braedon Solie, dh Gabe Klug, cr Logan Brumm& Jacob Solum, pr Kolton Nerstad & Nathan Solberg
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Spring Grove Baseball 2023 (SEC games in bold)
>>12-9 (8-4 SEC, 3rd place)
W at GMLOK 15-4
W vs. Houston 10-2
L at Southland 4-5
W vs. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 14-4
W vs. GMLOK 6-2
L at Lyle/Pacelli 1-3
W vs. Mabel-Canton 7-6
W at Mabel-Canton 12-5
L vs. Lyle/Pacelli 0-7
W vs. Wabasha-Kellogg 7-3
W at Houston 4-1
L vs. Goodhue (R-P Tourney) 2-3
L vs. Rushford-Peterson (R-P Tourney) 5-6
L vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo 1-2
L vs. Southland 0-5
W vs. Fillmore Central/Lanesboro 6-4
W at Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 12-2
SECTION 1A TOURNAMENT
W vs. #9 Wabasha-Kellogg 7-6
L vs. #1 Lyle/Pacelli 8-21
W vs. #12 Mabel-Canton 7-5
L vs. #6 Hayfield 8-10
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