Martins make triumphant return to state

Timely hitting put the St. Martin Martins back into the Class C Minnesota Amateur Baseball Tournament, as St. Martin topped the Cold Spring Rockies 4-3 in a Region 15C Tournament state-qualifying game Aug. 6 in Lake Henry. 

After a 4-for-4 game the day before, Bryan Schlangen kept coming through when needed. In the first, his bunt single sent Kyle Lieser to third. Kyle Lieser later scored on a Brady Goebel sacrifice fly. In the third, Schlangen was hit by a pitch and scored on Tanner Arceneau and Scott Lieser singles, breaking a 1-1 tie. In the fifth, Schlangen scored on singles by Scott Lieser and Nolan Rueter.  

Kyle Lieser homered in the sixth for what proved to be the winning run.

The Martins put Ben Schroeder on the mound and stayed with him until the eighth inning. After he gave up a home run and a double, the Martins brought in Carter Thelen, who pitched into the ninth. When Thelen gave up a run, Scott Lieser came to the mound and earned the save.

Jaylyn Arceneau singled twice and Goebel added a hit for the Martins, who face Kimball for the Region 15C title at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, in St. Martin.

St. Martin 2, 

Lake Henry 1

Schlangen’s 4-for-4 performance included scoring one run and driving in the other in the Martins’ 2-1 win over Lake Henry Aug. 5 in Lake Henry.

His fourth-inning double scored Kyle Lieser and put him in position to score on Goebel’s RBI single. Two of Schlangen’s hits were bunt singles.

“You have to get creative if you are not hitting well,” Schlangen said. “You try to build up with a bunt and get on.”

Bunting is not unusual for Schlangen. He is good at it and it works well in the St. Martin gameplan.

“Usually, the idea is to move Kyle up on base and then the 3-4-5 guys can hit,” he said. 

Kyle Lieser and Goebel each had two hits. Most of the game centered on the play of the defense and St. Martin’s pitching. Scott Lieser went the distance, striking out 10 and scattering five hits. 

Kyle Lieser said it was a team win, noting while Nolan Rueter did not have a hit, the centerfielder changed the game’s momentum with a back-to-the-plate catch in the ninth inning.

Kimball 13, 

New Munich 3

Caden Sand’s two-run home run ended Kimball’s no-hit shutout bid but could not prevent a 13-3 eight-inning loss for the New Munich SilverStreaks Aug. 5 in St. Martin. 

Hunter Goihl scored the other run, crossing home plate when Sand drew a bases-loaded walk.

Carter Birr and Logan Funk singled for the SilverStreaks, who were held to three hits. Jim Thull, Sand, Will Funk and Greenwald draftee Tyler Engelmeyer all pitched, with Thull taking the loss. 

The loss sends New Munich to an elimination game against the Spring Hill Chargers at noon, Saturday, Aug. 12, in Lake Henry. The winner qualifies for state.

New Munich 6, Elrosa 1

Ty Reller pitched one of his best games ever in New Munich’s 6-1 win over Elrosa Aug. 5 in Lake Henry. 

Reller gave up six hits and one earned run in the win. He struck out 13, walked four and hit one batter.

“He’s had three really good outings against Elrosa,” said Chad Funk, New Munich manager. “He lost 1-0 and 3-2 (previously). He will give a good effort and he did again today, and we got runs for him.”

Leading the offense was Brandon Holm, with a home run among his three hits. Devin Hansen and Carter Schiffler each homered while getting two hits. Those were all the hits the SilverStreaks could muster, but it was enough. In the past few games, New Munich has displayed power.

“We’ve been hitting the ball all year,” Chad Funk said. “You put us in a park with small dimensions and we keep hitting the ball hard, good things will happen.”

Spring Hill 5, 

Lake Henry 4

The Chargers stayed alive with a 5-4 elimination game win over Lake Henry Aug. 6 in Lake Henry. 

Devin Orbeck, Ben Welle, Dylan Gertken, Nate Terres and Austin Schoenberg, who homered, all had two hits for Spring Hill. 

Anthony Revermann started, but relief pitcher Orbeck earned the win. 

The Chargers rallied for two runs in the ninth to win the game. Gertken’s two-run single scored Eric Terres, who doubled, and Welle, who reached on an error, for a 5-4 lead.

Cold Spring 6, 

Spring Hill 5

The Chargers were sent to playbacks with a 6-5 12-inning loss to Cold Spring Aug. 4 in St. Martin.

Behind the pitching of Welle, the Chargers took a 2-0 lead by the fourth inning. Luke Dehmer reached on a fielder’s choice in the third and scored on a Welle single. In the fourth, Dehmer singled in Schoenberg, who walked and stole second.

Jamie Terres’ sixth-inning homer broke a 2-2 tie. Following two walks and a hit batter, Spring Hill added two more runs. Nathan Terres picked up an RBI by reaching on an error, and Eric Terres hit a sacrifice fly for a 5-2 lead. 

Cold Spring used a home run and an error to tie the game after seven innings. 

The teams exchanged scoreless innings until the 12th, when Cold Spring scored an unearned run off draftee Matt Imdieke, of Meire Grove, to take the win.

Welle and Imdieke combined to strike out 12 batters.