MARSHALL - In Wednesday's game against Alexandria, the Marshall Blue VFW baseball team struggled to get on the scoreboard with its only runs coming in the third inning.
On Thursday against Tracy at Alumni Field at Southwest Minnesota State, offense was the least of Marshall Blue's worries, as the team went off for 11 runs on 15 hits in an 11-1 victory in six innings.
"We were due for a game like that," said Blue head coach Matt Suby. "We had the capability of hitting like that, we just haven't seen it as much as we'd like so far. Today was a good idea of what we're capable of."
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Photo by Joe Brown
Tracy left fielder Brady Lanoue comes up with a pop fly out in the first inning of Thursday’s VFW baseball game against Marshall Blue at Alumni Field in Marshall.
The run parade began in the bottom of the first inning, after Adam Kovash belted a two-run double, scoring Bryce Johnson and CD Douglas. Johnson and Douglas crossed the plate again in the second, with Johnson scoring on a passed ball and Douglas reaching home on a triple by Mason Campion.
"One through nine in the lineup hit the ball well," Suby said. "We hit the ball hard and we were aggressive at the plate and it led to scoring early and often."
The second-inning triple was the first of two three-baggers for Campion, who went 4-for-4 at the plate with four RBIs to lead the Blue's offense. Douglas had three singles with three run scored, and Kovash was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
"Mason helped us not just with the two triples, but with consistent at-bats," Suby said. "He can be a good hitter on this team, and it was good to see him bust out today."
On the mound, Douglas and the Marshall defense held Tracy hitless for the first three innings, with Brady Lanoue finally reaching base on a leadoff single in the top of the fourth. Gavin Van Moer followed with another single, giving Tracy its first threat of the day. After a groundout by Tayler Carlson put Lanoue at third, Tracy got its first run of the day as Lanoue reached home on a groundout by Derek Larson.
From there, Douglas kept Tracy off the base paths, closing the game with two straight 1-2-3 innings.
Finishing with two strikeouts and just two walks, Douglas kept Tracy's bats off-balance, while the middle infield of Noah Winkelman, Riley Sharbono and Nate Hoeft let almost nothing through the dirt.
"That's one thing we've been good at this summer is picking the ball up and throwing it across the field," Suby said. "It starts with CD going out and throwing strikes.
"When he gets ahead, he can be really effective. He bared down and got through his six innings and did a good job of keeping his defense involved."
Up 9-1 after a four-run fourth inning, Marshall Blue put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with RBI base hits by Kovash and Campion, scoring Hoeft and Conner Mesman to put the 10-run rule into place.
Moving to 10-5 on the year, Marshall Blue takes on Adrian at Legion Field on Monday. Tracy goes on the road Monday to face Luverne.
Tracy000 100-1 2 2
Marshall Blue221 402-11 15 1
T-Riley Steffes, Beau Priegnitz (4); MB-CD Douglas. WP-Douglas. LP-Steffes. 3B: MB-Mason Campion 2. 2B: MB-Adam Kovash. LOB: T-4; MB-12.