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Huskies split against Bemidji, Southwest
Baseball team shares the series spoils at Bemidji and at home to Southwest State
 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor SCSU senior Chris Kratochvil makes contact with a pitch during the Huskies 20-8 loss to the Southwest State Mustangs. The Huskies came back in the nightcap and won 21-8.
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 Media Credit: Michael Martin/Managing Editor SCSU�s Kyle Heckendorf fails to make a diving game during the Huskies first game with Southwest State. The Huskies play Winona State at 1:30 p.m. today in Winona.
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In twin series this week, the Huskies lost the first game of a doubleheader, only to experience an offensive explosion in the second game. Tuesday's doubleheader at Bemidji was an impressive display of offense from the Huskies. Although they split the series, the Huskies scored a combined 36 runs in the doubleheader, scoring 25 in game two in a 20-run whipping of the Beavers.
After Wednesday's home game against Southwest State, the Huskies had eight players batting .300 or higher.
"I think our guys are becoming more patient at the plate," said first baseman Andy Gretz. "Patience helps hitters become more comfortable."
Game one against first place NSIC team Bemidji State was a tale of two innings. The Huskies came to bat in the second inning trailing by one, but were about to score five in a sloppy defensive inning for the Beavers. Mark Fischer led things off for the Huskies by doubling to left, and was advanced to third by a Kevin Macdonald groundout to the right side. An error by Beaver shortstop Tyler Norland allowed Peter Burkstrand to reach and scored Fischer from third to tie the game at one. Will Spencer was then hit by a pitch, and with runners on first and second, Kyle Heckendorf doubled to center to score Spencer and Burkstrand. Mike Holman followed with a single and an RBI, scoring Heckendorf for a 4-1 lead. After Holman stole second, Andy Gretz doubled to center to score Holman for the fifth run of the inning.
The Huskies jumped out to a four-run lead, but would soon find themselves, once more, trailing by a run. The Beavers started their five-run inning out by playing small ball. It wasn't long before Husky starter Nate Hoelscher found himself in a jam after hitting right fielder Scott Petrowski and walking first baseman Isaac Smieja. A sacrifice bunt by Neil Huewe moved both runners up a base, but first base was soon occupied again when catcher Chris Dvorak walked. A rare error by Husky first baseman Andy Gretz allowed Beaver leadoff man Ben Woodford to reach and Petrowski to score from third.
After striking out the next hitter, Hoelscher gave up a bases-loaded walk for the second run of the inning. With the bases still loaded, Beaver second baseman Nate Olson singled to score Woodford and Dvorak, and tie the game at five. The Beavers would add one more to reclaim the lead at 6-5, by scoring five runs on only one hit in the inning.
The Huskies tied it at six in the top of the third when Fischer hit a solo shot for his first of three home runs on the day. Going into Wednesday's doubleheader, Fischer was hitting .351, after going three-for-three in game one and three for five in the second game.
Each team would add another run before things exploded again in the sixth. The Huskies strung together six straight hits to lead off the sixth before chasing the Beaver's second pitcher of the inning out of the game. Flippen led the inning off with a double, followed with singles by Heckendorf, Holman, Gretz, Parnell O'Connor, and Fischer. After Kevin Macdonald reached on a fielder's choice, Burkstrand notched the Huskies seventh hit of the inning when he singled to right and scored O'Connor from third for the Huskies' 11th run and a four-run lead.
Like before, the Huskies couldn't have a big inning without Bemidji responding.
"It's really frustrating," Burkstrand said. "We'd jump out and then they'd come back. In baseball, you'd think 11 runs would be enough to win a game."
The Beavers got things going in the bottom half of the inning when Woodford led off by doubling to right center, and advancing to third on a wild pitch. Hoelscher then walked Norland before striking out leftfielder Gunnar Geller for his ninth K of the game. With one out and runners on the corners, Hoelscher surrender two consecutive hits to score two more runs, and a wild pitch allowed another runner to score from third. Hoelscher was then relieved by Paul Buboltz, who got through the inning despite surrendering three more runs. The six runs yielded in the sixth would prove to impassable for the Huskies, as they lost another close contest, 13-11.
The score was anything but close in the second game. The Huskies rebounded from the narrow defeat with 25 runs and solid pitching. T.J. Sigstad got the start and went four innings, surrendering two runs on four hits, while striking out six. The Huskies collected 29 hits in the overwhelming victory in which they scored runs in every inning.
"I think we came back in the second game to prove we're a better team than the way we played," Burkstrand said. "It's like a slap in the face."
Home runs by Heckendorf, Gretz, O'Connor, Macdonald, and two by Fischer led the potent offensive attack. The one thru seven hitters in the lineup went a combined 24 for 37, all of them getting at least two hits. Holman led the way going five for six, and raised his batting average to .369. Heckendorf collected four hits in each game, making his total eight for 10 on the day.
Fischer went six for eight in the series, and his three home runs raised his total to four. The impressive offensive showing the Huskies enjoyed in the series in which they pounded out a combined 45 hits raised their team batting average to .319.
"I think our success at the plate can continue," said Burkstrand. "I'm surprised it's taken this long."
Wednesday's series had the Huskies returning home to host Southwest State. Different location but similar results. Husky starter Konor Knudson struggled through the first three innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, before being replaced by Reggie Litke. Litke didn't fare much better, however. The Huskies were down by seven before they got their first hit in the fourth inning. Heckendorf led the inning off by hitting his fourth home run of the year; a solo shot that at last put the Huskies on the board. Holman followed by walking, and after he stole second, scored when Fischer singled to right. After four innings, the Huskies were down, 7-2.
The Huskies would add three more in the fifth, but the outs for the Huskies were hard to come by in the top of the sixth. The Mustangs scored seven runs on six hits to increase their lead to 15-5. The Huskies came back and scored three in the bottom half of the inning. Holman singled in Flippen, who led off the inning with a double for one, and the hot-hitting Mark Fischer singled to center to score Holman and O'Connor, who walked. The Mustangs would add five more in the seventh with a series of singles and a three run homer by designated hitter Travis Irwin to increase the lead to 20-8. That was where the game would stand as the Huskies were unable to score in the seventh.
Fortunately for the Huskies, game two was a 180-degree turn. Starter Matt Beyer pitched solidly for the complete game victory. Allowing four earned runs and seven hits over seven innings, Beyer earned his first victory of the season, while receiving more than enough run support. The Huskies really opened things up in the second inning, when doubles by Dingman, Burkstrand, and Heckendorf ignited a six run bottom of the second. The Huskies would explode again in the fifth with nine runs. Holman got things started off with a double, and three errors committed by Mustang infielders allowed three Huskies to reach base. A single by Macdonald and doubles by Burkstrand and Heckendorf drove in four, while Holman saw his average rise to .394 when he singled to left to collect an RBI and his second hit of the inning. O'Connor capped things off with a two run homer to right for his team-leading sixth of the year and a 19-4 Husky lead.
"I think it should continue (solid hitting)," Gretz said. "But also were seeing some relief pitchers because they save their starters for the weekends."
The Mustangs would add one more and the Huskies two, but the damage was obviously done. Two innings which the Huskies scored a combined 15 runs is hard for any team to overcome, and with a solid pitching performance by Beyer, the Huskies earned the split.
Drew Herron can be reached at: [email protected]
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