Can a pitcher SAVE his own game? Pesch DID!
Radio announcer and former Madison (Lac qui Parle Valley) Coach Dick Newman said, "That's why you keep coming back to the ballpark, in hopes you'll see something new. Tonight we did!"
That something NEW — was Minneota American Legion pitcher Henry Pesch pitchng four innings with a 7-2 lead — then coming back in the bottom of the seventh to fan Isaac Gerdes of Madison to "pick up the save" — as well as the win, 9-7.
"It's not often you get a win and a save," said Coach Keven Larson.
Add to that the fact Pesch powered a two-run over run in the top of the seventh for a 9-5 lead and you've got the winning home run, a win and save on his ledger for one playoff game.
"I didn't realize it was something special," said Pesch, who was told after the game he performed the nearly unheard-of — saving your own win.
It was a magic night all all-around that started when Alex Pohlen powered a long three-run home run over the left field fence in the first inning.
"I saw it going. There was a little more spin on the ball and I just put the ball on the ball," Pohlen said.
He'd come back to power a long double to right-center in the fifth inning to knock home another run and he scored three runs in the process.
"It was a good night when everyone was hitting," Pohlen said.
A rather difficult set of circumstances occurred whern Pesch pirtched four strong innings — allowing two runs on back-to-back doubles by Evan Benson and Cole Bungarden. But he fanned seven.
Coach Larson "lifted" him in favor of Preston Nuy because, "He's expected to pitch for the Mudhens on Sunday, or I would have let him go longer."
Nuy limped through the fifth and got in real trouble when Bungarden doubled again, Braiden Kittelson singled and Korbin Kells doubled. The game was 7-5 and Larson brought on catcher Austin DeVlaeminck to pitch.
He got out of the sixth, but walked five gatters in the seventh, forcing in two runs and it was 9-7. With the bases loaded and two outs, Pesch came back in the game, struck out Gerdes and ended the Madison comeback.
In the process, it set up something Newman and a host of baseball followers had never seen before — the winning pitching saving his own game.
Even the veteran umpire remarked, "That's something I've never seen before.
NOTES:
•Landon Abraham also had a pair of hits, including a double.
•Minneota will advance to the second round of the American Legion Playoffs at 11 a.m. Saturday in Montevideo. If they win, they play on Sunday.
•That's where the trouble begins. Five players and Coach Larson will be missing. The Hope Lutheran Church Mission group leaves with Pohlen, Brock Fox, Brant Buysse, Teddy Pesch and Henry Pesch will be with the Mudhens. Coach Larson will also be missing.
FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS
Minneota 9, Madison 7
MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Austin DeVlaeminck 4-1-1-0; Brock Fox, 2-2-0-1; Alex Pohlen, lf 4-3-2-4; Henry Pesch, p-ss 4-1-2-1; Teddy Pesch, cr 0-0-0-0; Preston Nuy, ss 3-0-0-0; Brant Buysse, 2b 4-0-0-0; Landon Abraham, rf 3-1-2-0; Mark Laleman, cf 3-0-0-0; Blake Nelson 2-1-0-1. Totals 29-9-7-8.
MADISON (AB-R-H-RBI) Peyton Mortenson, 2b-p 4-0-0-0; Evan Benson, c 4-1-2-0; Cole Bungarden, p-ss 3-3-2-1; Mason Clark, cr 0-0-0-0; Braiden Kittelson, 3b 3-1-1-0; Korbin Kells, lf 4-1-1-1; Dain Haas, 1b 3-0-0-0; Brett Baldwin, rf 2-0-0-1; Wyatt Halverson, dh 1-0-0-1; Caden Bjorngeld, ss 0-0-0-0; Isaac Gerdes, cf 3-0-0-0. Totals 27-7-5-4.
Score by Innings
Minneota 320 020 2 — 9 7 2
Madison 000 203 2 — 7 5 4
E-Minneota: Nuy, Fox; Madison: Bjorngeld; Bungarden, Kells (2). LOB-Minneota: 3; Madison: 8. SB-Minneota: Abraham; Madison: Kells, Baldwin. SAC: Minneota: Nelson; Madison: Gerdes. DP-Madison: 6-3 (1). 2B-Minneota: Pohlen; Abraham; Madison: Bungarden (2); Benson, Kells. HR-Minneota: Pohlen; H. Pesch.
Pitching IP R ER H BB K
Minneota
Pesch (W-S) 4.1 2 2 3 0 8
Nuy 1.2 3 2 3 2 0
DeVlaeminck 1 2 2 0 6 0
Madison
Bungarden (L) 4 5 3 4 0 1
Mortenson 3 4 0 3 2 0
WP-Bungarden.