Owen Hilke made history today in the opening round of the Section 2AA Baseball Tournament.  The Kenyon-Wanamingo senior threw the 6th no-hitter in Kenyon-Wanamingo school history.

No known records of the Wanamingo Bulldogs or Kenyon Vikings are in existence.

The only known records have been kept over the past approximately 3 decades.  The Knights won the game 5-0 over Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton.

When I got to Schulz Memorial Field in Wanamingo the first person I saw in the dugout was Hilke and I asked him if he was ready to "rock."  "You bet," he replied.  The lefty threw a total of 89 pitches, 59 strikes with one walk and two hit batters.

The strikeout total matched his career high.  He had the other 12 strikeout game in 2019.  He was locked in from the start fanning 4 of the first 5 batters he faced.

Hilke faced a total of 24 batters in the game.

The Bulldogs countered with sophmore Ryan Hanson on the hill.  Head Coach Corey Jewison told KDHL before the game the sophmore had been his best pitcher in the final couple weeks.  Hanson threw two complete games allowing just 4 hits total.  Jewison said Hanson told him he was very nervous and in the first few innings it showed.

In the bottom of the first inning Kenyon-Wanamingo got on the scoreboard after lead batter Tyler Craig was hit by the first pitch of the game offered by Hanson.  Craig would steal second base.  Gavin Sommer had a 1-2 count when he hit the ball toward left field.  I ruled an error because he had it in his glove but did not record a catch although you could argue the left fielder was playing too deep.

Sommer also stole second and was stranded there.

In the bottom of the second inning the first three Knights batters were walked .  Following the first out Trevor Steberg hit the ball to left center where it was perfectly placed.  Neither the left or centerfielder could make the catch.  Two runs scored on the play thanks in part to a throwing error that allowed Steberg to stop at third base.

Steberg would be stranded there.

The Knights would add another run in the bottom of the 3rd inning without the benefit of a hit.  It all happened with two outs.  Bray Olson was hit by a pitch on a 0-2 count.  Alex Vold connected on a 1-2 pitch.  The shortstop fielded cleanly but the throw to first was off target scoring Olson.

None of the Knights 5 runs were scored by guys with hits in the game.  Two hit batsmen and 3 walks cross home plate for Kenyon-Wanamingo.

The Bulldogs would have their only other baserunner of the game in the top of the 5th.  With two outs Jacob Crush was walked.  He would try to steal second base with a 5-0 deficit.  Senior catcher Tyler Craig had a perfect throw right to the second base bag to easily gun down the Crush attempt to end the top of the 5th inning.

Hilke stroked a one out single in the 5th inning.  His courtesy runner was picked off first base.

Olson led the 6th inning off with a single.  Vold laid down a bunt to move Olson into scoring position.  Olson would go to third on a hit back to the pitcher resulting in an out.  The inning would end with him at third base.

Hilke would retire the last six batters he faced with 4 strikeouts.

The other five Kenyon-Wanamingo no-hitters recorded in the past 30 years included:

  • Gavin Roosen vs. Hayfield 2015
  • Noah Grove  vs. Faribault Academies 2007 (believed to be first round of playoffs)
  • Jared Hope vs. Austin Pacelli 1994
  • Matt Johnson vs. Hayfield 1992
  • Dan Schoenfelder vs. Hayfield 1992

The Schoenfelder and Johnson no-hitters were recorded in back to back games of a doubleheader.

The Knights are now 10-10.  J-W-P ends their season with a 8-11 record.

Kenyon-Wanamingo is the #7 seed and goes to #2 seed Blue Earth Area Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. according to the bracket.  The Bucs defeated #15 seed Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 10-3.

In other Section 2AA action:

  • #8 Medford edged #9 LeSueur-Henderson 2-0  (Tigers go to #1 Belle Plaine 5pm Tuesday)
  • #12 New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 7 #5 MN Valley Lutheran 3
  • #4 Sibley East 9  #13 Tri-City United 0  (Sibley East hosts  NRHEG 5pm Tues.)
  • #3 Maple River 6 #14 Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 3
  • #6 Cannon Falls 8  #11 Waseca  2  (CF goes to Maple River Tues. 5pm)

You may find this interesting.

KEEP READING: Here are the most popular baby names in every state

Using March 2019 data from the Social Security Administration, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular names in each of the 50 states and Washington D.C., according to their 2018 SSA rankings. The top five boy names and top five girl names are listed for each state, as well as the number of babies born in 2018 with that name. Historically common names like Michael only made the top five in three states, while the less common name Harper ranks in the top five for 22 states.

Curious what names are trending in your home state? Keep reading to see if your name made the top five -- or to find inspiration for naming your baby.

 

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