Saints outhit Le Sueur, but fall 4-3
Posted July 24, 2019
Despite outhitting Le Sueur 9-5 on Tuesday evening, the St. Peter town team stranded five runners in scoring position in the final four innings, resulting in a 4-3 loss to finish the regular season 13-9 overall and 8-6 in the River Valley League. St. Peter is now the RVL’s No. 4 seed for Region 6 playoffs and will host the 13/60 League’s No. 5 seed Morristown at 2 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Field.
Le Sueur got the scoring started in the second inning with a two-out rally, scoring a pair of runs after a hit-by-pitch, triple, and double.
After a slow start, the Saints got on the board in the fifth inning as Austin Pinke led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by CJ Siewert, and scored on a ground ball double play. The local nine then tied the game in the sixth. Sam Wenner reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and scored on a single by Tyson Sowder.
The Braves regained the lead in the seventh, taking advantage of two walks, an error, and a single for a 4-2 advantage. The Saints answered in the eighth with a run as Wenner hit a ground-rule double into the left-center ivy and scored on another double by Sowder. STP made things interesting in the ninth with a two-out rally. Jeff Menk walked and Hunter Wilmes doubled to put the go-ahead run at second base, but a sharp line drive by Alex Hoehn was snared by the third baseman for the final out.
Sam Carlson started on the mound and went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two strikeouts. Kevin Sandborg pitched two innings of scoreless relief without giving up a hit. Andy Regner suffered the loss in two innings of relief. He gave up two runs (one earned) with one hit, five walks, and four strikeouts. Siewert (2-4) and Sowder (2-4, 2 RBI) led at the plate.
After Sunday’s first round playoff game, St. Peter will face either the winner or loser of the 13/60 No. 1 Waterville vs. the play-in game winner (Arlington vs. Cleveland) at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3 at the high seed.
