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Sure, the Pipestone A’s dropped a pair of games last week.
But, the team was competitive in both and it was the perfect preparation for the upcoming Region 10C Tournament.
The Luverne Redbirds, thanks to pitcher Jake Haugen, blanked the A’s 4-0 on Wednesday, July 9, at A’s/City Field.
On Sunday, July 13, the Milroy Irish nipped the A’s, 6-5, scoring what proved to be the game-winning run in the fourth inning.
“We’ve started clicking, and I am happy with the direction we are going,” Pipestone head coach Avery Ploeger said. “I think we’re playing good baseball.”
The A’s won’t have to worry about facing the Redbirds in the playoffs since the Minnesota Baseball Association bumped Luverne from Class C to Class B.
The Irish are 11-8, and 10-4 in First Nite/Gopher League games. Milroy has been seeded No. 2 for the playoffs.
Pipestone (8-10 overall, 6-8 in the Gopher League) has been seeded fifth for the 10C Tournament, with Game One at A’s/City Field beginning at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 23.
They will play Hadley (7-7 in league), a team the A’s split with during the regular season.
Pipestone A’s Merrick Heidebrink races down the first base line during a Wednesday, July 9, game versus the Luverne Redbirds at A’s/City Field. The Redbirds blanked the A’s, 4-0, in what amounted to a playoff tuneup for both clubs. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
“They have one of the best pitchers in the league in Tucker Sorenson,” Ploeger said. “He’s a lefty who throws hard. He always gives them a good chance to win. And they have solid hitters No. 1 through 9.”
Games Two and Three are set for 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and July 27, respectively, at Laurie Mahon Memorial Field in Hadley. Sunday’s game only will be played if needed.
Mahon Memorial Field doesn’t have lights, so that’s the reason why Game One will be in Pipestone, Ploeger noted.
League coaches and officials conducted a playoff meeting Monday at Windom Country Club to determine game dates and times.
Sorenson played at Minnesota West Community & Technical College in Worthington followed by a stint at Kentucky Christian University. These days, he serves as the Bluejays pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
Collin Moeller homered for the third time this season, and Merrick Heidebrink tripled in a seven-inning loss to the Irish.
Greg Quist walked followed by singles from Mitchell Biever, Jaymes Zollner and Moeller in the A’s three-run first. The Irish leveled the score at 3-all heading into the second frame.
Moeller blasted a solo homer in the third and Maddox Biever doubled in the fifth, driving home Heidebrink after he tripled. But Dominic Dolan scored Milroy’s sixth run, tagging up and scoring on Tyler Peterson’s RBI flyout.
Weston Reinhard earned playing time in the game versus Luverne on Wednesday, July 9. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Carson Frank took the loss, pitching all six innings. Frank recorded 64 strikes in 98 pitches (65.3 efficiency); however, he surrendered six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks with four strikeouts and one hit batsman.
Luverne pushed across three runs in the third, which was more than enough for the Redbirds versus the A’s.
Pipestone scattered six hits, and Maddox Biever had two of them. Landon Quist, Nohel Vivanco, Weston Reinhard, Jackson Melcher and Kolby Louwagie received valuable playing time in the loss.
Pipestone A’s head coach Avery Ploeger was pressed into duty as a courtesy runner during the game versus the Luverne Redbirds on Wednesday, July 9. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
Haugen struck out 11 A’s and walked just one in a complete-game, 114-pitch performance. More than 75 percent of his pitches were strikes.
Mitchell Biever, Mark Abrahamson and Carson Frank all pitched for Pipestone.
South Dakota
Snappers win two routs
ELKTON, S.D. — The Elkton Snappers brought out the bats in a pair of routs this past weekend.
The Snappers blanked the Estelline Merchants, 29-0, on Saturday, July 12, and followed that with an 18-7 conquest over the Ramona Express Sunday, July 13.
Elkton is home for the remainder of the regular season, playing the Castlewood Ravens at 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 16.
The Elkton Snappers amateur baseball team will play a doubleheader at City Park on Sunday. (Contributed graphic)
Snappers’ team official Steve Erickson reported there will be a home doubleheader during the Harvest Festival Sunday, July 20. Elkton faces Renner at 3 p.m., and then Estelline to follow.
Elkton (8-9) pushed across nine runs in the opening frame versus the Merchants, punctuating the victory with 11 more in the fifth.
Dylan Gillespie homered, had four RBI and scored five times. Aidan Stewart also plated five runs, and several others three each. Charles Harming, Owen Cass, Brady Steffen and Stewart all doubled. Gillespie and Stewart combined for 11 strikeouts on the bump.
Versus Ramona, Elkton belted out 29 hits and scored in every single inning. The game was stopped after eight frames due to the state association-mandated mercy rule.
Gillespie homered and racked up six RBI. Stewart smacked a pair of home runs, and scored five times. Dave Bierman also had a dinger, and Harming was 4-for-5. Eliot Erickson tripled, and Dylan Kuehl was the winning pitcher of record.
Pipestone A’s Carson Frank relieved Mitchell Biever during a Wednesday, July 9, game versus the Luverne Redbirds at A’s/City Field. (Star photo by Eric Viccaro)
INFORMATION
BASEBALL
Gopher League
Wednesday, July 9
At Pipestone, City Field
Luverne 4, Pipestone 0
Luv. 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 4 11 1
A’s 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 6 2
WP: Jake Haugen, Luverne
LP: Mitchell Biever, A’s
Sunday, July 13
At Irish Yard, Milroy
Milroy 6, Pipestone 5 (7)
A’s 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 — 5 10 1
Milroy 3 0 2 1 0 0 X — 6 7 1
WP: Connor Lanoue, Milroy
LP: Carson Frank, A’s
HR: Collin Moeller, A’s (3)
3B: Merrick Heidebrink, A’s
2B: Maddox Biever, Justin Nepp, A’s; Andrew Wallen, Milroy