Post #29 boys beat Brandon-Evansville, fall to Osakis

Chandler Erickson pitches in this file photo from the 2012 Morris Area Chokio Alberta baseball season. There's a big carryover of talent from the spring prep season to summer American Legion. Chandler was the winning pitcher in the Legion team's win over B-E which is reviewed below. Again, congrats to the four Tigers who were named all-conference in the WCC-South: Tom Holland, Sam Mattson, Tanner Picht and Jacob Torgerson. (Photo by B.W.)

Morris 8, Brandon-Evansville 4

Morris built a scoreboard cushion that proved valuable Thursday (7/5) at home. The Post #29 crew scored early and often and seemed for a time headed for a pretty easy win. The opponent: Brandon-Evansville.

But B-E rallied in the seventh in a way that created suspense. B-E plated three runs to make the score 8-4, and threatened to do more damage with the bases filled and one out. Pitcher Jacob Torgerson was really going to have to bear down.

Jacob was the third and last Morris pitcher. He succeeded Chandler Erickson who pitched six innings and Tyler Henrichs who had a shaky 1/3 of an inning. Shaky it was but none of the three runs Tyler gave up were earned. B-E roughed him up with four hits. He struck out a batter and walked none, but the four hits buoyed the comeback-minded B-E team.

So the ball was handed to Torgerson. Torgerson showed poise and calm on the hill to put out this fire. He got those last two outs to earn the save. Erickson was the winning pitcher. Erickson struck out seven batters in his six innings, walked two and allowed two hits and one run (unearned).

The Morris line score was eight runs, eleven hits and three errors. B-E had some fielding flaws too as their numbers were 4-6-4.

Morris surged through the early innings with a balanced hitting attack. Morris scored at least one run in each of the first five innings. B-E was held to one run until that seventh.

Tanner Picht was aggressive at the plate and had three hits in four at-bats. He came close to hitting for the cycle (missing only a home run). He drove in a run and scored a run.

Erickson had impact with his bat as well as his pitching arm. He drove in two runs while going two-for-three. Sam Mattson had a hit in his only at-bat. Mac Beyer socked a double to go with an RBI and run scored. Torgerson stole two bases and went one-for-two while scoring two runs. Lincoln Berget had a hit and an RBI. Bryce Jergenson picked up a safety in his only at-bat, plus he drove in a run. Tom Holland went one-for-three, scored twice and stole a pair of bases. Henrichs crossed home plate once. Brody Bahr stole a base and scored a run.

Aaron Lund had two hits for the visitor.

 

Osakis 5, Morris 4

Things looked promising for a time in the Morris Legion team's Friday road game against Osakis. The scoreboard showed a 4-0 lead for the Post #29 crew at one point. The fourth inning was disastrous though. Osakis used three singles to push in three runs, and it didn't end there. Sacrifice flies pushed in two more so the score is now 5-4 with Morris down. There would be no more scoring.

Post #29 dropped the July 6 affair 5-4. Still, they entered the weekend with the quite fine won-lost mark of 9-4.

The line scores show Morris out-hitting Osakis 10-7. We out-fielded the foe too, as Morris had but one error while Osakis booted the ball three times. It was the run totals that did in Motown.

Morris got going scoring in the second inning when Jordan Staples hit a sacrifice fly, and an error allowed the second run in.  Morris added one run each in the third and fourth innings, but pitcher Mac Beyer wasn't able to keep Osakis contained. Beyer, who blanked the foe over the first three innings, lasted just a third of an inning into the fourth. He ended up the losing pitcher. Two of the five runs he gave up were unearned. He struck out two, walked one and gave up five hits.

Sam Mattson pitched the other 2 2/3 innings, striking out two, walking two and allowing one hit and no runs.

Doug Zimmel was the Osakis pitcher and his fortunes were lifted by that big fourth inning rally by his squad. Zimmel got the "W" by his name. He survived ten hits allowed. One of the runs he allowed was unearned.

Tom Holland tripled as part of going two-for-four. Tanner Picht likewise went two-for-four as did Jacob Torgerson. Chandler Erickson and Mac Beyer both fashioned one-for-four numbers. Bryce Jergenson and Lincoln Berget both went one-for-two with Berget picking up an RBI.

Osakis' Drew Searing was a perfect two-for-two.

Viva Morris American Legion baseball for the (hot) summer of 2012!

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