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St. Cloud State University
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Huskies out-Putzed
SCSU baseball outpowered by Mankato in doubleheader at Dick Putz Field
By Ryan K. Dale
Published:
Thursday, April 10, 2003
The Husky baseball team faced off with MSU, Mankato in an NCC double header at Dick Putz Field on Wednesday.
A large crowd showed up and enjoyed a beautiful sunny afternoon. In the first game, the long ball defeated the Huskies. Aaron Olsen smacked two solo homers for the Mavericks and the ninth hitter, Donnell Boyer, added another solo homer in the win for the Mavericks.
With no score in the top of the second, Jon Hurt crushed a triple to the left-center gap. But the brilliant, yet sketchy pitching of Andrew Garry got the Huskies out of the jam.
In the bottom of the second, the Huskies took the early lead. Jake Asher started with a high pop-up to first baseman Jon Hurt, who made an error on the routine play. Hurt was either: (a) still reminiscing about the triple he just hit, (b) mad at his teammates for not getting him home after a lead off triple or (c), confused with the up to 30-mile-per-hour wind gusts at Dick Putz, causing him to misjudge the ball.
Either way, the Huskies had a runner on first with no outs. Brock Mutcheson followed with a light tapper to the pitcher, Joe Kern. Kern made about his only mistake of the afternoon and threw the ball into centerfield trying to force Asher out at second. That gave the Huskies runners on first and second with no outs in the scoreless tie.
Kevin Macdonald came up next and delivered with ducks on the pond. Macdonald laced a line drive into left field and picked up an RBI as Asher crossed the plate and gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies smallest, but best hitter in the clutch Zach Bertschi, followed with an RBI single to right that gave the Huskies a 2-0 lead. Ryan Kapsner ended the inning with a 4-6-3 double play.
The Huskies gave a Garry 2-0 lead and looked for him to protect it. He pitched great at times, but in some situations he was lost on the pile of dirt that's called the pitching mound.
In the top of the third, Boyer sent a 2-0 pitch over the centerfield wall to get the Mavericks back to within one. Garry was behind early on the ninth hitter and missed badly on the pitch Boyer sent sailing.
The Huskies thought they had survived the inning after getting the first (Halvorsen) and the second hitters (Kurt Beulke) out on easy pop flies for two outs. But Olsen came up and the experience he has gotten using wooden bats, and playing at Dick Putz in the Northern League, showed off as he sent a long bomb over the scoreboard in left to tie the game up at 2-2.
Olsen went four-for-four on the day with two singles and the two homers.
St. Cloud would once again take hold of the lead in the bottom of the third when catcher Travis Thompson walked, stole second and scored on Asher's single to right. The Huskies were now up 3-2.
In the top of the fifth, the Mavs took control of the game by scoring two runs on three hits, including Olsen's second homer. After five innings, it was the Mavericks up 4-3.
They would put it away in the sixth when Halvorsen hit a leadoff triple and scored on a Beulke single to right.
SCSU scored one more in the sixth, but the Mavericks went on to win 6-4. Garry (1-3) took the loss for the Huskies and Jason Dering got the win in relief for the Mavericks.
In the nightcap it was all Mavs in a 4-1 victory. The game lasted just over one hour and again it was the long ball that beat the Huskies. Mankato got all their runs in the second when Jon Hurt made up for his fielding blunders with a towering homer to left that replicated Olsen's two blasts in the first game.
Nick Miller (1-4) allowed only two earned runs, but still took the loss for the Huskies whose record dropped to 6-18 and 1-9 in the NCC.
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