Minneota catcher Carter Schuelke tagged out KMS runner Wylee Lottman at home in the fifth inning. Third baseman Josh Laleman fired to Schuelke to get the out.

Vikings run into KMS fireball

For five innings, Minneota hung in there with Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg — trailing just 2-0.
But in the sixth the roof fell in, the wheels came off and all those common cliches — and when the Saints were finished batting, they led 8-0.
“We let it get away with a couple of plays that were extra outs,” said Viking Coach Keven Larson. His team dropped a 10-1 battle of unbeatens in Section 3A play on Saturday.
The win for KMS (4-0) dropped Minneota into the lower bracket, having to come back to get another shot at the Saints.
“We just couldn’t string anything together,” Coach Larson lamented. Minneota got just four hits all day and three off freshman lefty Alex Call.
Starting pitcher Landon Rolbiecki matched pitches with Call, giving up a run in the second as Call singled home Isaac Call — whom Rolbiecki had walked and wild pitched to second.
Yet, it was just 1-0 until the fifth. “They could put much together either,” Larson added.
While Rolbiecki was spinning a good game, he walked Noah Thorson and hit Wylee Lottman. A Weston Gjerde single made it 2-0, KMS.
Still, the Vikings were close. Sam Buysse walked in the fourth, Teddy Pesch sacrificed him to second and Jaymes Moon walked. But Call struck out Austin Sorensen to end the threat.
After that, all those cliches kicked in and when the five-hit, six run sixth cleared, KMS led 8-0. “We played a good game, except that one inning,” said Coach Larson.
Meanwhile, Call was controlling the Viking bats with eight strikeouts and just a single walk.
Minneota got their only run in the sixth when Pesch singled and Rolbiecki doubled him home. They got another hit in the seventh, but it was too little, too late.
Defensively, the Vikings got a couple of nice, diving catches from shortstop Thomas Hennen
“KMS is a good team and they took advantage of a couple of our mistakes,” Larson summed up the game.
The good part is the season isn’t over because this was the Vikings first loss in the Section 3A double elimination game.
“We get another potential shot at ‘em,” said Coach Larson. The Vikings will play the winner of the Renville County West vs. Lac qui Parle Valley game at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Granite Falls.
That winner plays KMS at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 6 for the section championship. Whoever plays KMS, they’ll have to beat the Saints twice to win the section title and advance to the state tournament.

MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Thomas Hennen, ss 3 0 0 0; Sam Buysse, cf-p 3 0 0 0; Teddy Pesch, 2b 2 1 1 0; Landon Rolbiecki, p-lf 3 0 2 1; Jaymes Moon, lf-cf 2 0 0 0; Austin Sorensen, 1b 3 0 1 0; Tate Walerius, dh 3 0 0 0; Cole Sanow, rf 0 0 0 0; Josh Laleman, 3b 2 0 0 0; Carter Schuelke, c 2 0 0 0; AJ Myhre, ph 1 0 0 0. Totals 22 4 1 1.
KMS (AB-R-H-RBI) Weston Gjerde, ss 5 1 3 4; Dylan Rudningen, cf 4 0 1 1; Regan Carlson, rf 5 0 1 2; Isaac Call, lf 1 2 1 0; Christian Diederich, 1b 3 0 0 0; Alex Call, p 3 2 2 1; Levi Sweere, 3b 0 0 0 0; Cade Melin, 2b 3 1 0 0; Noah Thorson, 3b-ss 2 3 1 0; Wylee Lottman, c 3 1 1 0. Totals 29 10 8 8.
Score by Innings:
KMS            010 016 0 — 10 8 1
Minneota     000 001 0 —  1   4 2
E-Minneota: Rolbiecki, Hennen; KMS: Thorson. SB-KMS: Isaac Call. SAC: KMS: Diederich; Minneota: Pesch.
Pitching                IP    R    ER    H    BB     K
Minneota
Rolbiecki (L)         5.1   3    3       3      4       2
Sam Buysse         1.2    5    4       5      2       0
KMS
Alex Call (W)        6      1    1       3      2       8
Gjerde                  1      0    0       1      0       1
HP-Hennen, Laleman (by Gjerde); Lottman (by Rolbiecki). WP-Gjerde; Rolbiecki 2. BALK-Rolbecki.

Contact Us

The Minneota Mascot
Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492