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There isn't much that separates the Mineral Point and Fennimore baseball teams but twice within a week there was enough.
The separation went in Fennimore's favor as the Pointers lost to them twice, both times with the SWAL top spot on the line.
In the meantime the Pointers got a little help from a friend--Cuba City--which turned back the Golden Eagles after they beat the Pointers to set up Tuesday's showdown.
Tuesday Fennimore outlasted the hard hitting Pointers 10-8 and coupled that with a 7-4 win in a game between the same two teams last Thursday for a sweep.
Kane Klais was the difference maker Tuesday as he relieved starter Evan Friesen in the sixth and struck out all six outs. He was not completely out of trouble as he walked two and gave up one hit.
Fennimore sent in three runs in the bottom of the fifth to provide the win.
The Pointers had 12 hits in the hitter friendly Fennimore field and the Eagles had nine. Brady Tibbits homered twice for the Pointers and drove in four runs. Grant Myers was 3x5 with two rbis. Nick Mohlmann and Lucas Radtke both had an rbi and were 2x4 and 1x3 respectively.
Ian Ewers also had a hit for the Pointers.
Freisen and Klais combined for 13 strikeouts--seven and six.
Tyler Hunt, Ian Streeter and Austin Fifrick all homered for the Eagles. Hunt had three rbis while Streeter and Fifrick both had two.
Brock May and Logan Benish both worked three innings for the Pointers. Both surrendered five runs while May fanned one and Benish four. Benish took the loss.
Ian Ewers walked and stole second trying to ignite the Pointers in the seventh but Klais got tough and struck out the side.
Klais also bailed out the Eagles last Thursday when they turned back the Pointers 7-4. Friesen went the first 6 1/3 before Klais entered and struck out the final two outs.
The Pointers finished strong with a run in the sixth and two in the bottom of the seventh and threatened until Klais took over.
Mohlmann was 3x4 with a pair of doubles while Tibbits was 2x4 with a double. Benish also doubled and Lance Miller went 2x3.
"We competed well and battled until the final out to give ourselves a chance to win, but we just came up a little short today," Pointer coach Dan Burreson said about the loss last week. "Fennimore played well and did the little things today better than we did. Brock threw well and deserved a better fate. We needed to make a couple more plays and a couple walks came back to hurt us."
May took the loss last Thursday.
"Nick Mohlmann swung a real good bat today, going 3 x 4 with two doubles," Burreson said. "Brady Tibbits and Lance Miller both had two hits today. Logan swung the bat well and drove in a pair. We just could not put together much until the seventh. We had chances and hit the ball hard with runners in scoring position, but we hit the ball right at them."
The next day the Pointers came back from the loss as Benish shut out Iowa-Grant 6-0.
"We found out a lot about our character today," Burreson said. "After a tough loss last night to Fennimore we were able to bounce right back and pick up a conference win today. Logan threw real well all day and we played very good defense behind him. Sy Staver made a great diving play up the middle and threw out the runner. Sy and Nick Mohlmann turned a nice double play. Lance Miller made a couple nice plays at third and Ian Ewers did a nice job in center."
"Offensively, Dakota Poad had a big day at the plate going 2 x 4 with three rbis and Grant Myers continues to swing a good bat going 3 x 4 with a double."