Cannon Falls Baseball Wins, Kenyon-Wanamingo Loses

The Cannon Falls Bombers got a late start to their season after a COVID setback in April but they are peaking at the right time.  The Bombers lived up to their name with a 13-3  five inning win over #3 seed Maple River in Mapleton today.

Kenyon-Wanamingo sent 7 guys to the plate in the first inning, scored two runs but despite a late rally lost to #2 seed Blue Earth Area 8-5 on the Faribault County Fairgrounds.

The Knights started their game with four consecutive singles.  Tyler Craig was ahead 3-0 to Blue Earth junior pitcher Anthony Carr.  Carr got the count to 3-2 when Craig delivered a bloop single to center.  Gavin Sommer took a outside corner 0-1 count pitch to right field and Kenyon-Wanamingo was in business.

Owen Hilke jumped on a 1-0 pitch for a run scoring single.  Luke Berg then singled advancing Hilke to second base.  Nobody out.  Two runs in and two runners on had the recipe for a big crooked number in the first inning.

Berg was picked off first base for the first out.  Bray Olson flew out to left field.  The ball didn't travel deep enough to advance a runner.  Alec Johnson hit the ball hard to third base.  Bucs junior Logan O'Hara knocked it down bobbled it and tagged Hilke out for the third out of the inning.

Knights starting pitcher junior Gavin Sommer threw just 9 pitches to retire the Bucs in the bottom of the first.  Meanwhile Carr was apparently done with his playoff game jitters.  He would retire 9 of the next 10 batters he would face and 11 of the next 12.

In the bottom of the second after a fly out and strikeout Blue Earth Area scored.  #7 hitter junior Kean Hicks stroked a 2-1 count single.  Junior Luke Schonborn singled with two outs. The baserunners were off with the smack of the bat so Hicks scored.  I ruled an error aided on the play.  The inning ended with Kenyon-Wanamingo still infront 2-1.

The Bucs lead hitter in the order Adam Schevey was hit by the first pitch Sommer threw in the bottom of the third inning.  After a pop out,  #3 hitter Anders Fering was walked.  During the Fering at bat, Schevey stole second base and went to third on a passed ball.

Cleanup hitter, designated hitter Luke Mertens was hit by a pitch on a 1-1 count. Junior Logan O'Hara hit a ball to shortstop.  Senior Tyler Craig tried to get the inning ending double play by throwing the ball to second but the relay was not in time to first base.

O'Hara stole second base on the next pitch. Catcher senior Ryan Madetzke clubbed a 2 run single.  The inning ended with Sommer's second strikeout of a Blue Earth Area batter and the Knights down 4-2.

The Bucs would score the rest of their runs in the bottom of the 4th inning when 8 guys would come to the plate.   The inning started with a single by #8 hitter Luke Schonberg.  he would steal second base.  #9 batter sophmore Parker Meyers executed a perfect bunt because it was a hit to put Blue Earth Area in business.

There was an error to load the bases.  Senior Keegan O'Brien hit a fly ball that was caught by the K-W second baseman behind first base in shallow right field.  Meyers scored from third base on the play even after pausing a second before scoring.

#3 hitter senior Anders Fering stroked a RBI single.  He was the last batter Sommer faced.  Sommer threw 63 pitches, 36 strikes with 2 strikeouts, 2 walks, 2 hit batsmen, 6 hits allowed.  7 runs scored.

Junior Trevor Steberg saw a 0-2 count single by the first batter he faced DH Lulke Mertens.  O'Hara hammered a 2-2 count pitch for a RBI double to end the Bucs scoring for the day.  Steberg would not allow another run the rest of the way and only two Blue Earth Area players would reach base.  In the bottom of the 6th inning a walk and hit batsman.

Carr got some more help from the Knights when one of their players ran into another out on the basepaths after a inning opening error in the 6th inning.

The top of the 7th opened with a single by Steberg off Carr.  #9 hitter Jaeden Johnson executed a bunt.  Just a little father up the third base line and he would've had a single but was thrown out for the first out of the inning.

Tyler Craig singled on a 2-0 count.  Junior Kevin Vazquez clobbered the first pitch he saw for a 2 run double which ended Carr's day on the mound.

Carr finished with 89 pitches, 50 strikes, with 4 strikeouts, 2 wallks, 1 hit batter, 7 hits allowed.  All 5 runs were charged to him.

Freshman Taylor Davids came on to close the door on Kenyon-Wanamingo.  He threw a nice curve .  Hilke grounded out on the second pitch he saw.  Berg hammered a RBI single before Bray Olson had a 9 pitch at bat that ended in a strikeout to finish the game.

Blue Earth Area         8 runs  8 hits   2  errors
Kenyon-Wanamingo  8 runs  8 hits  2 errors

Steberg threw 41 pitches, 23 strikes with 2 strikeouts of 11 batters faced.  He allowed a walk and hit a batter while giving up 2 hits and a run.

Blue Earth Area improved their record to 15-6.  The 10-11 Knights play a elimination game Thursday.

Cannon Falls took advantage of six hit batters and 5 Maple River errors.

Senior Beau Zimmerman went the distance with 9 strikeouts, no walks, 7 hits allowed.  He threw 103 pitches, 67 strikes.

The Bombers collected 10 hits in the game including 2 doubles.  Riley Miller had 1 of the doubles for 2 RBI.  Preston Carlisle stroked the other double for 2 RBI. Marcus Banks had 3 hits and Owen Edstrom and Jonny Monson also had multiple hit performances for Cannon Falls.

Line totals were:

Cannon Falls  13 runs  10 hits  3 errors
Maple River      3 runs    7 hits  5 errors

The Section 2AA bracket says all Thursday games have 5:00 p.m. starts.

The other side of the bracket top seed Belle Plaine defeated Medford and Sibley East blanked New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.  That means Medford hosts NRHEG while K-W goes to Maple River for elimination games Thursday at 5:00 p.m.

In winner's bracket action Sibley East is at Belle Plaine while Cannon Falls travels to Blue Earth Area.

Most people I know like to eat.  Including me!