MACA girls split twin bill in Thunder Hawk country

The MACA softball girls visited Thunder Hawk country of Montevideo for a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 14.

Game #1 was a heartbreaker for the MACA crew: a 4-3 loss that had Monte rallying at the end. The Tigers took a 3-1 lead into the sixth but succumbed to Monte's three-run rally. Paige Jorgenson delivered the key hit in that game-deciding rally. Jorgenson's single drove in the run that made the difference.
The Tigers had scored one run each in the second, third and fourth frames. Monte scored its first run in the third.

The line scores were almost identical: MACA with three runs, four hits and two errors, and Monte with 4-5-3 numbers.
The pitchers of record were Kiersti Grey for Monte and McKenzie Van Batavia for Motown. Van Batavia struck out seven batters and walked two. Grey was the winner despite having no strikeouts. She also overcame six walks issued.

Three Tigers had hits in the boxscore: Becca Holland with two-for-three numbers and Brianna Abril and Chelsey Ehleringer each with a one-for-two line. None of the Thunder Hawks had multiple hits.

The Tigers did not respond in a deflated way for game #2. They summoned fresh energy and scored in every inning but one, in downing the T-Hawks 9-7. Each team had eight hits. Monte committed four errors and the Tigers three. Abril was the pitching winner while Ashley Hoehne took the loss.

The Tigers got going with punch, scoring two runs each in the first and second innings and leading 5-2 after three. Each team scored four runs in the wild fourth inning. Monte tacked on its last run in the sixth but couldn't catch up to Motown.

Three Tigers were at the fore of the hitting attack, each with two hits: Holland (two-for-three and two runs scored), Abby Olson (two-for-three including a triple and three RBIs) and Nicole Strobel (two-for-two and an RBI). Ehleringer had a hit in her only at-bat, and Sadie Fischer went one-for-four. Monte's Jessie Janisch had a home run as part of going two-for-three.

 

Baseball: MACA 20, Monte 0

"Cakewalk" describes what the Morris Area Chokio Alberta baseball team accomplished on Tuesday. The Tigers were in Montevideo like the softball team. It might have seemed like batting practice at times. There were 17 hits rocketing off the MACA bats, nine of them sizzling for extra bases. The offensive show was part of the 20-0 rout over the T-Hawks.

Tanner Picht was in the zone with his hitting eye, getting a hit in each of his four at-bats, and his RBI total was a robust five. He socked a two-run home run and had a triple too. Jacob Torgerson made noise with his bat, contributing three hits including a double and triple, and he drove in five runs. Bryce Jergenson was part of the show with two hits for extra bases, and this Tiger's RBI total was four.

Tom Holland attacked Monte pitching for two hits in three at-bats, with one of his hits a double, and drove in two runs. Mac Beyer had a multiple-hit game. Other Tigers chalking up RBIs were Corey Storck, Tyler Henrichs, Lincoln Berget and Logan Manska. The line score for Motown was a super-duper 20 runs, 17 hits and a mere one error.

Jergenson was the winning pitcher while Jake Bednar was tagged with the loss.

 

Softball: Tigers 9, Melrose 6

Each team had eight hits but the Tigers came out on top in the column that counted, runs scored, in Monday (5/13) softball success. The Tigers had to fend off a late furious Melrose rally - four runs in the seventh - and their run total was sufficient in this 9-6 triumph.

The Dutchmen hurt themselves with six errors. Coach Mary Holmberg's orange and black crew, meanwhile, committed just one error. The Tigers plated two runs in the third, one in the fourth, four in the fifth and two in the sixth.

That big four-run fifth got going with singles off the bats of McKenzie Van Batavia and Abby Olson, and continued with doubles delivered by Brooke Johnson and Nicole Strobel. The score stood 7-0 when the dust cleared after this rally. The cushion was needed considering Melrose's subsequent signs of life.

Steph Hennen had two hits for the Tigers. Megan Gillespie had a hit in her only at-bat and drove in two runs. Olson drove in a run as did Strobel. Johnson added two ribbies to the mix. Sadie Fischer went one-for-two.

Van Batavia struck out seven batters as the winning pitcher. She walked two and allowed four hits. Abril also pitched for Motown.

The losing pitcher was Morgan Notch. Nikki Zierden tripled and went two-for-four for Melrose.

 

Baseball: Marshall 2, Tigers 1

A couple early mistakes took a toll on the MACA baseball cause on Monday, May 13. The Tigers didn't know it at the time, but the early lapses would tell the story of the game in this 2-1 loss in Marshall. One lapse was a wild pitch on a third strike. Another was a throw that went awry on a stolen base attempt. The consequence was Marshall (a Section 3AA rival) scoring two runs in the first inning. Marshall would score no more runs after that. MACA was held to one run in the sixth.

MACA did outhit Marshall 4-2. Marshall helped itself by playing errorless ball. MACA had one fielding miscue.

Karl Meyer was the MACA starting hurler but had to leave early due to some misfortune. Meyer sought to field a Marshall come-backer but the ball glanced off his glove and struck him in the head. He reported a headache and watery eyes, so he was judged no-go for staying in the game. He was succeeded on the mound by Chandler Erickson. The two came through well in this department, each giving up a mere one hit. Erickson pitched five innings, fanning two batters and walking three.

Winning pitcher Arron Mathiowetz pitched the full seven innings, striking out three batters and allowing four hits.

Four Tigers each had one hit: Erickson (a double), Tanner Picht (a double), Mac Beyer (a triple and RBI) and Tom Holland. The Marshall batters with hits were Drew Hmielewski and Mason Campion.

The Tigers' run in the sixth came on a walk to Logan Manska and Mac Beyer's two-out triple. In the seventh, a baserunner got to second base with one out but was stranded, marking the third time a Tiger got stranded there.

The loss was the Tigers' second straight after the squad began the season with a skein of nine wins.

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