Bulldog baseball team adds four wins
Carver Blietz-Bentien singled twice and scored a run in game one of MFL MarMac’s doubleheader against NFV. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Jacob Schellhorn allowed a combined two runs in two appearances last week. He struck out 14 batters.
Kaden Stocker races to first base in the June 6 doubleheader versus the TigerHawks. MFL MarMac split with NFV 1-1, and went 4-1 overall last week.
Chauncy Drahn celebrates an RBI double in the Bulldogs' first match-up with NFV on June 6.
Catcher Quinn McGeough collects a pitch from teammate Jacob Schellhorn.
Bulldog second baseman Bryce Radloff throws to first base against the TigerHawks.
Landon Johnson tried to leg out an infield hit.
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
The MFL MarMac baseball team went 4-1 last week, upping its conference mark to 3-4 and getting back to .500 overall, at 7-7.
The Bulldogs kicked off the week June 6, splitting a home doubleheader with North Fayette Valley. They led the first game 1-0 through three innings, before the TigerHawks put up a two-run fourth and added another in the sixth, to win 3-1.
Jacob Schellhorn pitched a solid five innings for MFL MarMac, giving up seven hits and a walk but just two earned runs in the loss. He also struck out six batters. Ben Krambeer allowed three hits, a walk and one earned run in two relief innings.
The Bulldog offense collected six hits, and also stole four bases, but couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities. Carver Blietz-Bentien led the effort with two singles, a stolen base and a run scored. Chauncy Drahn also had a two-hit game, with a double and single, stole a base and knocked in a run. A Kaden Stocker single and Landon Johnson double accounted for the other hits.
Game two was a different story for the Bulldog offense, which amassed seven hits and 10 walks in a 13-3 victory. The team did much of its scoring in the opening inning, with seven runs, then tacked on another in the third and five more in the fifth.
Stocker finished the night 2-3—including a double and a single—walked, stole a base, scored twice and drove in a run. Parker Kuehl’s stat line included two hits, a walk, two stolen bases, two runs scored and two RBIs. Drahn was 1-4, scored once and drove in two teammates, while Krambeer singled and walked twice, stole a base, knocked in a run and scored once himself.
The victory went to Stocker, who limited the TigerHawks to four hits, two walks, two hit batters and three earned runs over three and two-thirds innings. He also racked up six strikeouts. Nick Krambeer followed that up with an inning and one-third of two-hit, scoreless pitching.
MFL MarMac continued to roll June 8, in a 15-0 route of Edgewood-Colesburg. The team had 12 hits overall, in addition to seven walks, and kept the pressure on with nine steals.
Stocker was a perfect 4-4, with two stolen bases and three RBIs. Blietz-Bentien, who was 2-3 with a sacrifice and a stolen base, also had a three-RBI night and scored twice. Ben Krambeer knocked in three more runs, stole a base and scored once, while Drahn had an RBI double, walked twice, stole a game-high three bases and crossed home plate four times. Kuehl and Bryce Radloff both singled, walked, stole a base, scored two runs and picked up an RBI.
Ben Krambeer, meanwhile, was masterful on the mound, allowing just two hits and one walk in four innings. He struck out five Vikings.
The June 9 game at Turkey Valley was much the same for the Bulldogs, who rolled to a 15-6 win. They went ahead early 6-1, but the Trojans trimmed the lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the third. MFL MarMac responded with five runs in the top of the fourth, however, and added four more in the sixth to cap it off.
It was another double-digit hit night, with 11. The Bulldogs also benefitted from seven walks and five hit by pitches. Ben Krambeer reached base four times, tallied a team-leading four RBIs and scored a run. Schellhorn singled twice and walked once, knocked in a run and crossed home plate two times. Catcher Austin Schlee added a double, two hit by pitches and two RBIs to his stat line, while Blietz-Bentien finished 1-3 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Stocker picked up another win, after allowing six hits and three earned runs in four and one-third innings. He walked three Trojans and struck out six. Blietz-Bentien pitched three and one-third innings, surrendering just one hit and one walk and fanning four batters.
MFL MarMac’s final game of the week, a June 10 home match-up against Midland, was another win—albeit a lot closer margin. The Bulldogs eked out two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth, then held off a seventh inning rally from the Eagles with a game-ending, bases loaded double play. They took the game 3-1.
Elias Hatt picked up one of the team’s four hits and drove in a run. Johnson doubled and scored and Ben Krambeer singled and scored, while Schellhorn walked, stole two bases and crossed the plate once.
Schellhorn picked up the win, holding Midland to two hits and one walk, while striking out eight batters, in five innings. Drahn gave up three hits and hit one batter in two innings. The one run he gave up was unearned.
It will be another busy schedule for the Bulldogs this week, starting with a doubleheader at Clayton Ridge-Central on June 13. They’ll host a twin bill against Postville on June 14, then play at Jesup on June 15 and Kee on June 16.
