Chokio routed from state; Hennen gets to pitch
The New London-Spicer bats have been hot this summer and it continued in this contest against Chokio.
The Twins slugged out 18 hits and made nightmares for the Coyotes pitchers in a 12-3 victory. Minneota’s Danny Hennen was one of the five pitchers for Chokio.
He pitched two-thirds of an inning, gave up no hits or runs, walked one and struck out on. Chokio opened up the scoring in the third inning with having bases loaded with one out and scoring on a fielder’s choice and a double from pitcher Nick Hervin to jump to a 2-0 lead.
But New London-Spicer responded with two runs the next frame as catcher Scott Ranbow singled and advanced to third on a Austen Hadley double.
Center fielder Wyatt White drove them both home the next at-bat on a line drive single to tie the ball game. New London-Spicer followed with another big inning in the fifth highlighted with an RBI single from Ranbow, RBI double from Hadley, and both players scoring on the same play from another single by White to make it a 6-2 lead.
The Twins never looked back.
Rockets blast off to the next round
The only area team still alive in the state tournament is the 2016 champion, the Raymond Rockets. They beat Richmond, 6-2.
RBI singles from Tyler Steen and Jordan Smith started things and the Rockets added another run in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly from third baseman Cal Kosminskas. I
n the ninth, Raymond managed to finally get to St. Martin’s draftee Ben Schroeder, who was in his third inning of work.
Jose Rosario and Mike Jeseritz walked early in the inning and with one out they scored on a Tyler Steen double to right center giving Steen his second and third RBIs of the game. Steen would come around to score on a two out single by John Sawateky.
The insurance runs were all they would need. Raymond will now play Young America on Saturday at New Prague.
ALSO ... Jackson lost a 2-0 game to Sobieski and was eliminated ... The Milroy Yankees lost to Lake City 4-1 and the Hadley Buttermakers fell to Buckman, 7-5. The Yankees started Nathan Duetz on the mound. He went six and a third innings before brother Austin relieved. The Yankees used two other pitchers. Former Minneota Mudhen Riley Carpenter homered for the Yankees only run.