Reds win first league game of the season
Posted May 24, 2018
On Wednesday night, the Crookston Reds opened Red River League play against the Dilworth Raildogs. The Raildogs who enter their first full season in the league came into the game in first place in the RRL after defeating Moorhead 12-3 on May 16.
Aaron Hollcraft started on the mound for the Reds and limited the damage in the top of the first. After two staight walks, and an error plated a run, Hollcraft got a strikeout, an out at the plate on a double steal and a groundout to limit the Raildogs to just 1 run.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Reds Kyle Tamminen singled to left, stole second and follwowing a walk by Dave Grabowski scored on an RBI single by Lars Brevik. Logan Forseth would follow with his first hit of the season, an RBI single to center to plate Grabowski and give the Reds a 2-1 lead.
In the Top of fifth, Bryce Venaas drew a lead-off walk and would come around to score on a passed ball to tie the game. But Hollcraft would again limit the damage striking out Luke Gable to end the inning and end his day on the hill.
The Reds would take the lead for good in the sixth inning, when Scotty Mortenson reached to lead off the inning after being hit by a pitch. Tamminen followed with his second hit of the game to right and an error by the right fielder allowed both runners to move up a base. Bailey Schmitz followed with a base hit to right center plating Mortenson and forcing Dilworth starter Andrew Herian from the game. Blake Kawlaeski pinch ran for Schmitz and stole second, but Bryce Venaas, who came on in relief following Schmitz RBI hit would strikeout all three batters he faced in the inning.
The Reds would add an insurance run in the eighth when Schmitz picked up his third hit of the game and later scored from first base on a pinch-hit RBI triple by Cody Wardner. It was Wardner's second pinch-hit at bat of the season and both were highly productive as he homered in first pinch-hit at bat vs. Midway back on May 6.
Logan Forseth came on in relief in the ninth to close the game and sent the Raildogs down in order for his first save of the season. Joe Kvidt picked up his first win since he last played in 2016 tossing three one-hit innings in relief of Hollcraft.
The Reds improve to 3-2 (1-0) and will host the Mayville Red Caps on Friday, May 25 at 8 p.m. at Jim Karn Field.
WP - Joe Kvidt (1-0)
SV - Logan Forseth (1)
LP - Andrew Herian
Bailey Schmitz 3-4, RBI
Cody Wardner 1-1, 3B, RBI
Lars Brevik 1-3, RBI
Logan Forseth 1-3, RBI