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RC baseball loses see-saw heartbreaker |
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By Patrick Tepoorten
April 30 looked like it was going to be Aitkin’s day from the start. On the road, they jumped out in front of the Rush City Tigers baseball team right away, taking a three-run lead out of the top half of the first inning.
But the Tigers, despite Aitkin’s persistence and some control issues from the mound, refused to go quietly into that good night.
Two runs in the bottom of the first inning closed most of the gap, and a two-run fourth inning for Rush City got the squad back to square at 4-4.
Down a run in the sixth inning, the Tigers took a 6-5 lead, their first of the day, that included a double from James Fregien, and an RBI single from Cory Sarago, who also scored a run before inning’s end.
But the Tigers couldn’t hang on for the half inning needed for the win, and Aitkin’s Brian Collins smashed a two-run shot over the fence to give Aitkin a 7-6 lead with a half-inning to go.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jared Orn cranked one off the bat for a triple, and a ground-out RBI from Dylan Truskolaski brought him in to tie the game.
But for all the drama, extra innings were anti-climactic, with Aitkin scoring five runs in the top of the eighth, aided by some wild throws from Rush City pitching staff. Two Aitkin strikeouts in the bottom of the inning helped secure a 12-5 win for the visitor.
Coach Bob Schlagel expressed some surprise at difficulties from the mound, noting that control was an issue for the first time this season, with nine walks resulting in five runs. “You won’t win many games doing that,” he said.
Offensively, Schlagel saw the game as one of missed chances. “We had numerous opportunities to score runs but couldn’t deliver. We left way too many people on base.”
The loss put Rush City at 2-1 in the conference and 3-1 overall. Standouts included Fregien - 2-3 at the plate, including his double, with two walks and two runs, Sarago - 2-4 including a double, and three runs, and Orn with two hits including a triple, and an RBI.
Justin Bosman carried the bulk of the load from the mound, pitching six innings with four strikeouts, six walks, five hits, six runs, four errors, and three wild pitches.
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