Kenyon-Wanamingo Baseball Remains Undefeated in Gopher

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knights scored the winning run in the top of the 7th inning Thursday against the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Buccaneers.

Alex Lee, senior, started on the mound for the Knights and did not allow a hit until the 4th inning.  Meanwhile his team staked him to a 4-0 lead.

The Buccaneers scored 3 runs in the 5th inning after recording one hit and tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Tytan Larson, senior, was the starting pitcher for W-E-M.  A couple errors did not help their hopes.

In the first inning Jaedin Johnson, senior catcher for K-W smacked a one out double down the left field line.  He scored off an error during the Will Van Epps, junior, at bat.

The Knights added three runs in the top of the 4th inning when Cal Luebke, senior, reached base on an error to start the inning.  Alex Lee singled.  Dillon Bartel, junior, reached safely due to a throwing error scoring Luebke who had stolen second base and advanced to third on the Lee single.

Mason Torgeson, junior, hit an RBI single.  #9 hitter Reed Sommer, sophomore, executed a suicide squeeze bunt scoring Bartel to add another run.

The Buccaneers Jacob Androli, freshman, was hit by the first pitch delivered by Lee in the bottom of the 5th inning. #9 hitter, Caleb Caron, junior, smacked a 3-0 count single to right field placing runners at the corners.

Ethan Muellerleile, senior, was walked to load the bases.  Ivan Pratt, sophomore, coaxed an RBI walk bringing to an end Lee's night pitching.

Owen Craig, sophomore came into the game with nobody out, bases loaded and the #3 hitter due up.

Gabe Androli, senior, hit a grounder to short that scored a run during a fielder's choice.

The final run in the inning scored following a Larson ground out.  After 5 innings the score was 4-3 K-W.

In the bottom of the 6th W-E-M tied the game.  Craig retired the first two batters, then Jacob Androli gained first base following a four-pitch walk.  He advanced to second base on a wild pitch.

Caron hit the ball to shortstop ending in an error.  Muellerleile cracked an RBI single that tied the game before Pratt's grounder was corralled by Van Epps who flipped the ball to Craig covering first base to record the final out of the inning.

Gabe Androli came in to pitch the top of the 7th inning.  Colton Steberg, junior, hit a single to open the Knights at bats.  During a strikeout Steberg stole second base.  The throw was behind him and went into center field allowing him to advance to third base on the error,

Steberg would score the winning run on a pitch that went to the backstop.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown started the bottom of the 7th with a Gabe Androli double.  Larson hit a weak pop up that bounced in front of pitcher Craig who immediately turned to see Androli too far from second base.

Craig threw to the third baseman who ran Androli back toward second and threw the ball to Steberg at shortstop but the base umpire ruled Androli got back to the base safely.

Nobody out, runners at first and second.  One run ties, two runs end with Buccaneers walk-off.

Craig struck out the next batter looking before coaxing a pop out on the infield and a grounder to first base that ended the game.

Craig was named a Cashwise Foods and Pharmacy of Owatonna Delivery of the game for the Knights for his relief pitching performance.

The one run charged to him was not earned.  Craig finished delivering 57 pitches, 31 strikes with three strikeouts, one walk, 2 hits allowed.

Lee tallied 78 pitches while going 4+ innings with 45 strikes, 4 strikeouts, 4 walks. 3 runs allowed.

Other delivery awards from Cashwise went to Steberg for his efforts scoring the winning run in the top of the seventh and Cal Luebke, senior who got on base three of his four times at the plate.

Larson threw 92 pitches for W-E-M with 57 strikes.  Two strikeouts, one walk, 5 hits allowed.

Cashwise Delvery of the Game awards for W-E-M went to Muellerleile for three catches of smoking hot liners in center field.  The top of the order batter also was on base 3 of the four times he was up with a run scored.  His RBI tied the game in the sixth inning.

Jacob Androli scored two of WEM's runs and Caleb Caron gained the bases during both of his at bats.

Each team had 5 errors in my scorebook.

The Knights improved to 5-1 while Buccaneers fell to 2-4.

Kenyon-Mankato is scheduled to host Dover-Eyota Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is off until Monday when they go to Wells to compete against United South Central at 5:00 p.m.

Other baseball scores reported from Thursday included:

• LeSueur-Henderson     6   Sibley East     5,       L-H   8   SE   3
• Belle Plaine     13         Lester Prairie     3,         Belle Plaine   13   LP   10
• Southland     14      Glenville-Emmons/Alden-Conger  0,     South 17   Ge/AC  5
• Apple Valley     5     Burnsville     1
• Shakopee    9     Eastview    3
• Farmington    8    Prior Lake    7
• Holy Family    6    Jordan   4
• Lakeville South    2    Lakeville North    0
• Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton     10    Maple River     1
• Rushford-Peterson    4     Dover-Eyota    2
• Mankato West    14   Owatonna    0
• New Prague   5    Mankato East    2
• Rochester Mayo   15    John Marshall     4
• Pine Island   7    Zumbrota-Mazeppa   4
• Hayfield    12    Medford    1
• LaCrescent   10   P-E-M    4
• Kasson-Mantorville   5    Lake City    1
• Fillmore Central/Lanesboro   8   St. Charles   4
• NRHEG   11     Blooming Prairtie    2
• Austin    10   Albert Lea    0
• Caledonia   9    Wabasha-Kellogg   0
• Randolph   21   Trinity at River Ridge   4
• Rosemount   7    Eagan    5
• United South Central    5    Triton    4
• Stewartville   12    Goodhue   2
• Chatfield   14   Cotter   5
• Mankato Loyola   10   St. Clair   0
• Rochester Century   6   Winona    0
• Norwood-Young America   12   Tri-City United   7
• Byron   5   Stewartville   3