Five more wins improve Bulldog baseball team to 8-2
Jacob Schellhorn, who struck out four batters, fields the ball in the game against Turkey Valley. (Photos by Audrey Posten)
Gordon Brayden, who walked the Bulldogs off in the bottom of the 11th, runs between first and second base in MFL MarMac's game against Turkey Valley.
Ben Krambeer, who went 2-4, up to bat in MFL MarMac's game against Turkey Valley.
By Audrey Posten
The MFL MarMac baseball team improved to 8-2 last week, after sweeping a pair of UIC doubleheaders and winning one of two non-conference match-ups.
The Bulldogs opened with an exciting 5-4 11-inning win in the first game of a May 28 doubleheader against Turkey Valley. The Trojans were up 4-1 through four innings, when MFL MarMac plated two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to tie it 4-4. Brayden Gordon drove in Jaxon Millage in the bottom of the 11th to walk the Bulldogs off.
Carver Blietz-Bentien singled three times, walked once and knocked in two runs in the victory. He also scored a run. Ben Krambeer was 2-4 with a walk and Parker Kuehl singled, walked, stole four bases and crossed the plate twice.
Junior Kade Humble pitched four and one-third innings in relief of starter Nick Krambeer, allowing six hits, a walk and a hit batter, but only one run. Jacob Schellhorn finished the final four innings, holding the Trojans to two hits and four walks while striking out four batters.
The Bulldog offense capitalized on a combined 15 walks, five hit batters and 10 stolen bases to defeat Turkey Valley 16-2 in the second game of the doubleheader. Ben Krambeer tallied four RBIs on a single and a double and scored two runs. Millage was 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored, and Dustin Larson singled, walked, knocked in a run and scored once.
Bryce Radloff pitched three innings of no-hit ball while walking one and whiffing six Trojans. Millage earned the victory, after allowing three walks and two hit batters in one and two-thirds innings.
MFL MarMac followed that up with another extra inning win at Alburnett on May 29. The Bulldogs led 7-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, but surrendered runs in that frame and the next to extend the game. Both teams scored two runs in the eighth inning, but MFL MarMac broke the tie in the top of the ninth and won 11-9.
The Bulldogs churned out 13 hits, including three from Blietz-Bentien, who singled and then doubled twice to drive in three runs. Schellhorn plated three runs on a single and sacrifice fly, while Gordon singled and walked twice, knocked in two runs and scored twice. Elias Hatt was 2-4 with a walk, three stolen bases and two runs scored.
Kuehl gave up 10 hits and struck out seven batters over six innings. Only two of the six runs against him were earned. Jaron Wille limited the Pirates to two hits, three walks, a hit batter and three earned runs in the final three innings.
MFL MarMac piled on more runs in a 16-10 win in game one of a May 30 Upper Iowa Conference doubleheader with Postville. The Bulldogs actually trailed 8-1 heading into the bottom of the third, but scored in four consecutive innings to complete the comeback.
Krambeer was 3-4 with a walk, three RBIs and two runs scored. Millage had a pair of hits and a walk, drove in two runs and scored twice, while Hatt singled, walked twice and had two RBIs, including a sacrifice fly. He picked up four of the team’s 12 stolen bases. Schellhorn finished the game with two walks, two sac flies, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Kyler Nuehring secured the win after allowing six hits, five walks and four earned runs in three and two-thirds innings. Hatt struck out one batter in two-thirds of an inning, and Brent Roe kept the Pirates to two hits, five walks and three earned runs in two and two-thirds innings. He totaled seven strikeouts.
The Bulldogs finished the doubleheader sweep with an 11-4 victory in game two. They cranked out another 11 hits, five walks and eights steals in this game, led by a 3-3 showing by Hatt. The senior singled twice, tripled and walked, plating two runs. He swiped a trio of bases and scored three times. Wille was 2-3 with a walk and three RBIs and Millage singled twice, stole a base and scored two runs.
Hatt, Gordon and Brady Welsh combined for seven innings on the mound, giving up two hits but walking 12 Pirates and hitting another five. Postville struck out seven times.
Unfortunately, Class 1A state-ranked Wapsie Valley snapped the Bulldogs’ seven-game winning streak with a 5-2 win on May 31. MFL MarMac was up 2-1 when the Warriors piled on four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Blietz-Bentien was 2-3, including a double, walked once and scored a run. Krambeer was 2-3 with a walk and RBI, while Kuehl singled and drove in a run.
In four strong innings, Schellhorn allowed two walks and an earned run while striking out three batters. Humble gave up six hits in two innings, and two of the four runs scored against him were earned.
The Bulldogs have another busy week on tap, starting with an Upper Iowa Conference doubleheader at North Fayette Valley on June 3. They traveled to Decorah June 4, then will host Edgewood-Colesburg June 5. The week concludes with a big conference match-up at Kee on June 6.
