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Austin Irlbeck -
Avery Weber
By Mark Zinnel, Buttermaker Reporter The Hadley Buttermakers suffered a big loss last week but rebounded big time. Here is the week’s recap.
Wednesday Night: PIPESTONE 3 HADLEY 0
Hadley would need some help and have to win out their remaining 4 league games to have a chance to take the Gopher League title, but Wednesday night’s game against the Pipestone A’s was a real punch in the gut as the A’s shut out the Buttermakers 3-0 to end Hadley’s Goopher League title chances. The A’s starter kept the Buttermaker bats at bay, ending the game with 16 strikeouts. Hadley wasted the few opportunities they had to score in the game. The Buttermakers just could not come through with a big hit when they needed it. Dylan Kluis started on the mound for Hadley.
Hadley had chances to score in the 2nd through the 5th innings. Hadley would load the bases with 2 outs, but a strikeout would end the Buttermakers scoring attempt. In the 3rd, Tucker Sorenson would reach on a walk, Jaden Deacon would lay down a sacrifice bunt, but Tucker would be left stranded on 2nd base. In the 4th, Bryce Ahrendt would walk. Alex Petersen would advance Bryce to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt. Two strikeouts would follow to halt the Buttermakers’ efforts. Pipestone would pick up a run in the bottom of the 4th. Dylan Kluis would walk the lead-off batter. The next batter would double to bring in the run.
In the 5th, Jaden Deacon would hit a triple with 2 outs. Derek Kluis would foul out to end the scoring threat. Pipestone looked prime to add to their lead in the 6th. A leadoff double and a walk started the A’s off. Dylan Kluis would buckle down and retire the next three A’s batters keeping Pipestone in the lead at 1-0.
Pipestone would once again threaten to score in the 7th. After getting the first out on a strikeout, Hadley would make back-to-back errors. Dylan Kluis would make an errant throw to first on a come backer to the mound and then the relay back to the mound would get thrown past Dylan as the A’s runner moved up a base, but Dylan would get out of the inning with Hadley still down 1-0.
Owen Gillette took over Dylan Kluis in the 8th. Hadley’s defense would not help Owen out. Derek Kluis would drop an infield fly ball out. After getting a fly ball out, Skyler Feikema would misplay a ground ball. Owen would get a strikeout for the 2nd out. The next A’s batter would single to score one run. A walk would load the bases. Owen would then hit a batter to force in a run but would leave the bases loaded after getting the 3rd out on a strikeout with Pipestone now ahead 3-0.
Hadley had a chance in the 9th. Bryce Ahrendt would reach on a walk. Alex Petersen would replace Bryce on a fielder’s choice. After Brody Wixon struck out, Lincoln Graven would single. Alex and Lincoln would move to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch. Skyler Feikema would step up to the plate as the tying run. Skyler would work the count to 3-2 before succumbing to strike out and a 3-0 Hadley loss.
Alex Petersen led Hadley with 2 hits. Jaden Deacon and Lincoln Graven contributed to the Buttermakers other hits. Dylan Kluis took the loss to move his record to 1-1.
Final Box Score
RHE Hadley 0 4 4 Pipestone 3 5 3 Sunday: HADLEY 18 HERON LAKE 0
The Heron Lake Lakers came to Hadley on Sunday to take on the Buttermakers in their annual 4th of July weekend game. On a beautiful evening, the Buttermakers got their bats to wake up as they got the fireworks started early as they blasted the Lakers 18-0. Heron Lakes’ defensive miscues aided in the Buttermaker scoring. Tucker Sorenson started the game for Hadley on the mound.
Hadley would start scoring early and never let up. Hadley scored 5 runs on 5 hits in the 1st and pulled away from the Lakers in the 2nd when they backed it up with 8 runs to jump out to a 13-0 lead. The big hit of the inning came from Austin Irlbeck as he blasted a grand slam over the rightfield fence. Hadley would score 2 runs in the 4th and 5th innings and a solo run in the 6th for the remainder of their scoring.
Austin Irlbeck had a big game for Hadley as he went 4-5 and credited with 6 rbis for the day. Austin would come up a triple short of hitting for the cycle, but he tried. Austin would get tagged out trying to turn a double into a triple on a close play in his last at bat in the 6th. Alex Petersen and Joe Larson would chip in with 2 hits each. Jakob Olson, Derek Klis, Brody Wixon, Danny Blankenship, Josh Van Dam, Bryce Ahrendt, Skyler Feikema, and Dylan Kluis would all pick up 1 hit. Danny Blankenship and Dylan Kluis would chip in with 2 rbis, Joe Larson, Max Zwart, Jacob Olson, and Lincoln Swanjord all with 1 rbi each. Tucker Sorenson, Avery Weber, and Logan Miller would hold the Lakers to just 4 hits. Tucker Sorenson earned the victory to move his record to 4-2.
Final Box Score
RHE Hadley 18 16 0 Heron Lake 0 4 10 Hadley will finish off their regular season schedule before preparing for the Region 13C playoffs to begin.
Hadley will travel to Luverne on Tuesday evening to take on the Redbirds in a make-up game. In a home-and-home series, Hadley will travel to Marshall on Wednesday to take on the A’s and then entertain the A’s in Hadley on Saturday at 2:00. Worthington will visit Hadley on Sunday to end Gopher League regular season play.
