Winning MACA boys to face New Ulm next

MACA baseball fans got to see lots of innings Saturday at our Chizek Field.

Their Tigers were in the winning groove twice. They turned back Montevideo by a score of 9-6 and toppled Redwood Valley 4-1.

These were post-season games and they lifted coach Lyle Rambow's crew to the semi-finals of 3AA-North. Action will resume tomorrow (Wednesday, June 1) in Marshall.

The next foe will be New Ulm. Game-time is 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The other semis contest will match Lac qui Parle Valley and Fairmont at 7 p.m. The big day of the finals is June 9.

Montevideo gave the Tigers a strong challenge and took the lead at 5-4 when Brett Bergeson stole home.

MACA seized the lead in the fourth when Tyler Hansen socked an RBI extra-base hit and Ryan Beyer lofted a sacrifice fly.

Beyer came through again in the sixth when he singled, advanced to second on a steal and came home on an error.

The Tigers scored two runs in the sixth which gave a little cushion. Monte's fielding miscues were the story of that rally. Eric Riley scored the other Tiger run, after reaching on a single.

Eric was the pitcher of record. He and Alex Erickson shared the pitching load.

Riley got the win with his stint of three and a third innings, in which he fanned three batters and walked none. He allowed one hit and one run (earned).

Erickson pitched the other three and two-third innings. It was a rough outing for him as Montevideo got to him for eleven hits and six runs, all earned. He struck out three batters and walked two.

Colton Vien took the loss for Monte.

Both teams pounded out 12 hits.

Cole Riley went on the attack with three hits in four at-bats, and he drove in two runs. Erickson's bat was productive: two-for-four and two runs scored.

Also fueling the attack were: Tyler Hansen (a triple, two runs scored and an RBI), Ryan Beyer (a hit and two ribbies), Brody Bahr (a hit and two runs), Eric Riley (a double and an RBI), Taylor Hufford (a double) and Ethan Bruer (one-for-three).

Kyle TeBeest had the hottest bat for Monte: three-for-four.

The line scores tell a story because even though the teams were even in hits, there was a disparity in errors - four by Monte and two by Morris Area Chokio Alberta. Three of the MACA runs were unearned.

The Tigers scored three runs in the first inning and two each in the third, fourth and sixth.

The Tigers got re-focused to play Redwood Falls in Saturday's finale. Fans again lined the bleacher seats or got assembled in their own chairs near the first or third base lines.

All too soon, it seemed, the cry of "play ball" could have been heard.

The MACA baseball boys were up to the challenge and got enough mileage from their five hits to emerge the winner.

Eric Riley had plenty of mileage left in his reliable pitching arm after the Monte game. Eric pitched all seven innings as the Tigers beat Redwood Valley 4-1.

He tossed a three-hitter. He struck out two batters and walked two. The one run he allowed was earned.

The losing pitcher was Logan Swann.

Eric Riley entertained with his bat as well as his pitching arm. He hit the ball over the fence in the second inning. Mitch Kill was another hitting standout at two-for-two with an RBI.

Ryan Beyer went one-for-three with a run-batted-in. Cole Riley also had a one-for-three showing.

The MACA line score was four runs, five hits and one error. The Redwood Valley numbers were 1-3-2.

This was a tight game until the sixth when MACA got a little breathing room with two runs thanks to a wild pitch and Kill's RBI base rap.

Three players went one-for-three for Redwood Valley: Logan Swann, Beau Stongh and Jeremy Hester.

Lac qui Parle Valley surged Saturday on the strength of successive shutouts by Joey Schreck and Brandon Bornhoest. The Eagles soared with 10-0 and 5-0 wins.
Those outcomes certainly put a smile on the face of Morris native Bart Hill, who coaches the Eagles. Yours truly remembers writing about Bart when he was a talented Tiger.

Coach Rambow's Tigers sit at the lofty 20-win plateau on the season. Their mark going into tomorrow: 20-2.

Quite the memorable campaign. Congratulations to the orange and black crew.

And good luck on the first day of June.

- Brian Williams - morris mn Minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com