It didnt take long for the Wadena-Deer Creek baseball team to bounce back from the whipping they received from Perham a week ago.
Wolverine head coach Scott Petrowski spent the better part of the week getting back to the fundamental basics, and it showed against Staples-Motley on May 2.
While the Wolverines didnt win, losing 3-1 and 6-1 in a conference doubleheader, Petrowski was impressed with the progress the boys made.
Well, we didnt win, but we had a nice pitching performance in both games, Petrowski said. We did commit some errors, which cost us a little.
Seth Hamman pitched six quality innings for the Wolverines in the first game and gave up six hits while striking out seven.
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He (Hamman) had a really nice effort on the mound, Petrowski said. He gave us a chance to win and that is all you can ask from you pitchers.
It was scoreless until the top of the third inning when the Wolverines got their only run of the game. Hammans two-out single allowed him to reach first, and he proceeded to steal both second and third base to give the Wolverines a scoring threat. Cody Crawford capitalized on that chance and plated Hamman with his RBI single.
The Cardinals tied it back up in the bottom half of the inning, scoring on a Wolverine error.
Another Wolverine error led to another score in the fourth for the Cardinals as they scored two runs to take the lead for good at 3-1.
The Wolverines collected five hits in the contest with Crawford going 2-for-3 with an RBI while Hamman went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Also getting hits were Preston Stearns and Thomas Harthan.
The Staples pitcher kept our guys guessing a little at the plate, Petrowski said. It was a great ball game.
The nightcap was another close game as the Wolverines trailed 1-3 going into the fifth when the Cardinals put up three more runs to win 6-1.
Aaron Jasmer pitched another quality outing for the Wolverines, going six innings and allowed eight hits while striking out three.
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Again, the Wolverines took the early lead in the ballgame. Stearns had a lead-off single to start off the second inning and he stole second base. Jascha Pettits RBI single sent Stearns home for the Wolverines only run of the nightcap.
Staples-Motley would score three runs in the bottom half of the second and then scored three more in the fifth to gain the victory.
Offensively, the Wolverines rapped out eight hits with both Derek Neu and Stearns leading the charge with two hits each. Crawford, Pettit and Zach Maas each collected a hit in the loss.
Overall, we played better and we did improve on some aspects of the game Petrowski said. We still as a team have a long way to go, but if the boys are willing to stick with it and work hard, things will turn around.
Petrowskis words were almost prophetic when the Wolverines traveled to Crosby-Ironton on Friday for a conference double-dip.
The early season swoon ended for the Wolverines as they picked up their first wins of the season in the 8-7 and 9-6 sweep of the Rangers.
The Wolverines rattled the Rangers starting pitcher enough in the top of the first inning to draw two walks, two hit batsmen and two stolen bases, and that led to three runs.
Pettit led off the third inning with a hit and stolen base followed by a Derek Neu single. A successful double steal by both runners saw Pettit going to third and Neu at second as Stearns walked to load the bases.
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Justin Wolden took one for the team as he was plunked by another Ranger pitch to score Pettit and Crawford plated Neu with his bases-loaded walk for the 5-3 lead.
The Wolverines added another run in the fourth as Ryan Kephart tripled and scored on Hammans RBI single.
Crosby-Ironton tied it up 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on two doubles.
Not to be outdone, the Wolverines bounced back to tally two runs in the sixth to regain the lead for good. Aaron Jackson led off with a single and Kephart kept up his torrid hitting by sending Jackson home with a RBI double. Kephart would score the eventual game-winning run on a Hamman RBI single.
The Rangers had a chance to win the game going into the bottom of the seventh. Wolden got the first batter to fly out, but the next batter Justin Mattson reached base on a Wolverine error and then stole second. Mattson tried to steal third also and Wolden tagged him out during a hotbox.
That second out would prove costly for the Rangers as Shawn Beseres took a 1-2 pitch from Wolden and sent it deep over the left field fence for a home run.
Wolden got the next batter to ground out to preserve the 8-7 victory.
The nightcap proved to be just as exciting as the Wolverines came back from a 6-3 deficit with a two-run fifth and four-run sixth to win 9-6.
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The Rangers got six runs in the first two innings to force Wolverine starter Derek Neu from the mound. Thomas Harthan came in on relief and proceeded to shut down the Rangers the rest of the way.
Back-to-back walks by Neu and Kephart to start the fifth inning got the ball rolling for the Wolverines. Jasmers triple sent both runners home and the Wolverines were one run down heading into the sixth inning.
Pettit and Stearns both drew walks with two outs in the sixth and Pettits steal of third base had the Wolverines placing runners in the corners. The Rangers committed an error on Neus base hit, allowing two runs to cross the plate. Kepharts double scored Neu and Jasmer finished off the scoring with his RBI single and the Wolverines had the 9-6 lead.
The Rangers couldnt get the runs to cross the plate despite leaving runners on base, especially with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Offensively, the Wolverines collected seven hits in the nightcap with Jasmer leading the way at the plate with 2-for-4 hitting with a triple and three RBI. Kephartr went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBI.
The Wolverines played a conference doubleheader at Pequot Lakes on Tuesday and will host Sebeka on Friday.
WDC at Staples-Motley
on May 2
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Cardinals 3, Wolverines 1 (Game 1)
R H E
WDC 0 0 1 0 0 0 0- 1 5 3
SM 0 0 1 2 0 0 x- 3 6 0
WP-Roline (SM)
LP-Hamman (WDC)
WDC-Seth Hamman 1-3, R, SB; Cody Crawford 2-3, SB, RBI; Preston Stearns 1-3; Thomas Harthan 1-3
Cardinals 6, Wolverines 1 (Game 2)
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R H E
WDC 0 1 0 0 0 0 0- 1 8 2
SM 0 3 0 0 3 0 x- 6 8 0
WP-Motl (SM)
LP-Jasmer (WDC)
WDC-Crawford 1-4; Derek Neu 2-3; Stearns 2-3, R; Jascha Pettit 1-3, RBI; Zach Maas 1-2
WDC at Crosby-Ironton
on May 5
Wolverines 8, Rangers 7 (Game 1)
R H E
WDC 3 0 2 1 0 2 0- 8 7 1
C-I 1 2 0 0 3 0 1- 7 11 0
WP-Wolden (WDC)
LP-Beseres (C-I)
WDC-Hamman 2-4, R, 4SB, 2RBI; Pettit 1-4, 2R, 2SB, HP; Neu 1-4, R, SB; Stearns 0-4, R, 2BB; Jasmer 0-4, 2HP, RBI; Wolden 0-4, SAC, HP, BB, 2RBI; Crawford 0-4, BB, RBI; Jackson 1-4, R; Kephart 2-3, 2R, 2B, 3B, RBI
Wolverines 9, Rangers 6
R H E
WDC 2 1 0 0 2 4 0- 9 7 1
C-I 2 4 0 0 0 0 0- 6 8 1
WP-Harthan (WDC)
LP-Mattson (C-I)
WDC-Pettit 1-5, R, SB, BB; Stearns 1-4, 2R, SB, BB; Neu 0-4, 3R, 2SB, HP, BB; Kephart 2-4, 2R, 2B, SB, 2RBI; Jasmer 2-4, 3B, SB, 3RBI; Maas 0-3, R, Ohrmundt 1-3, 2SB, HP
