Mudhens escape in tenth over Drakes

Sometimes you’ve just got to dig a little deeper to see what your made of … or as Assistant Manager Beau Buysse said, “You’ve got to get tested.”
The “test” came Wednesday night when Buysse and the rest of the Mudhens watched Dawson’s Alex Swenson slap a two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 2-2.
“It wasn’t pretty,” muttered Buysse. Minneota took advantage of three walks and two errors  plus Jake Leighton’s fourth hit of the game in the tenth to beat the Dawson Drakes, 6-3.
The 14-4 Mudhens had their ace Danny Hennen on the mound, but the young Drakes weren’t in awe. They slapped away to the tune of 10 hits off Hennen as their veteran Josh Staab held Minneota at bay for eight innings.
The only time the Mudhens broke through was in the fifth when they scored twice after a pair of Drake errors and two-run single by Leighton.
They stranded 15 runners and had to take that 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. It appeared they’d squeak past Dawson, 2-0.
But, as Buysse said, “Swenson put a good swing on it,” and the ball sailed out of the park to tie the game.
While Minneota couldn’t seem to get a key hit to score runs, fortunately they had Leighton on their side. He was 4-6, scored a run in the tenth and knocked in four runs.
“Jake came through big time. He had soon good at bats,” said Buysse. Dawson relief pitcher Nick Thompson was wild in the tenth and it took Leighton’s two-out, bases loaded hit before Minneota could breath easy again.
“We capitalized (on their mistakes). That’s what a good team does,” said Buysse.
Feeling a little like a man who escaped an assassin’s bullet, Manager Tyson Sonnenburg shrugged and said, “Hey, a win’s a win.”

MUDHEN NOTES:
•Austin Buysse had a pair of hits, including a double. But both times he was stranded at second base.
•Minneota played without Alex Pohlen, Zach and Peyton Nuy and Sam Buysse, Brant Buysse, Jamison Hunt and Thomas Fischer.
•After using both Bryce Gorder and Jaymes Moon briefly in the ninth just to make sure they are qualified for the upcoming playoffs, the only reserve they had was Aaron Sanow, who helps out as an extra coach and deep reserve. He came in to run for Jesse Drager in the tenth and eventually scored the go-ahead run.
(Players need so many league games to qualify to play in the playoffs).
•The Mudhens will host Ortonville at 7:30 p.m Friday night and play at 2 p.m. Sunday at Morris.

MUDHENS (AB-R-H-RBI) Beau Buysse, 2b 4 1 1 0; Jake Leighton, rf 6 1 4 4; Tyson Sonnenburg, cf 6 0 1 0; Austin Buysse, 3b 4 0 2 0; Bryce Gorder, 3b 0 0 0 0; Preston Nuy, ss 4 0 1 0; Noah Scott, lf 5 0 1 0; Jaymes Moon, lf 0 0 0 0; Jesse Drager, c 4 0 0 0; Aaron Sanow, cr 0 1 0 0; Danny Hennen, p 5 2 0 0; Austin DeVlaeminck, 1b 4 1 0 0. Totals 42 6 10 4.
DAWSON (AB-R-H-RBI) Alex Swenson, c 5 1 2 2; Braden Thompson, 3b-p 5 0 0 1; Austin Schmidt, 2b 4 0 1 0; Esten Weber, rf 5 1 2 0; Josh Staab, p 5 0 1 0; Keaton Schuelke, cr 0 0 0 0; Tyler Fransky, 1b 4 0 0 0; Nick Thompson, dh/lf 5 0 0 0; Kalib Greenman, ss 5 0 1 0; Braxton Thompson, cf 5 1 2 0. Totals 38 3 10 2.
Score by Innings
Minneota            000 020 000 4 — 6 10  4
Dawson              000 000 002 1 — 3 10  5
E-Minneota: Scott, A. Buysse 2, Nuy; Dawson: Braxton Thompson 3, Greenman 2. LOB-Minneota 15; Dawson 7. SB-Dawson-Braxton Thompson. SAC-Minneota: Drager, Buysse; Dawson-Schmidt. DP-Minneota 6-4-3 (8); Dawson 5-4-3 (6). 2B-Minneota: A. Buysse. HR-Dawson-Swenson.
Pitching                     IP     R    ER    H     BB    K
Minneota
Hennen (W)              10     3    2       10    0      4
Dawson
Staab                        8       2    0        7     1      1
N. Thompson (L)    1.2    4    0        3     6      1
Braden Thompson  .1      0    0        0     0      1
HP-Braden Thompson, Fransky (by Hennen); Scott (by Staab). WP-N. Thompson. PB-Drager.