St. Peter Defeats Avon 2-1 For First Win At State In 37 Years

By Pat Beck, St. Peter Herald

The St. Peter Saints didn't get many hits, but they made them count in winning 2-1 over the Avon Lakers in the first round of the state Class C amateur baseball tournament Sunday at Green Isle.

The Saints hit well with runners on base, while the Lakers didn't. St. Peter had seven hits facing former minor league pitcher Kyle Collins and left just four runners on base, while Avon had 10 hits and stranded 11.

"We haven't seen pitching like that probably since we faced Jordan,"said St. Peter third baseman Shea Roehrkasse. "He played in the minors. He's got good stuff and kept us off balance. We put together some really good at bats. Maybe we didn't have as many chances as we would have liked, but we capitalized on a couple, and that was enough."

St. Peter (19-11-1) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Jovan Rodriguez doubled to left center and scored on a single to center by Roehrkasse.

"It was an 0-2 (count), so I shortened up," Roehrkasse said. "It was a slider away, I threw my bat at it, and it had enough air underneath it to get it over the shortstop and bring in the run. It was nice to get on the board early."

Avon (13-6) tied it 1-1 with a run in the fifth. Caleb Curry and Matt Meyer hit back-to-back singles, Josh Becker reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases, and Reed Voit walked to drive in Curry.

St. Peter won it with a run in the bottom of the ninth. Roehrkasse hit a two-out single between third and short off the shortstop's glove. Jayme Munsterman batted an opposite field single down the right-field line to advance Roehrkasse to third. Munsterman stole second, and Alex Hoehn drove in Roehrkasse with the game-winning run by beating out an infield single to short.

"The shortstop made an unbelievable diving play, came up, and the throw was a little bit off line, but Alex, who is one of our fastest guys, beat it anyway," Roehrkasse, 31, said. "It helps when you've got the younger guys (rookies) like (Andy) Regner (17) and Alex (19). It makes it easier on us old guys."

Rodriguez, Rohrkasse and Munsterman all batted 2-for-4. Hoehn had the seventh hit in going 1-for-3.

With the win, St. Peter broke a string of five first-round losses over the last 37 years at state. The Saints had lost in the first round the last three years.

Pitching and defense were the keys to the game at the Yard.

St. Peter starting pitcher Jesse "Homey" Anderson, 39, went five innings, allowing one run on seven hits, three walks, one hit batsman and two strikeouts.

Andy Regner picked up the win in relief, pitching the last four scoreless innings on three hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

"Between 'Homey' and Regner, our pitching was getting out of a lot of jams," Roehrkasse said. "They kept us in it because a lot of times one run isn't going to win a ball game."

Collins went the distance for Avon. He threw a seven-hitter with 11 strikeouts and one walk.

Both teams played errorless ball. A pair of St. Peter double plays ended rallies. In the first inning, Roehrkasse turned a double play at third. In the second inning, Jordan Wilmes turned a double play at second.

"A couple of double plays is huge," Roehrkasse said. "It got out of a couple of second and third, bases-loaded jams. It picked us up when we needed to. I caught a one-hopper right to me. I caught it right on the baseline and made a throw over to (first baseman Jeff) Menk."

St. Peter now plays the No. 3 state-ranked Hutchinson Huskies, one of the Class C state contenders who had a first-round bye, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26 at Hamburg.