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By Levi Zimmerman
The Iowa-Grant Panthers traveled to Mineral Point for a SWAL baseball matchup Thursday evening at the newly named Ted Evans Field.
With temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, both teams had to battle the scorching heat, and Mineral Point was hot with the bats, hitting three home runs to help the Pointers secure an 11-0 victory over the Panthers.
After both sides went three-up-and-three-down in the first inning, Iowa-Grant was in position to take the first lead of the game.
With one out, junior Matthew Cartwright singled to left field for the Panthers' first hit.
Two pitches later, senior Zachary Kohlenberg smacked a base hit into center field.
But that's as far as the runners would get, as Mineral Point's Brendan Lynch, a junior, struck out the next two batters looking to thwart the threat.
The Pointers went on to take an early lead in the bottom of the second; senior Joah Filardo doubled, advanced to third base on a hit by junior Jaiden Galle and scored from there on a ground ball fielder's choice by sophomore Brady Radtke.
Iowa-Grant junior Alex Popple, who got the start on the mound for the Panthers, got out of the inning with a pop out.
The Panthers were set down in order in the top of the third, as Lynch struck out the side on 12 pitches.
The Pointers started the next frame with a bang.
Senior Dominik McVay launched a solo home run to left field, putting Mineral Point on top by two runs.
The next batter, Leyten Bowers, a senior, singled to left.
Bowers stole second and advanced to third on a balk by Popple.
After hitting a batter, Popple was taken out of the game and replaced by Cartwright.
Bowers tagged from third and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Bryce Vamstad.
The Pointers continued to build a lead, as Filardo, a right-handed batter, stepped in and belted a two-run home run to opposite field, bringing the score to 5-0.
Radtke made it 6-0 with an RBI single to right.
Iowa-Grant's best perormance at the plate came in the top of the fourth inning; sophomore Brach Holman hit line drive into left field for a double.
Holman advanced to third after tagging on a fly out by Cartwright for the second out.
Holman was left on third after another fly out.
Mineral Point wasn't done hitting long balls.
McVay led off with a double down the left field line, bringing Bowers to the plate.
Bowers swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a two-run homer the opposite way to right field, giving the Pointers an 8-0 lead.
The McVay-Bowers duo continued to see the ball well.
In the bottom of the fifth, after two walks, McVay singled to left again, scoring Radtke to make it 9-0.
Two pitches later, Bowers hit a double to right field, scoring McVay and Bo Hanson, a senior, to bring the score to 11-0 and ending the game due to the 10-run rule.
With three hits and a home run each, McVay and Bowers were the leading hitters on the day; Bowers had four RBI and McVay had two.
Filardo went two-for-three with a home run and a double; he drove in two runs and scored two runs.
Mineral Point collected 10 hits and committed no errors in the field.
Iowa-Grant also committed no errors.
Lynch was solid on the mound for the Pointers, going five innings, allowing no runs on three hits, striking out six and walking one.
Cartwright, Kohlenberg and Holman had the hits for Iowa-Grant.
Popple lasted two innings in the starting role for the Panthers, giving up four earned runs on four hits and one walk.
Cartwright pitched one inning in relief, also allowing four earned runs on four hits and a walk.
Freshman hurler Gavin Hinderman pitched one and two thirds innings for Iowa-Grant.
Hinderman allowed three earned runs on two hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
With the win, Mineral Point improved to 13-2 overall and 8-2 in the SWAL conference.
Iowa-Grant moved to 3-11 overall and 1-10 in the SWAL.
Box Score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
I-G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
MP 0 1 5 2 3 x x 11 10 0
Iowa-Grant pitching
Popple (L) 2 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 ER
Cartwright - 1 IP, 4 H, BB, 4 ER
Hinderman - 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 3 ER
Iowa-Grant batting
Schmitz (SS) 0/2
Lundell (CF) 0/3
Steffl (LF) 0/2
Cartwright (C/P/2B) 1/2
Kohlenberg (DH/1B) 1/1, BB
Reid (RF) 0/2
Hinderman (2B/P) 0/2
Koehn (3B) 0/2
Holman (1B/C) 1/2, 2B
Mineral Point pitching
Lynch (W) 5 IP, 3 H, BB, 6 K
Mineral Point batting
Bowers (SS) 3/4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
Galle (3B) 1/2, R, BB
Kisgen (2B) 0/2, BB
McVay (CF) 3/4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R
Hanson (C) 0/2, R, BB
Radtke (1B) 1/2, 2 RBI, R, BB
Lynch (P) 0/2, R
Filardo (LF) 2/3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
Vamstad (RF) 0/2, R