Dietz and Gibson sock homers in 3-1 road triumph

Tigers 3, Minnewaska Area 1
Home runs were a factor in the MACA girls' success vs. Minnewaska Area. The Tigers faced pitcher Morgan Hess who recently tossed a no-hitter against Montevideo. You'll recall that Monte was the team that made waves by forfeiting a game recently as a protest gesture. The Tigers were the recipient of that forfeit win.
Against Minnewaska we had to take the field and work to overcome a prime opposing pitcher, Hess. We won 3-1 at 'Waska on the strength of home runs. Liz Dietz homered in the first inning. Piper Gibson polished things off with a homer in the seventh. Both teams are highly regarded in Class AA circles.
The game was played on May 15.
Brooke Gillespie was the pitcher who dueled with 'Waska's Hess. Both pitchers had a complete game. Gillespie got the 'W' next to her name as she struck out three batters, walked three and allowed six hits and one run (earned). Hess sat down five Tiger batters on strikes. The Laker walked three batters and gave up six hits and three runs (two earned).
The lone 'Waska run came home in the third. We scored one run in the first inning and two in the seventh. Each team had six hits. Each team had one error. Gibson had two RBIs with her homer. Dietz got the other RBI with her round-tripper. Other Tigers hitting safely were Gillespie, Ashley Solvie, Emma Bowman and Kalley Hottovy.
Hess had a two-for-four line for Minnewaska. Bayley Pooler had a hit and a run scored. Carley Stewart doubled and drove in a run. Alisha Vigil and Rachel Erickson each had a hit.
 
Minnewaska 4, Tigers 3
Another recent contest vs. Minnewaska had the Lakers edging the Tigers 4-3. 'Waska got the four runs it needed in the first two innings: one in the first and three in the second. Our pitcher Ashley Solvie kept the Lakers scoreless after that. The MACA bats couldn't keep up, though, even though we rallied for two runs in the fourth and one in the seventh. We scored our three runs on five hits and committed one error. The 'Waska line score was 4-8-0.
'Waska coach Steve Hoffmann got his 500th career win as a result of this success. The game was played on May 16.
Brooke Gillespie of the Tigers made things interesting with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. We shaved the margin to one run in the seventh. But 'Waska pitcher Rachel Erickson was able to shut the door, completing a complete game. Erickson struck out two batters, was superb with her control - zero walks - and gave up five hits and three runs (earned). Our Ashley Solvie struck out three batters and walked one in her seven innings. 'Waska got to her for eight hits and the four runs, three earned.
Gillespie's homer was part of a two-for-three line and she drove in two runs. Piper Gibson, Bailey Marty and Emma Bowman each went one-for-three. Ashley Blom doubled for the Lakers. Morgan Hess had two hits in three at-bats. Bayley Pooler had a two-for-four showing. Alisha Vigil and Erickson each went one-for-three.
 
All the news that's fit?
The news is just hitting me this morning: the apparent imminent closure of the Hancock Record newspaper. We're expected to buy the propaganda from newspaper ownership, non-local, that somehow this is a forward-looking move: consolidation, shrinkage etc. It's in line with the meme that the print media overall are in decline.
If you accept that premise, do one little favor for me: stop supporting those "sucker ads" in the Morris paper. You know, those spreads where some sort of salute is expressed to something and then you see a list of businesses on the page. Knock it off. Buy advertising only with the purpose of informing the public of your goods and services. It is asinine to "subsidize" the Fargo-owned local print media. The bean counters in Fargo are cynically manipulating things here to maximize profit in the short term, largely by cutting. Don't you see this? It's called "harvesting" in the business world.
Let's optimize our online resources for communications and marketing. We're in the year 2017.
It is a very sad end to an era with the closure of the Hancock paper. Forum Communications kept slapping people in the face, first closing the newspaper office there, then putting an apparent squeeze on beloved editor Katie Erdman, inducing her to write a cryptic column of resignation where it was clear she felt uncomfortable. I think the Forum wanted Katie gone before the announcement was made of the closure. She would not have stood idly by for this.
I produced the sports section for the Hancock Record for something like 15 years, 52 weeks a year actually. I hope I left a valuable legacy. Maybe Katie could be honored as grand marshal for the Hancock Fourth of July parade. I'll risk sounding vain to say I could sit beside her. I worked countless hours producing Hancock High School sports material, not just for the Hancock paper but for Morris.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com