BUTTERMAKERS WIN TWO

By Mark Zinnel - Buttermaker Reporter The Hadley Buttermakers had a successful week of baseball. Here is the week’s recap:

Wednesday

Hadley 11 Milroy 8 Hadley traveled to Milroy to take on the Yankees from the Corn Belt Conference in a friendly exhibition game. This contest was an opportunity for the Hadley’s bench players to gain valuable game experience as the Buttermakers head into the second half of the season. Logan Miller made his first appearance on the mound for Hadley.

Hadley started out in the 1st with a run. Tucker Sorenson would lead off with a single and move to 2nd on a stolen base and then to 3rd on a wild pitch. Derek Kluis would score Sorenson on a single. Austin Irlbeck would single but Derek Kluis would becalled out at the plate. Milroy would match Hadley when they scored a run without a hit in the bottom of the 1st for a 1-1 game.

Hadley had chances to score in both the 2nd and 3rd innings. Hadley would have the bases loaded in each inning. In the 2nd, Owen Gillette would be called out at the plate trying to score on a wild pitch. In the 3rd, with only 1 out, Milroy would make a pitching change. A strikeout and pop out would keep Hadley off the boards. Logan Miller would keep the Yankees hit less through the first 3 innings.

In the 4th, Hadley erupted with 6 runs on 7 hits off the Yankee reliever to take a 7-1 lead. In Milroy’s at bat, Milroy would get their first 2 hits off Logan and their second run for a 7-2 Hadley advantage.

Milroy made things interesting in the 5th. The Yankees came storming back when they scored 4 runs on 3 hits off Logan to pull within one run at 7-6. Josh Van Dam would come to get the final outs of the innings in relief of Miller.

Hadley would go up 8-6 in the 6th on back-to-back doubles by Brody Wixon and Skyler Feikema. Hadley would add on to their lead in the 8th when they picked up 3 more runs to go up 11-6. Milroy would get solo runs in the 8th and 9th innings off Van Dam for an 11-8 Hadley victory.

All the Hadley starters contributed to the victory. For Hadley, Derek Kluis kept swinging a hot bat as he picked up 4 hits and 3 rbis. Skyler Feikema had 3 hits and 3 rbis, Austin Irlbeck 3 hits and 2 rbis, and Tucker Sorenson with 3 hits and 1 rbi. Dylan Kluis chipped in with 2 hits and Lincoln Graven, Brody Wixon, Owen Gillette, Mike Preuss and Jaden Deacon all picked up a hit. Jaden Deacon and Brody Wixon, accounted for Hadley’s other rbis. Josh Van Dam would earn the victory to move his record to 1-1. Josh Van Dam recorded 9 strikeouts in his 5-inning pitching performance.

Final Box Score RHE Hadley 11 20 1 Milroy 8 9 2

Sunday

Hadley 7 Pipestone 0 (7 innings) What was supposed to be a scheduled Father’s Day double- header, was spoiled by Mother Nature with a late afternoon shower. Hadley’s first opponent was the Pipestone A’s. Rain delayed the start of Game 1 for 15 minutes until a rain cloud passed through. Intermittent rain continued throughout the game. Once the game began, Buttermaker starting pitcher, Tucker Sorenson, had things going on. Tucker would limit the A’s to just one hit, walk one, and strike out 16 A’s batters in the 7-inning contest. Tucker would strike out the side in 3 innings.

Hadley would score right away in the 1st. Derek Kluis would single with 2 outs and move to 2nd and come around to score on a Max Zwart single. In the 3rd, Austin Irlbeck would lead off with a single and move to 2nd on a stolen base. Dereke Kluis would single to score Irlbeck and then Derek would score on a double form Max Zwart for 3-0 lead.

Hadley scored their final runs in the 4th inning. Alex Petersen would walk to start things off. Austin Irlbeck would single, and Dylan Kluis would reach on an error to load the bases. Derek Kluis hit a bloop single to score one and then Jakob Olson stepped up and hit a bases clearing double for a 7-0 Buttermaker lead.

Derek Kluis led the way for Hadley with 3 hits and 2 rbis, Max Zwart had 2 hits and 2 rbis, and Austin Irlbeck would chip in with 2 hits. Jakob Olson would pick up 1 hit and 3 rbis and Alex Petersen picking up Hadley’s other hit. The victory for Tucker moved his record to 3-0.

Final Box Score RHE Hadley 7 9 0 Pipestone 0 1 1 Rains cancelled Game 2 with Luverne and will be rescheduled for a later date. Hadley will be back on the road for the week as they travel east for baseball action. Hadley travels to Jackson to take on the Bulls on Wednesday night in an exhibition game.

On Sunday they will have doubleheader action when they take on the Fox Lake Foxes in Truman at 2:00 and then go down the road to play the Fairmont Martins at 5:00.