Orioles win pitchers’ duel, top Kilowatts in 2C playoffs | News, Sports, Jobs

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau
Leavenworth catcher Caden Evers smiles as he heads to the dugout after an inning-ending throw and tag out at home plate against Granite Falls in a Region 2C amateur baseball playoff game Sunday at Riverside Park in Springfield.

trosenau@nujournal.com

SPRINGFIELD — Jevan Richert’s leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth — and a little station-to-station baseball after that — was enough for the Leavenworth Orioles to top the Granite Falls Kilowatts 1-0 on Sunday in a Region 2C Amateur Baseball Tournament elimination game at Riverside Park.

With a pitchers’ duel between Orioles starting right-handed pitcher Jackson Ludewig and Kilowatts’ starting righty Bryce Sneller, both sides were itching to get on the board. The Kilowatts were especially eager after Saturday when they used extra energy to defeat Searles 4-2 in 14 innings to advance to Sunday’s game.

Leavenworth, meanwhile, defeated Stark 8-4 Saturday to advance to Sunday.

Staff photo by Travis Rosenau
Leavenworth starting right-hander Jackson Ludewig pitches against Granite Falls in a Region 2C amateur baseball playoff game Sunday at Riverside Park in Springfield.

The win moves Leavenworth on to a game against Milroy on Friday night in Sleepy Eye, with the winner earning a state tournament berth. Granite Falls’ season came to end with the loss.

Ludewig ended up getting the no decision in eight innings, allowing just two hits and four walks while striking out seven. Jackson Huiras pitched ninth in relief and got the win after a 1-2-3 inning, getting Colton Vien on a check-swing third strike to end the game.

Sneller was just as effective despite the loss, allowing two hits and three walks for one earned run while striking out four. He also hit two batters.

The Kilowatts’ best chance to score came in the top of the eighth when Hunter Wilke led off with a double. He took third on a passed ball and a groundout kept him there. Cody Dahlager then grounded to Huiras, who was the shortstop at the time, and reached on a fielder’s choice when Huiras made sure to keep Wilke at third and no play was made.

Nikson Knapper then sent a pitch into center field, which was caught by center fielder Austin Uecker, but it wasn’t deep enough and a strong throw home to catcher Caden Evers kept Wilke from heading home. Bennett Knapper then hit a sinking fly ball into right-center, which was grabbed by Uecker on the run for the third out.

Not to be outdone by Wilke, Richert doubled into left field to lead off the bottom of the eighth. A sac bunt by Huiras moved Richert to third and a deep fly ball to left off the bat of Jaden Mickelson was caught but deep enough to allow Richert to tag up and score for the 1-0 lead.

The only other Leavenworth hit in the game came in the third when Uecker dropped down a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line and reached with a bunt single.

Granite Falls’ other hit came in the fourth. After a leadoff walk by Bennett Knapper, Ludewig forced a flyout and groundout to bring up Vien. Vien lined a single into center field, but the ball was scooped up by Uecker and fired to Evers at home plate in plenty of time for Evers to tag out Bennett Knapper without a slide and end the inning.

While both pitchers were on their game for the most part, their fielders made several solid plays behind them throughout the game. One nice play came in the fourth on a sliding catch in right field by Granite Falls right fielder Drew Almich. Another came when Leavenworth right fielder Dylan Hillesheim made a diving catch to end the top of the sixth and take a hit away from Sneller.