PREP BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Panthers use big second inning to defeat Wildcats

SPRINGFIELD — A big six-run second inning, along with a three-run fourth, made the difference Saturday afternoon in a high-scoring Section 3A South quarterfinal game between fourth-seeded Tracy-Milroy-Balaton and fifth-seeded Southwestern United.

By the time the dust had cleared, T-M-B posted a 10-7 victory and advanced to meet the top-seeded Springfield Tigers in the next round.

The Panthers prevailed with an impressive 8-0 victory, advancing T-M-B (13-7) to the section’s semifinals — double-elimination format — Wednesday at Granite Falls against Ortonville (14-3) with the first pitch slated for a 7 p.m. start.

A two-run single by Joe Hook highlighted a six-run, four-hit second inning for T-MB, which also took advantage of a walk, a hit batter and a Wildcat error in the frame.

A three-run double by Luke Henkels, followed by an RBI single by Jacob Post had lifted SWU to a 4-0 advantage in the top of the first.

Austin Liepold’s RBI single in the top of the third, trimmed T-M-B’s lead to 6-5, but James Fultz’s sacrifice fly plated Shane Erickson with a run for the Panthers, making the score 7-5.

The Wildcats battled back to tie the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, starting with back-to-back two-out singles by Sean Haberman and Erik Jass.

After an infield error by T-M-B loaded the bases, Alex Meyer ripped a two-strike single up middle, plating both Haberman and Jass.

The Panthers, however, answered by scoring three times in the bottom of the frame, including a steal of home by Erickson, who stole three bases in the game.

T-M-B starter Taylor Hoffbeck retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced, preserving the lead and earning the victory for the Panthers.

At the plate, both Hoffbeck and Zach Campbell had a pair of hits, including a double.

Liepold had two hits for the Wildcats, while Meyer scored two runs and Henkels had SWU’s only extra-base hit against Hoffbeck who pitched all seven innings, finishing with nine strikeouts, four walks, seven hits and five earned runs.

Meyer pitched the first four innings for the Wildcats. He walked four and struck out four, while being tagged for eight hits and five earned runs.

Post pitched two scoreless, no-hit, no-walk innings, while striking out two.

SWU finished with an overall record of 7-10.

R H E

SWU 401 200 0 — 7 7 3

T-M-B 061 300 X — 10 8 2

T-M-B 8, Springfield 0

SPRINGFIELD — Campbell pitched a gem, holding the Tigers scoreless, while giving up just three hits and three walks.

At the plate, Campbell was 3-for-4 with a trio of RBIs, while Erickson also smacked three hits, including a triple and a pair of RBIs.

R H E

T-M-B 112 040 0 — 8 9 1

Springfield 000 000 0 — 0 3 2

LQPV 10, RRC/W-WG 0

MARSHALL — Scoring runs in each of the first five runs, the Lac qui Parle Valley Eagles stormed to a five-inning victory over Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove in Section 3AA North action,

The Falcons had four errors in the game — all in the third inning — and came up with just three hits, getting back-to-back two-out singles in the top of the fifth, threatening to score.

Taylor Vollmer and Henry Rogotzke had RRC/W-WG’s hits in the fifth, while Jacob Comnick had the Falcons’ first hit earlier in the game.

Vollmer and Comnick did the pitching for RRC/W-WG, which was seeded sixth in the tournament and ends its campaign with a 6-14 record.

R H E

RRC/W-WG 000 00 — 0 3 4

LQPV 323 11 — 10 6 0

Tags: tracy-milroy-balaton, red rock central, westbrook-walnut grove, southwestern united, southwest star concept, round lake-brewster, sports, prep, baseball