Union Hill, St. Patrick advance with shutouts at state tournament

By George Maxa, D-R-S Correspondent

The Union Hill Bulldogs and St. Patrick Irish of the Dakota-Rice-Scott baseball league's Blue Division were among the teams to survive action in the state Class C baseball tourney last week. Each won a pair of games at Red Wing to advance to the double elimination segment of the tourney, which starts Sunday, Aug. 27 with eight games slated for Miesville and Red Wing.

Lonsdale of the Dakota-Rice-Scott league's White Division played its opening game on Thursday, Aug. 17, and lost to St. Martin by a 6-5 score. The Aces' ended the season with a very respectable 29-6 overall record.

Union Hill's next game is with Sobieski, the Region 8C champion, at Red Wing this Sunday, Aug. 27 at 5:00 p.m. In a game to follow, St. Patrick meets Carlos, the Region 14C runner-up, at 7:30 p.m.

Sunday's winners and losers continue in the tourney on Friday, Sept. 1, with games in both the winners and losers brackets. Games then continue through Monday, Sept. 4, Labor Day, with the championship game scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sept. 4, with a second game, if needed, to follow.

Last week's results:

St. Martin 6, Lonsdale 5

Lonsdale moved to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning as it scored unearned runs.

But St. Martin equaled that in their next at bat as Nathan Schwangen hit a two-run double and Adam Kampsen followed with a run-scoring single.

Successive singles by Campton, Jesse Thelen and Kenny Arsenal with a sacrifice bunt in between gave St. Martin a 4-3 lead.

Two more runs scored in the eighth inning on a walk, Jesse Thelen's single, a throwing error, and a two-out double by Jake Thelen.

Lonsdale rallied in the ninth on a single by Brian Vosejpka, an error, wild pitch and a single by Mike Jirik. After two outs, Tony Altavilla walked and Chad Vosejpka hit an RBI single. But the tying run was prevented with a game-ending throw to home plate.

The line score: R H E

Lonsdale Aces.............003 000 002 - 5 6 1

St. Martin....................003 001 02x - 6 8 3

Brian Muell and Tom Popp. Ryan Nett, Aaron Nett (9) and Adam Kampsen.

Union Hill 4, Clinton 2

The Cardinals took the initial lead with a two-run second inning. A single, walk and run-scoring singles by Chris Karsky and Jeff Wold put Clinton in the lead. But Union Hill's errorless defense shut the door on Clinton's offense after that with Rick Bell pitching six shutout innings until the ninth, when relieved by Jeremy Wieland, New Market draftee.

Union Hill scored in the fifth inning when John Masberg hit an RBI single. In the eighth, Brian Giesen singled, pinch runner Joe Connelly stole second and scored on Phil Giesen's hit, which tied the score.

In the ninth, Dan Smith singled, Jeff Bruder and Adam Giesen each bunted with an error occurring and one run scoring. Masberg was intentionally walked and Brian Giesen's infield grounder to third was misplayed, an additional run scoring.

All of the game's hits were singles with Matt O'Neill of Clinton getting three hits and Smith of the Bulldogs hitting two safeties.

The line score: R H E

Union Hill Bulldogs..000 010 012 - 4 7 0

Clinton Cardinals......020 000 000 - 2 8 3

Rick Bell, Jeremy Wieland (9) and Dan Novak. Jeff Wold, Chad Christianson (81/3) and Kirby Marquardt.

St. Patrick 1, Raymond 0

The Irish got a late run in the eighth inning on a two-out single by Matt Pexa followed by an RBI double by Jeff Bjerke and it was enough for a 1-0 victory.

Bill Dunker pitched a steady five-hitter to pick up the win.

The defensive play of the game was a throw to the plate by outfielder Mike Goldsmith to prevent a run in the second inning.

John Johnson, Adam Almich and Matt Ambroz had the other Irish hits.

Zach Nelson had two Raymond hits.

The line score: R H E

Raymond Rockets.......000 000 000 - 0 5 0

St. Patrick Irish ...........000 000 01x - 1 5 1

Mark Kragstad, Nate Hebrink (62/3) and Mike Kragenbring. Bill Dunker and Matt Pexa.

Union Hill 1, Essig 0 (10 inn.)

It was a pitchers' battle between Josh Hadley of Sleepy Eye, an Essig draftee, and Matt Sticha of Union Hill, with Hadley working nine innings and Sticha hurling the entire ten innings and getting a well-earned win as the Bulldogs got the game's lone run in the 10th.

Tom Carpentier doubled down the left field line with one out and Phil Giesen hit a single to right center for the winning run.

Giesen also played a stellar game at third base, handling nine chances with but one error, and getting an unassisted double play with Essig threatening in the eighth inning.

Giesen and Jesse Bastyr had two hits each for Union Hill.

Kyle Helget hit a leadoff double in the seventh for Essig and Cody Walter and Hadley had two hits each.

The line score: R H E

Essig Bluejays..........000 000 000 0 - 0 6 1

Union Hill Bulldogs.000 000 000 1 - 1 6 2

Josh Hadley, Dusty Sleck (10) and Cody Walter. Matt Sticha and Dan Novak.



St. Patrick 8, Milroy 0

The Irish picked up their second consecutive shutout as Josh Simon pitched another five hitter in an 8-0 blanking of Milroy. He struck out five batters and walked none.

St. Patrick jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning and finished by putting five added runs on the board in the eighth, three of those being unearned.

The eighth inning summary included two hits, three errors and a hit batter.

Jeff Bjerke batted two for four, including an RBI and a double; and Simon and Craig Boser each drove in two runs with singles.

The line score: R H E

Milroy.........................000 000 000 - 0 5 5

St. Patrick Irish...........300 000 05x - 8 8 1

Nathan Deutz, Colby Pack (8) and Colby Pack, Schmidt (9). Josh Simon and Matt Pexa.