Saints Top Blue Earth 11-9
Posted July 24, 2017
By Pat Beck, St. Peter Herald
In a back-and-forth game, the St. Peter Saints amateur baseball team scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 9-9 tie and defeat the always tough Blue Earth Pirates 11-9 on Friday at Veterans Field.
The win avenges the Saints’ 2010 state tourney 15-1 loss to the Pirates (11-4).
The Saints (15-7) came back from trailing 3-0 after one inning to tie it 3-3 in the third. Blue Earth took a 4-3 lead in the fourth.
The Saints scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 8-4 lead. Blue Earth cut the lead to 8-5 in the seventh, but the Saints answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to up their lead to 9-5. The Pirates scored four in the eighth to tie it 9-9.
St. Peter’s Jeff Menk led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a single to center. Billy Hanson sacrificed him to second. Jordan Wilmes singled and stole second, putting runners on second and third. Jeremy Braun reached on a muffed fly ball by the left fielder, which scored Menk and Wilmes for the 11-9 win.
Both teams had a dozen hits. Steven Nessler and Jordan Wilmes both went 3 for 5 for St. Peter. Nessler had a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Wilmes drove in a run and scored two.
Getting two hits apiece for St. Peter, Jaime Munsterman batted 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Jeremy Braun finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored.
St. Peter starting pitcher Luke Schwarz lasted eight innings in picking up the win. He gave up 12 hits and two walks, while striking out two. Jesse Anderson got the save, throwing a scoreless ninth with one hit and one strikeout.
Schwarz helped his cause, going 1 for 2 with a double, RBI and a run scored.
