Bats awaken too late for Mudhens

Jake Leighton tried to be philosophic about Minneota's 5-4 loss to the Madison Mallards Wednesday night.

"We got hitting — but we've got to start earlier," he said.

"We wait until the seventh, eighth or ninth innings to get going," he said.

The Mudhens spotted the Mallards a 3-0 lead after Leighton was wild and Madison had his number in the arly going. Back-to-back doub les by Matt Monson and Garrett Olson after a single and pair of walks by Leighton put Madison in front.

Meanwhile, pitcher Brandon Bornhorst gave up just three hits through the first seven innings. One was a booming double by Tyson Sonnenburg but the Mudhens couldn't get him home.

Everything they hit was hard, but right at Madison fielders.

Meanwhile, everything the Mallards hit seemed to drop in for base hits.

Finally in the eighth the bats woke up. Henry Pesch slamed a double, Brock Buysse beat out his second infield hit to score Pesch and later scored on a long double by Leighton. It was 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth.

Unfortunately, Madison got to Leighton again. He was relieved by Pesch, who couldn't stop Madison and Matt Monson collected his third hit and third and fourth RBI's with a single to center to make it 5-2.

Minneota gave it one more try — scoring two in the ninth on another booming hit by Pesch, a double. But he was left stranded on second with the potential tying run when Bornhorst struck out the final two batters.

"We just have to get hits earlier," said Manager Sonnenburg.

The Mudhens are now 8-5 on the year and will play at 2 p.m. Saturday at home against Dumont.

MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Beau Buysse, 2b 4-0-0-0; Jake Leighton, p-lf 4-0-1-1; Adam Durfee, ss 4-0-0-0; Tyson Sonnenburg, cf 4-0-1-0; Austin Buysse, 3b 3-0-0-0; Jordan Beck, 3b 1-1-0-0; Preston Nuy, dh-3b 4-1-1-0; Danny Hennen 1b 0-0-0-0; Henry Pesch, lf-p 4-1-3-2; Noah Scott, c 4-0-0-0; Brock Buysse, rf 4-1-2-1. Totals 36-4-8-4.
MADISON (AB-R-H-RBI) Brandon Hill, ss 4-2-3-0; Austin Haas, cf 2-1-0-0; Matt Monson, 1b 4-0-3-4; Garrett Olson, 3b 5-0-3-2; Cole Bungarden, rf 4-0-1-0; Peyton Mortenson, dh5-0-0-0; Brandon Bornhorst, p 0-0-0-0; Korbin Kells, lf 3-0-0-0; Zach Flischmeyer, lf 0-0-0-0; Connar Oie, c 4-0-2-0; Seth Haas, 2b 3-2-1-0. Totals 35-5-12-5.
Minneota         000 000 22 — 4  8  3
Madison          030 000 2x — 5 11 1
E-Minneota: Beau Buysse 2, Leighton 1; Madison: Hill. LOB-Minneota 5; Madison 13. SAC-Madison: Austin Haas. DP-Minneota 4-3 (4). 2B-Minneota: Sonnenburg, Pesch 2, Nuy, Leighton; Madison: Olson.
Pitching               IP    R    ER  H   BB   K
Minneota
Leighton (L)        7.1   5     5    9     3      3
Pesch                 .2     0     0    2     0      0
Madison
Bornhorst (W)     9      4     2    8     0      5
WP-Bornhorst, Leighton, Pesch. HP- Monson, Bungarden, Kells (by Leighton).  PB-Scott.

WP-Bornhorst. LP-Leighton.