Walker tags Post 171 squad with two losses

Zak Nornberg spun a three-hitter in Game 1 and errors proved costly in Game 2 last Wednesday as Walker took a doubleheader on the Wadena diamond.

Nornberg walked one and fanned two in pitching a complete game as Walker opened the American Legion twinbill with a 5-2 victory.

Austin Becker slugged a two-run homer in the first inning for Walker. Vic Mastley went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored twice.

Noah Ross and Logan Schmitz scored runs for Post 171.

Jake Dykhoff gave up 10 hits in his seven innings on the hill for Wadena. Dykhoff walked two and fanned six.

"We played another solid defensive game but we could not get the sticks going," Wadena coach Kevin Tumberg said. "We had several great chances to score but made a couple of costly errors on the basepath."

Walker cashed in on four Wadena errors to win the nightcap 6-5 in nine innings.

Logan Gross, who reached base three times and scored twice, led off the ninth for Walker with an infield hit. After Mastley reached on a bunt, Becker drew a walk to load the bases. Gross scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Walker pushed five runs across the plate in the second and forced Wadena to play catch-up. The Post 171 crew scored the game-tying run in the top of the sixth.

Zac Schertler was credited with an excellent mound performance in the loss. Schertler went all nine innings. He surrendered six hits and two walks while striking out three. Only two of Walker's six runs were earned.

"I am proud of the way we fought back and stayed in the game," Tumberg said.

Schertler was also a key man at the plate for Post 171 reaching three times and scoring twice. Isaac Laughlin also scored twice and Tyler Wheeler scored once.

Brett Byer fanned seven in a nine-inning effort for Walker.

The Wadena Legion team goes on the road Monday for a doubleheader at Staples.

(Game 1)

Walker 200 102 - 5 10 5

Wadena 100 010 - 2 3 0

Zak Nornberg and Justin Wicks; Jake Dykhoff and Jarrett Pettit

WP- Nornberg; LP- Dykhoff

HR- Becker (W)

(Game 2)

Wadena 100 121 000 - 5 6 4

Walker 050 000 001 - 6 6 1

Brett Byer and Nate Goehring; Zac Schertler and Jarrett Pettit

BHV 11-4, Wadena 1-5

Kevin Tumberg's Wadena American Legion team shook off an 10-run defeat in Game 1 last Monday to gain a split with Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale.

Noah Ross came home with Wadena's lone run in the first game when a dropped third strike forced BHV catcher Mack Jones to throw out Isaac Laughlin and allowed Ross to score from third.

Wadena's third inning run only stood up until the bottom of the fourth when the BHV crew rocked starter Kyle Kern with six straight hits. Ty Klimek had a two-run single and C.J. Baumgartner followed with a two-run triple.

Andrew McCullough took over with one out and the bases loaded. The Post 171 club caught Alex Copa at home plate and Matt Lipinski to fly out.

BHV added one run in the fifth and four more in the sixth.

Preston Riewer went four innings on the hill to gain the win. Riewer walked two and fanned four. Luke Weniger struck out three batters in two innings of relief.

McCullough and Jake Dykhoff collected two hits apiece in the loss. Weniger, Klimek and Travis Eckel combined for 11 hits, five runs and five RBIs in the win.

In the nightcap, Ross and Zac Schertler came up with clutch singles in the bottom of the sixth to rally Post 171 to their first win of the season.

A hard-hitting BHV team pounded out 11 hits but were nursing a 4-3 lead when Wadena came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. Isaac Witthuhn led off with a walk and moved to second on a single by Kern. Witthuhn was forced at third when Logan Schmitz hit into a fielder's choice. Tyler Wheeler grounded out but both runners moved up, setting the table for Schertler and Ross.

Seven different Wadena players collected hits with Schmitz lacing a two-run double in the second.

Riewer and Weniger joined Mac Schluttner in rapping out two hits in the loss.

Schmitz went the first five frames on the mound for Wadena but Dykhoff notched the win with two innings of shutout relief. Schluttner was hung with the loss.

(Game 1)

Wadena 001 000 1 - 1 7 2

BHV 000 614 - 11 14 1

Kyle Kern, Andrew McCullough (4) and Jarrett Pettit; Preston Riewer, Luke Weniger (5) and Mack Jones

WP- Riewer; LP- Kern

(Game 2)

BHV 101 110 0 - 4 11 1

Wadena 020 012 x - 5 7 0

Al Copa, Mac Schluttner (5), Ty Klimek (6) and Preston Riewer; Logan Schmitz, Jake Dykhoff (6) and Jarrett Pettit