Vultures fall just short of state berth
Minneota's Junior American Legion Vultures, like the menancing birds that fly over K. P. Kompelien Park, nearly devoured its prey on Tuesday — but fell just a couple runs short.
Minneota needed to beat Madison twice to earn a spot in the Junior Legion State Tournament August 4-5-6 in Bird Island.
With Thomas Hennen tossing a masterpiece, they beat Madison 3-0 under a menacing sky at Madison.
Then, they spotted Madison a 7-0 lead in the second inning, crawled their way back and lost, 7-6. They left the bases loaded as a final popup ended the long evening and shattered the Minneota hopes of a state berth.
Minneota 3, Madison 0
Thomas Hennen tossed a four-hit, five-strikeout masterpiece as the Vultures won the first game Tuesday at Madison.
They eked out a run in the first on a single by Thomas Hennen, added another in the second with the help of two Madison errors as Tate Walerius scampered home and got a run batted in by Landon Rolbiecki in the fourth as he plated Sam Buysse.
And that was it. Minneota beat their arch-rival Wyatt Halvorson, who gave up seven hits and fanned eight. But the Vultures turned back Madison’s best hurler.
Thomas Hennen did the rest — until he ran out of pitches. Grady Moorse came in to fan Halvorson to end the game.
Madison 7, Minneota 6
Despite a seven-run second inning, Coach J.D. Pesch said, “We put the pressure on them every inning, the entire game.”
Grady Moorse struggled through the second inning and wasn’t helped by a throwing error by catcher Landon Rolbiecki — but Teddy Pesch came on to quell the storm.
He got Madison out — then pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing one hit, with six strikeouts and five walks. His effort, and another relief effort by Jacob Hennen got the Vultures to a spot where they could rally.
And rally they did — scoring five runs in the fourth and fifth to put themselves back in the game.
“If we didn’t have that one bad inning, it would have been a different game,” said Coach Pesch.
Austin Sorensen and Jacob Hennen hit in two runs in the fourth and a two-run single by Sorensen brought in two more runs — and a Madison error helped score the third run.
Down 7-5 in the seventh, the Vultures loaded the bases and we able to squeeze Rolbiecki home on a single by Jaymes Moon. But Madison cut down Thomas Hennen trying to score and the bases were loaded with two outs.
Walerius lifted a high pop-up down first that was gathered in by Madison’s Tucker Droogsma and Madison was on their way to the state tournament.
Minneota 3, Madison 0
MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Sam Buysse, cf 4-1-1-0; Teddy Pesch, ss-2b 2-1-0-0; Landon Rolbiecki, c 4-1-1-0; Thomas Hennen, p-ss 4-0-1-1; Austin Sorenson, dh 3-0-2-0; Grady Moorse, 1b-rf-p 0-0-0-0; Jaymes Moon, rf 4-0-1-0; Jacob Hennen, 2b-1b 3-0-1-0; Tate Walerius, lf 4-1-0-0; Josh Laleman, 3b 1-0-0-0. Totals 29-3-7-2.
MADISON (AB-R-H-RBI) Mason Clark, 2b-rf 3-0-1-0; Brett Baldwin, c 3-0-1-0; Dain Haas, cf 3-0-0-0; Wyatt Halvorson, p-2b 3-0-1-0; Casey Bjornfeld 4-0-1-0; Tucker Droogsma, 1b 3-0-0-0; Trevor Gearman, 3b 2-0-0-0; Daniel Thielke, lf 2-0-0-0; Layton Wittnebel, rf-p 3-0-0-0. Totals 26-0-4-0.
Score by Innings:
Minneota 110 100 0 — 3 7 3
Madison 000 000 0 — 0 2 6
E-Minneota: Jacob Hennen 2, Pesch 1; Madison: Thielke, Gearman 3, Droogsma; Halvorson. LOB-Minneota 10; Madison 7. SB-Minneota: Thomas Hennen, Jacob Hennen, Walerius; Madison: Haas. SAC-Minneota: Pesch; Madison: Baldwin. 2B-Minneota: Rolbiecki.
Pitching IP R ER H BB K
Minneota
T. Hennen (W) 6.2 0 0 2 4 5
Moorse .1 0 0 0 0 1
Madison
Halvorson (L) 6 3 1 7 4 8
Wittnebel 1 0 0 0 0 1
HP-Gearman, Thielke (by T. Hennen).
Madison 7, Minneota 6
MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Sam Buysse, cf 4-1-1-0; Teddy Pesch, 2b-p 3-0-1-0; Landon Rolbiecki, c 4-2-1-0; Thomas Hennen, ss 1-2-0-0; Austin Sorensen, 1b 3-0-1-2; Grady Moorse, p-1b 0-0-0-0; Jaymes Moon, rf 4-0-2-1; Jacob Hennen, 2b-p 4-0-1-0; Tate Walerius, lf 4-0-0-0; Josh Laleman, 3b 0-0-0-0; Tony Starodub, pr 0-0-0-0. Totals 27-6-6-4.
MADISON (AB-R-H-RBI) Mason Clark, 2b 5-1-1-1; Brett Baldwin, c 3-1-0-0; Dain Haas, cf 3-1-1-1; Wyatt Halvorson ss 2-1-1-2; Casey Bjornfeld, p 4-1-2-0; Tucker Droogsma, 1b 3-0-0-0; Trevor Gearman, 3b 2-1-0-0; Dan Thielke, lf 3-0-0-0; Layton Wittnebel, rf-p 1-1-0-1. Totals 26-7-5-5.
Score by Innings:
Madison 070 000 0 — 7 5 2
Minneota 000 230 1 — 6 6 3
E-Minneota: Rolbiecki, T. Hennen, Laleman. Madison: Bjornfeld, Gearman. LOB-Minneota: 8; Madison 8. SB-Minneota: Rolbiecki, Walerius; Madison: Wittnebel 2. SAC-Madison: Droogsma. DP-Madison 3-6 (4).
Pitching IP R ER H BB K
Minneota
Moorse (L) 1.2 7 7 4 0 1
Pesch 4.2 0 0 1 5 6
Madison
Bjornfeld (W) 4.2 5 5 5 3 2
Wittnebel 2.1 1 1 1 3 1
HP-T. Hennen, Laleman (by Bjornfeld); Sorensen (by Wittnebel); Gearman 2 (by Moorse, Pesch); Halverson (by Pesch).