August 13, 2015 at 2:34 p.m.
Minnesota wins Midwest slugfest
Hopkins, Minnesota, the Midwest Plains Regional Champions outlasted Sauk/Dodgeville, the Ohio Valley Regional Champions 13-10 but not before both teams combined for 27 hits and 20 runs to keep the fans on the edge of their seats all night.
Sauk/Dodgeville had the lead once during the slugfest and that was 4-2 after the first inning. After the Hopkins team which had several players on their roster with a year of college experience got to S/D starter Jordan Olson for two runs in the top of the first S/D answered thanks to a lead-off single by Elijah Jorgenson , followed by a single by Benjamin Lenerz, a successful double steal that got Jorgenson home, a bases loaded walk to Trent Jones and a two run single by Jordan Larson for a 4-2 lead.
Olson worked four innings before leaving with S/D trailing 5-4.
With the pitching depth being tested for S/D Hopkins slugged their way to a 13-6 lead that looked safe with two innings left. But S/D wasn't having any of that yet.
A four run bottom of the sixth had fans in the stands saying "we have a ball game" as S/D cut the lead to 13-10. A two run single by Lenerz and a two run double over the centerfielder's head by Levi Nagel accounted for the runs.
S/D had a baserunner in the seventh but the Hopkins closer got out of it with a strikeout to end the game.
Lenerz was 4x4 for S/D with Nagel and Jorgenson both 2x4. Lenerz, Nagel, Keith Kraemer and Larson all had a pair of rbis. Jones had the ninth rbi the S/D squad had in their total.
Olson's stint resulted in seven hits, five runs, four earned, and two walks.
Kraemer went 2/3 of an inning before being relieved by Jones. He gave up two hits, five runs all earned, struck out one and walked two.
Jones gave up three hits, three runs, two earned, while striking out two and walking two.
The loss ended Sauk/Dodgeville's stay at the World Series but not before they earned the respect of all who say them play. As they say in baseball, "we didn't lose, we just ran out of outs."
As one of the coaches for S/D, Howard Lenerz, said, "If this was a nine inning game we would have won."
In post game ceremonies Jordan Larson earned Player of the Game for his play at first base. He joined Lenerz, Nagel and Olson as winners of the award at the World Series.
SCORE BY INNINGS
MN 211 153 0 13 14 0
S/D 400 024 0 10 13 2
SAUK/DODGEVILLE BOX
(at bats, runs, hits)
Elijah Jorgenson 4-2-2, Benjamin Lenerz 4-2-4, Levi Nagel 4-2-2, Keith Kraemer 3-1-1, Jordan Olson 3-1-0, Trent Jones 3-0-1, Jordan Larson 4-0-1, Adam Ballweg 4-0-0, Cole Miller 1-0-0, Connor Leister 1-1-1, Grant Schlimgen 3-1-1. Totals 34-10-13. 2B-Nagel (2), Kraemer, Leister
