by Scott DCamp
Sports Editor
The Thief River Falls baseball team hoped to snap its four-game losing streak against winless Detroit Lakes on Thursday, May 14. The Prowlers had leads in both games, but ultimately surrendered the lead late in both games, falling to the Lakers by scores of 6-2 and 6-5.
Lane Waldal got the start in game one for the Prowlers and issued a pair of walks to start the game to DL batters Noah Germain and Dillon Barker. Both batters moved up a bag on a wild pitch, with Germain scoring on an RBI groundout by Holden Ryding.
Waldal settled in and got out of the inning by getting Eli Hatch and Hudson Goodrich to pop out.
The Prowlers tied the game with a run on two hits in the bottom of the second. Knute Hams and Kaleb Mehrkens both singled to start the inning, and both baserunners moved up a bag when Cole Johnson reached on an error. Ryan Flaagan hit a hard grounder to first that resulted in Hams being forced out at home on the 3-2 fielder’s choice, but the bases remained loaded. Gabe Haugen drew a five-pitch walk to drive in Mehrkens and keep the bases loaded.
DL pitcher Dillon Barker got out of the bases loaded jam by getting Hudson Eidelbes to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Prowlers took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Gres Hruby singled to center to open the frame and moved to third on a groundout by Beckem Johnson, before scoring on an RBI single by Bridger Wilcox.
After surrendering a run in the opening inning, Waldal had settled in. He retired the Lakers in order in the second. He pitched his way out of a bases loaded jam in the third. He pitched around a two-out walk in the fourth and retired the Lakers in order in the fifth.
Waldal got into trouble in the sixth. He walked Hatch to open the inning and Hatch stole second to get into scoring position. Hatch then moved to third on a single by Hudson Goodrich. Bryson Shipman sacrifice bunted to move Goodrich into scoring position. Germain drew a walk following an eight-pitch at-bat to load the bases and end Waldal’s day.
Relief pitcher Thomas Eidsmoe issued a bases loaded walk to Caden Salber to tie the game 2-2. The Lakers would end up taking the lead on a wild pitch, before Eidsmoe got his team out of the jam by catching a line drive off the bat of Ryan Kramer and firing to third baseman Kaleb Mehrkens to double off Landon Germain at third.
The Lakers would add three runs on three hits in the top of the seventh to secure the 6-2 win.
A similar story played out in game two, with the Prowlers building a 4-1 lead through three innings of play.
Like game one, the Lakers got a run on one hit in the top of the first. The Prowlers answered with a run on two hits in the bottom half of the inning. Casey Nelson tripled to lead off the inning and scored on an RBI single by Wilcox.
The Prowlers took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third. Nelson drew a one-out walk and eventually made his way to third on a groundout by Johnson. Nelson scored on an RBI single by Wilcox. Wilcox went from first to third on a double by Hruby and both runners scored on an RBI single by Dylan Osowski.
The Lakers got a run back in the top of the fourth. With two outs in the inning, Goodrich and Salber hit back-to-back singles, with Goodrich going from first to third on Salber’s single. Goodrich then scored on a double steal with Salber stealing second.
The Lakers regained the lead with three runs on two hits in the fifth inning, with all three runs scoring on a bases loaded double by Holden Ryding.
Both teams would score one more time, with the Lakers exending their lead to two runs with a run on two hits in the top of the sixth and the Prowlers answering with Cole Johnson scoring on a balk by DL pitcher Wesley Berg.
Thief River Falls senior Kaleb Mehrkens took the loss after allowing six runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits over six and a third innings. Hatch picked up the win for the Lakers, allowing five runs on eight hits in five and a third innings.
Game 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
DL 1 0 0 0 0 2 3 – 6 6 2
TRF 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 – 2 4 0
Batting
Detroit Lakes AB R H RBI BB SO
Noah Germain 1 2 0 0 3 0
Dillon Barker 2 1 1 0 1 0
Holden Ryding 3 0 0 1 0 1
Eli Hatch 3 2 2 1 1 0
Hudson Goodrich 4 1 2 1 0 0
Bryson Shipman 2 0 0 0 0 0
Ryan Kramer 3 0 0 1 0 0
Landon Germain 3 0 0 0 1 2
Caden Salber 1 0 0 1 2 1
Corbin Krump 1 0 1 0 0 0
Totals 23 6 6 5 8 4
Highlights – HBP: Holden Ryding; SB: Eli Hatch 2, Dillon Barker, Noah Germain; E: Caden Salber, Dillon Barker.
Thief River Falls AB R H RBI BB SO
Hudson Eidelbes 4 0 0 0 0 1
Gres Hruby 4 1 1 0 0 0
Beckem Johnson 2 0 0 0 1 0
Bridger Wilcox 3 0 1 1 0 0
Knute Hams 3 0 1 0 0 0
Kaleb Mehrkens 3 1 1 0 0 0
Cole Johnson 2 0 0 0 1 0
Ryan Flaagan 2 0 0 0 1 0
Gabe Haugen 2 0 0 1 1 1
Totals 25 2 4 2 4 2
Highlights – SB: Bridger Wilcox, Gres Hruby.
Pitching
Detroit Lakes IP H R ER BB SO
Dillon Barker – W 7.0 4 2 2 4 2
Thief River Falls IP H R ER BB SO
Lane Waldal – L 5.1 3 3 3 6 2
Thomas Eidsmoe 1.2 3 3 3 2 2
Game 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
DL 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 – 6 8 2
TRF 1 0 3 0 0 1 0 – 5 8 5
Batting
Detroit Lakes AB R H RBI BB SO
Noah Germain 4 1 1 0 0 0
Dillon Barker 4 1 1 0 0 1
Holden Ryding 4 0 2 4 0 0
Eli Hatch 3 0 0 0 0 0
Wesley Berg 0 0 0 0 1 0
Hudson Goodrich 3 1 1 0 0 1
Caden Salber 4 0 1 0 0 2
Landon Germain 4 0 0 0 0 1
Ryan Kramer 3 2 1 0 0 0
Corbin Krump 2 1 1 0 1 0
Totals 31 6 8 4 2 5
Highlights – 2B: Holden Ryding; HBP: Hudson Goodrich; SB: Caden Salber, Hudson Goodrich, Noah Germain, Ryan Kramer; E: Holden Ryding, Ryan Kramer.
Thief River Falls AB R H RBI BB SO
Casey Nelson 2 2 1 0 2 0
Beckem Johnson 3 0 0 0 1 1
Bridger Wilcox 4 1 2 2 0 0
Gres Hruby 4 1 2 0 0 2
Dylan Osowski 4 0 1 2 0 1
Chandler Pream 3 0 2 0 0 0
Cole Johnson 2 1 0 0 1 1
Cooper Roff 3 0 0 0 0 0
Ryan Flaagan 3 0 0 0 0 1
Totals 28 5 8 4 4 6
Highlights – 2B: Chandler Pream, Gres Hruby; 3B: Casey Nelson; SB: Casey Nelson; CS: Beckem Johnson, Bridger Wilcox; E: Beckem Johnson, Bridger Wilcox, Cooper Roff, Dylan Osowski, Kaleb Mehrkens.
Pitching
Detroit Lakes IP H R ER BB SO
Eli Hatch – W 5.1 8 5 4 3 2
Wesley Berg – S 1.2 0 0 0 1 4
Thief River Falls IP H R ER BB SO
Kaleb Mehrkens – L 6.1 8 6 3 2 4
Thomas Eidsmoe 0.2 8 6 3 2 5