No. 3 Springfield sneaks past Vikings

"This was a really good game to see where we are at," said Minneota Baseball Coach Keven Larson after No. 3-ranked Springfield just eked out a 6-5 win over the Vikings Monday at K. P. Kompelien Field in Minneota.

The Tigers used a leadoff double by all-state basketball player Isaac Fink plus two sacrifices to get Fink across the plate with the winning run in the seventh inning.

"This is a team with a great group of athletes. They went to state in football and basketball and now they have a good baseball team," said Coach Larson.

Yet, the No. 1-ranked Section 3A South Vikings gave Springfield all it could handle.

After allowing Springfield to get runners on second and third with nobody out on a pair of errors and a walk to start the game — pitcher Landon Rolbiecki bore down and got the side out to keep the game scoreless.

"We didn't have that deer in the headlights look," said Larson — and Minneota came out swinging the bats. Three doubles, all to left-center field by Sam Buysse, Teddy Pesch and Jaymes Moon produced a pair of runs and the Vikings had a 2-0 lead.

Springfield came back with a run when Hunter Mathiowetz tripled and Minneota misplayed the ball in left field and he scored. They got another in the third when Aaron Salonek singled home a run and it was 3-2. That seemed to signal how this game was going to be played — close.

But the Vikings got their own triple when Rolbiecki slammed the ball into left field and scored on a left-fielder error. A single by Moon and walk to Austin Sorensen put the pressure on Springfield and Josh Laleman knocked in one of the runs with a single. Sorensen scored on a wild pitch and Minneota had a 5-2 lead.

In the fourth, Buysse relieved Rolbiecki on the mound and Springfield's Decker Scheffler slammed the ball over the right field fence to tighten the game at 5-3.

They made it 5-4 when Mitchell Leonard singled home Fink and they tied it in the sixth on a Scheffler single as Mitch Buerkle came home to knot the game at 5-5.

"It was so good to see us play solid baseball," said Coach Larson. Springfield replaced starting pitcher Nolan Hovland with lanky lefty Hunter Mathiowetz. He went  the final four innings, fanned eight batters and allowed just one hit and a walk. "He was a different look from the first pitcher," said Coach Larson.

After the Tigers scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, Mathiowetz gave up a walk and hit a batter — but fanned the side in the seventh.

Springfield catcher Mason Rummel picked two Minneota runners off base — Moon in the first and Sanow in the second innings. "We just don't see that kind of arm on a catcher around here," said Coach Larson.

This was the final regular season game for the Vikings, who go into the playoffs with a 9-5 record.

They play at 11 a.m. Saturday at home against Lakeview. Wabsso plays Murray County Central in the second game and the winners play the final game on Saturday.

Springfield 6, Minneota 5

MINNEOTA (AB-R-H-RBI) Thomas Hennen, ss 2 0 0 0; Sam Buysse, cf-p 4 1 1 0; Teddy Pesch, 2b-p 4 1 1 0; Landon Rolbiecki, p-lf 4 1 2 0; Braeden Panka, pr 0 0 0 0; Jaymes Moon, lf-cf 4 1 2 1; Austin Sorensen, 1b 2 1 0 0; Josh Laleman, 3b 3 0 1 1; Cole Sanow, rf 1 0 0 0; Tate Walerius, dh 2 0 0 0; Carter Schuelke, c 0 0 0 0. Totals 26 5 7 3.

SPRINGFIELD (AB-R-H-RBI) Decker Scheffler, ss 4 1 3 1; Henry Scheitel, 2b 3 0 0 0; Isaac Fink, 1b 4 2 2 0; Mason Rummel, c 2 0 1 0; Tori Helget, cf 0 1 0 0; Mitchell Leonard, 3b 3 0 1 1; Dylan Batzlaff, cr 0 0 0 0;Aaron Salonek, dh 4 0 2 1; Nolan Hovland, p 0 0 0 0; Hunter Mathiowetz, rf-p 4 1 2 0; Ivan Hovland, lf 2 0 0 0; Mason Leonard, lf 2 0 0 0; Mitch Buerkle, cf 2 1 0 0. Totals 30 6 11 3.

Score by Innings

Springfield        011 111 1 — 6 11 1

Minneota         203 000 0 — 5  7  3

E-Minneota: Laleman, Rolbiecki, Moon; Sprinfield: I. Hovland. LOB-Minneota: 7; Springfield: 8. SB-Minneota: Sanow; Springfield: Scheffler; Scheitel; Fink; Salonek, Mathiowetz. SAC-Minneota: Walerius; Springfield: Rummel, Mitch Leonard. 2B-Minneota: Buysse, Pesch, Moon; Springfield: Fink. 3B-Minneota-Rolbiecki; Springfield: Mathiowetz; HR-Springfield: Scheffler.

Pitching                        IP    R    ER    H    BB    K

Minneota

Rolbiecki                      3      2    1       5     1      2

Buysse                         3      2    2       3     1      3

Pesch (L)                     1      1    1       3      0     1

Springfield                   

Hovland                        3     5     3      6       3     1

Mathiowetz (W)            4     0     0      1        1    8

HP-Moon (by Mathiowetz); Rummel (by Rolbiecki). WP-Hovland. BALK-Buysse.