Post #29 powers through weekend games

The Morris baseball athletes are dealing with everything Mother Nature churns out.

This past spring it was overpowering wind on at least one occasion. That was the prep campaign when they played under the moniker "Tigers."

That campaign ended in Marshall on an anticlimactic note. The MACA defense broke down at the very end.

But the athletes have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps to excel in summer Legion play. As in the spring, they're fighting to cope with Mother Nature with nearly the same focus they apply in battling the opposition.

Two key playoff games were played Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17.

The weather? It was unforgettable mainly from the standpoint of humidity. Yours truly (B.W.) has never seen anything like it.

Window panes seemed to be frosted over everywhere. It certainly could be bad news for camera lenses too.

Obviously it was hot also. Sunday night we got a dose of lightning and the kind of thunder that can rattle your house.

The weekend ended with the Morris Legion Nine in quite good shape.

The Saturday story: a 13-2 win over Wheaton, the top seed. The Sunday story: more of same as the focused Legion unit squared off vs. Wheaton again and prevailed 10-5.

Double-digit run totals bode well. There were lots of highlights for our fans to cheer at Chizek Field.

Morris is one of four finalists at the district level now. They'll seek the District 7 crown beginning tomorrow (Tuesday, July 19) at Montevideo.
Morris will vie with Madison at 5:15 p.m. The late game will match Eden Valley-Watkins and Granite Falls.

It's double-elimination now. Action will continue on Thursday through Saturday.

The Post #29 crew takes a 12-2 season record into this next phase of playoffs.

Morris 13, Wheaton 2

Ryan Beyer stayed "in the zone" with his potent bat, helping to humble the No. 1 seed at the sub-district level. Beyer homered, tripled and singled.

He's accumulating ever more impressive power stats. His homer total on the summer is six, this after walloping seven homer blasts in the spring.

Morris took charge after the scoreless first two innings. Morris rallied for five runs in the third and went on to score two in the fourth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh.

They scored their 13 total runs on eleven hits and fielded cleanly, committing just one error.

The Wheaton line score was two runs, five hits and three errors.

Tyler Hansen was busy on the basepaths and he scored four runs. He had two hits in five at-bats and drove in two runs.

Alex Erickson scored three of the Morris runs. He had a one-for-three morning (yes, it was morning).

Ryan Beyer's extra-base blasts were part of a three-for-three boxscore line. He drove in a whopping six runs and scored three.

The always-reliable Eric Riley came through at two-for-five and two RBIs. Cole Riley had a one-for-three morning.

Ethan Bruer had a hit in his only at-bat and drove in two runs. Brody Bahr doubled and scored two runs.

Eric Riley got the pitching win, working six innings and striking out six batters. He gave up five hits and walked four. One of the two runs he allowed was unearned.

Mitch Kill finished things up on the hill, going one inning. He walked two but allowed no runs or hits.

Mason Lampe was the losing pitcher.

Morris 10, Wheaton 5

Sunday afternoon at the height of the heat-humidity phenomena, Morris took the field again to face Wheaton.

Morris made even faster work of it this time. Post #29 scored six runs over the first two innings while blanking the stunned and top-seeded Wheaton nine.

Morris padded its total with two runs each in the fourth and sixth.

Again Morris showed reliable gloves in the field with but one error. They scored their ten total runs on 12 hits. The Wheaton line score was five runs on eight hits and one error.

Morris batted around in a big second inning that netted them five runs. Wheaton pitching had some wildness that helped sink their own fortunes. There was a balk call too.

Eric Riley hit the ball through the humid air to post three-for-three numbers including a double. He scored two runs and drove in two.

Alex Erickson drove in a run to go with his two-for-five numbers. Tyler Hansen doubled and scored three runs.

Ryan Beyer socked a triple, scored two runs and drove in one. Cole Riley went one-for-two with two RBIs.

Brady Valnes had two hits in four at-bats. Tanner Picht had a hit and an RBI, and Ethan Bruer had a hit in his only at-bat.

The pitching department saw Sam Mattson get the win with his five innings, defying the heat and humidity. He struck out one batter and walked one. He gave up five hits and two runs (earned).

Ethan Bruer pitched for 2/3 of an inning and got roughed up, so the job of completing this game went to Alex Erickson who got the save. Erickson fanned a batter, walked none and gave up no runs or hits.

Mason Lampe was tagged with his second pitching loss of the weekend for Wheaton. Lampe did have a good game hitting, going three-for-four.

Tyler Schwagel and Riley Wilson also hit safely for Wheaton.

The district tourney is proceeding toward a crescendo!

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