Seeing-eye doubles win for Morris Post #29

Morris 2, BOLD 1

So much hinges on pitching in the sport of baseball. A solid pitching job, according to long-ago Twins manager Sam Mele, "makes my job a lead pipe."

It was Mac Beyer striding out to the hill to handle the Post #29 pitching assignment on Tuesday (7/24). Yes, Tuesday. The Monday edition of the (very fallible) West Central Tribune reported that this game would be played on Thursday. I relied on that information myself. I was enlightened Tuesday evening at DeToy's Restaurant when I ran into Carrie Melchert who pointed out the Legion was playing that night.

"What?" I said (or thought).

But I shouldn't have been surprised. The sports department of the Willmar newspaper is often off the mark. Any time that newspaper reports schedule info, you should confirm it somewhere else.

Mac Beyer was masterful against BOLD Tuesday. He was backed by errorless fielding by his mates. The Post #29 line score was two runs, three hits and no errors.

BOLD was held to one run while rapping six hits and committing one error. Yes, BOLD outhit Morris 6-3 so Morris had to maximize its opportunities.
Morris met BOLD at Montevideo in the initial game of the District 7, Division II American Legion Final Four.

Beyer was matched against BOLD hurler Jake Marcus. BOLD has a special nickname for Legion play: "Mudhens." I believe that's the Toledo, OH minor league nickname.

A mudhen in the world of nature is a coot, right? A bird that has found Lake Crystal to its liking? A bird that duck hunters pass on? A bird that often "skips" along the water as it laboriously seeks to become airborne?

"Masterful" describes Beyer's pitching but it might also be associated with Marcus' work. After all, Marcus tossed a three-hitter in a losing effort.

Morris certainly needed to squeeze maximum advantage out of its opportunities. It was mission accomplished for Post #29.

The decisive run came in the bottom of the fourth. You might say Morris got some luck. A pair of doubles dropped barely into fair territory, off the bats of Tyler Henrichs and Bryce Jergenson. Morris seized a 2-1 lead and held onto it, backed by a confident Mac Beyer on the mound.

BOLD was the first team to lead in this game, 1-0 when one inning was done.

Marcus blanked Morris over the first two innings before giving up a run in the third. That run came in when Jacob Torgerson laid down a squeeze bunt, allowing Lincoln Berget to race in from third. So the score is tied 1-1.

Those doubles in the fourth spelled the difference, allowing Morris to stay in the winner's bracket and hope for more success.

Beyer may have given up more hits than Marcus but he kept the BOLD bats pretty subdued, as five of the six BOLD hits were singles. He walked no one. And as stated earlier, he was backed by errorless fielding. He fanned three Mudhen batters.

Marcus scored the only BOLD run. He came in on a single by Logan Sandgren.

Tanner Picht made a vital fielding play for Morris in the second. There were two Mudhens on base when Picht stretched out and made a diving catch in center, robbing Zach Remillard.

Marcus struck out four batters in six innings pitched. He walked three and allowed three hits and two runs (earned).

Three different players had the Morris hits: Henrichs, Jergenson and Berget. Berget's infield single in the third set the stage for Morris' first run. He stole second, then advanced to third on a pickoff try gone awry. Perched at third, he then came in on Torgerson's bunt.

Marcus had a two-for-three line in BOLD's boxscore. His teammate Riley Kramer had a double in the sixth but couldn't advance further.

The Willmar newspaper reports that Morris will play Montevideo in the winner's bracket final at 7:45 p.m. tonight (Thursday, 7/26). Monte beat Eden Valley-Watkins 4-3.

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