Town team splits pair of RVL matchups, falls to Lyon’s Pub
Posted July 22, 2013
By CJ Siewert
In the heat of a seeding race for Region 6C playoffs, the St. Peter amateur baseball club split two games against River Valley League West rivals Fairfax and New Ulm. On Friday, the Saints dropped a heartbreaking 6-5 walk-off loss at Fairfax’ Memorial Park, but rebounded Sunday with a 4-2 win over the New Ulm Kaiserhoff at Johnson Park.
Sandwiched between those two seeding games was an 8-5 non-league loss on Saturday to the Class A Lyon’s Pub, which was St. Peter’s last regular season game at the friendly confines of Veterans Field.
The Saints have cancelled their final non-league home game against the Mankato Mets Wednesday due to a string of three league games in four days. To finish out the regular season, St. Peter will travel to Chanhassen on Thursday (7:30 p.m.), Gaylord Friday (7:30 p.m.) and Henderson Sunday (4 p.m.).
RVL West standings as of July 22:
1. Gaylord 7-4
2. St. Peter 5-5
3. Arlington 5-7
4. New Ulm 4-9
5. Fairfax 3-8
Region 6C playoffs begin Wednesday, July 31. The No. 4 and 5 seeds from the RVL West and Central divisions will face each other for two play-in games. On Friday, Aug. 2, the double-elimination playoff will begin with the No. 1 seed from each division hosting the opposing division’s play-in game winner. Each division’s No. 2 seed will host the opposing division’s No. 3 seed. The top three teams out of the region will advance to the State Tournament, hosted by Maple Lake and Delano.
St. Peter 4, New Ulm Kaiserhoff 2 | Box Score
With the game tied 2-2 in the top of ninth inning, St. Peter third baseman Shea Roehrkasse came to the plate with two outs and blasted what proved to be the game-winning two-run home run, giving the Saints a crucial 4-2 victory over New Ulm on Sunday.
St. Peter led from the get-go as Andy Schroeder started the game with a walk and scored after a Billy Hanson sacrifice bunt and RBI single by Roehrkasse.
The Saints held onto a 1-0 lead for the next four innings until adding another in the sixth. Ryan Wenner and Ben Mikelson led off with consecutive singles and Mike Enz followed with a sacrifice bunt where Wenner scored on the play.
Jeremy Braun kept the Kaiserhoff bats silent through six innings by not allowing a run on just three hits. But New Ulm evened up the score at 2-2 in the seventh after Braun allowed a leadoff walk ensued by a single. With runners on first and third and nobody out, Jesse Anderson relieved Braun. The next batter hit a sacrifice fly and two batters later, New Ulm scored again on an RBI single with the runs credited to Braun.
After a scoreless eighth, Schroeder led off the ninth with a single and Hanson bunted him over to second with his second sacrifice of the game. And with two down, Roehrkasse belted the game-winning two-run homer.
Anderson secured the win with a 1-2-3 ninth. Braun took a no decision after allowing two earned runs on four hits after six innings of work. Anderson earned the win after three innings without surrendering a run on two hits.
Roehrkasse posted three RBIs and went 2-for-5 with a run. Hanson went 2-for-3 with two sacrifices, while Jeff Menk and Wenner each had two hits.
Fairfax 6, St. Peter 5 | Box Score
St. Peter squandered a second inning 4-0 lead and lost 6-5 on a walk-off hit at Fairfax Friday night. Ty Kaus took the complete game loss after allowing five earned runs on 11 hits.
In the second, the Saints took an early four-run lead on four hits and a hit-batsman. Ryan Wenner led off with a double followed by a Jeff Menk single. Ben Mikelson ensued with a sacrifice fly to score Wenner. Mike Enz then reached on a fielder’s choice where Menk crossed home. Jordan Wilmes singled and CJ Siewert was beaned to load the bases. With two outs, Billy Hanson hit a two-run single, giving the Saints a 4-0 advantage.
Fairfax answered in the third with one run on three singles and a walk. But the Saints increased their lead back to four with a run in the fourth. Enz doubled, Wilmes sacrificed him over to third and Kaus knocked in the run with a single.
The Cardinals cut into the lead in the sixth with two runs and erased it with two more in the seventh. Kaus allowed two singles, a double and a home run in the two frames, while the defense committed one error.
After a leadoff single and fielder’s choice put a runner in scoring position for the Cardinals in the ninth, Fairfax catcher Adam Buboltz hit the game-winner with a single to left-center field.
Wenner (2-4, R, 2B) and Hanson (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) led the Saints at the plate.
Lyon’s Pub 8, St. Peter 5 | Box Score
The Class A Lyon’s Pub Warriors paid a visit to St. Peter on Saturday for a non-league matchup and came away with an 8-5 win.
Jordan Seebach suffered the loss after five innings. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout. Jeff Wenner pitched three innings with five earned runs on nine hits and three walks. Kevin Sandborg tossed a 1-2-3 ninth with a hit and a double play.
Jesse Munsterman paced the Saints offensively with four RBIs on three hits. Jordan Wilmes also had a multi-hit night, going 2-for-4 with two runs, a walk and a double.
File photo: Shea Roehrkasse hit the game-winning two-run home run at New Ulm Sunday. He went 2-for-5 with three RBIs.