Carter Peterson highlighted the Redwood offense with a home run. The Tigers managed just one run over the first five innings, then scored two each in the sixth and seventh. Redwood came out of the starting gate with three each in the first and second. They followed that up with two each in the fifth and sixth.
Brady Backman had a rough outing on the hill for Motown, however he was hurt by unearned runs. In fact, four of the six runs he allowed in his one inning were unearned. So we're looking at errors maybe being a factor? The line score shows we committed three. Our five runs were scored on eight hits. Redwood Valley had a line score of ten runs, seven hits and one error.
Backman struck out two batters in his one inning. But he walked two and gave up two hits. So, on came Dylan Rose to show his pitching stuff. Rose had a stint of four innings in which he gave up two hits and two runs, struck out two and walked three. We called on a third pitcher, Brett Hansen, who gave up three hits and two runs in one inning. He had no walks or strikeouts.
Redwood Valley had Cade Schiller on the mound for the win. Schiller was pretty sharp with his nine strikeouts. But he could be wild too: six walks. He gave up three hits and one run (earned).
Two other pitchers put their arms to work in RV's winning cause. Carter Johnson got roughed up in a one-inning stint: five hits, four runs all earned, two walks, no strikeouts. Austin Christensen pitched for one frame and fanned two Tiger batters, walked none.
The MACA offense had Ross Marty going two-for-four with a stolen base, a run scored and an RBI. Brandon Jergenson had a hit, a stolen base and an RBI. Zach Bruns went wild on the basepaths with his four stolen bases! He was one-for-three with a walk received and an RBI.
Sam Kleinwolterink had a one-for-four line. Rose socked a double, plus he stole a base, walked twice and scored two runs. Riley Reimers had a hit in his only at-bat: a double. He drew a walk and drove in a run. Hansen doubled, stole a base, walked, drove in a run and scored a run. Durgin Decker worked the pitcher for a walk. Flynn McNally earned two walks. Branden Hardy crossed home plate once.
So, the game was not without highlights for coach Kirby Sayles' crew. I recently asked Dan Sayles if he'd be following Donald Trump's recommendation to boycott major league baseball. "I think I'll still watch," Dan said with a smile.
The Redwood Valley hits were by Peterson with his round-tripper, Schiller, Riley Dikken, Brock Famsyn, Nick Schlacher and Brandon Lang. Alex Lang scored three runs. Johnson got on base twice by hit-by-pitch.
Varsity softball this Wednesday
The unusual occurrence of a varsity sports event on Wednesday is on this week's slate. The softball Tigers will host Benson at the new field. So, this will be another test for how the new field is working out.
Are people expressing honest opinions about this? The local commercial media appear to have blinders on, only dispensing the most institutionally approved language about it. The UMM athletic director likes using the word "amazing." IMHO it is not amazing.
It's crude for so many vehicles to go down the little slope to park between fields, chewing up the ground and grass and steadily making the place more untidy. I thought the slope would only be accessed by construction vehicles.
It's a madhouse for getting parking out there, but maybe these demands will diminish as fans find that the game viewing experience has too many obstacles. I emailed a UMM-oriented friend yesterday with the message that "whoever designed this place didn't have the fans' interests in mind at all." The vantage points for watching the games are too limited and have issues.
I told my friend that UMM fans will quickly decide they preferred their established field with the brick dugouts that have "Cougars" painted on the backs. I have visited the established field three times this spring to observe, and find that the fans are 100 percent happy there. It's a festive atmosphere. Why on earth do so many important people always think something "new" is needed?
I walked past the "complex," if you really want to call it that, on Sunday and noticed that sprinklers were going full-bore on the secondary field. Yes, anything big and new like this will have a cost for maintenance and management. So easy for us to initially overlook that.
For the City of Morris to have dispensed of $150,000 for this project, means the city must be absolutely swimming in money - they don't know what to do with it all.
I observed the Friday evening Tiger varsity game at the new place, for a short time anyway, then I walked home suspecting the game would be called because of rain. But I checked YouTube and discovered it was not called. I could not find game details anywhere the next day except for the score from the "Minnesota Scores" site: 16-1 win for Motown. I guess we should celebrate that, but such one-sided games and kind of a downer.
On the opposite side of "downer" was the fantastic rainbow I saw on my YouTube screen! You can call that "amazing," Mr. Johnson. It made my weekend. It also was inspiration for my new post on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." I invite you to read with this permalink and God bless:
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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