NRHEG baseball team finishes 18-4
The NRHEG baseball team saw its season come to an unexpected end with a 10-2 loss to St. Peter in the second round of the Section 2A tournament at New Richland’s Legion Field last Friday.
The Panthers — champions of the Gopher Conference — finished the season with a record of 18-4.
You could say the ball just did not bounce the Panthers’ way.
“St. Peter hit the ball very well and found some holes and gaps,” said NRHEG coach Jeff Reese. “Whereas we had had numbers ‘at them’ balls. We would not get the big play or the clutch hit.”
After giving up a three-run home run in the top of the first inning, the Panthers bounced back with two of their own in the bottom half on a walk to Sam Lundberg and consecutive hits by Jake Staloch and Mitch Akemann.“At that point, we were feeling good,” said Reese.
But the Panthers would not score again and the Saints piled on the runs — four in the third and three in the fifth, finishing with 14 hits.
Akemann started on the mound for the Panthers and went two innings before developing a sore elbow. He gave up three earned runs on three hits, with four strikeouts and two walks. Lundberg went 2 2/3 innings of relief, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits, fanning one and walking one. Nic Mangskau pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and allowed no runs on three hits, with three strikeouts and no walks.
Offensively for NRHEG, Lucas Meyer was 2-for-4, Lundberg 2-for-3 with a run scored, Staloch 1-for-4 with an RBI double and a run, Akemann 1-for-3 and Tyler Sorenson 1-for-3.
“Overall, I am so proud of the team,” said Reese. “They earned what they received and they deserved more.”
The Panthers graduate nine seniors in Meyer, Matt Dahle, David Lassahn, Staloch, Eric Sorenson, Akemann, Carter Tollefson, Tyler Sorenson and Lundberg.