GAME 1

MLAC 4

RUTHTON — Tyler Wichmann and Gavin Schreurs’ quality pitching helped the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton baseball team hold off a late rally for a 5-4 win over Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey in the first game of a Red Rock Conference matchup on Saturday.

Wichmann pitched the game’s first four innings, giving up two earned and one unearned run on six hits and four walks. He struck out six batters in the win.

Schreurs closed out the save with three innings on the hill, giving up one run on a hit and a walk with three strikeouts.

RTR held a 4-3 lead heading into the final frame. Brayden Chandler and Wichmann each singled to start the inning before consecutive pop outs put two away. Yet, Seth Cowell came up with an RBI single to give the Knights what would be a necessary insurance run. 

Schreurs retired each of the first two batters he faced in the bottom of the frame before a hit batter and a double brought the Wolverines within one. Still, Schreurs induced a pop out to left field to leave the tying run stranded on second.

Chandler led RTR with two hits in the game while Schreurs reached base three times with a single and two walks.

The game was tied at two runs apiece when RTR took the lead in the top of the fifth. Tyson Burns was hit by a pitch, Chandler singled and Wichmann reached on a bunt to score Burns and Chandler, making the score 4-2. MLAC got a run back in the bottom of the frame but never re-tied the game.

RTR first got on the board in the bottom of the second when Schreurs walked, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored when Kolby Louwagie reached on an error. The Knights also scored in the fourth when Cowell was hit by a pitch and scored on a Schreurs single.

MLAC answered with a run in the bottom of the second and fourth to keep the game tied. 

GAME 2 (6 inn.)

MLAC 0

RUTHTON — Brayden Chandler pitched a complete-game shutout for the Knights in the second game of the doubleheader, striking out five batters while allowing six hits and two walks in a 10-0 mercy-rule win in six innings.

The Knights clinched the victory with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Chandler doubled and Tyler Wichmann walked to start the frame. After an MLAC pitching change, Determan drove in Chandler with a sacrifice fly. 

Isaac Roberts singled before Gabe Elton hit an RBI single and Logan Tommeraasen hit a two-run single to seal the victory.

Drew Chandler came up with a game-high three hits, including a double. Cowell also recorded a double and a single, Brooks Hess singled twice and Wichmann drew a pair of walks.

RTR’s offense started to heat up in the fourth. Cowell reached on a single and, with two outs, Hess hit an RBI single to get the Knights on the board and Janish hit a two-run double to make the score 3-1.

RTR continued to surge ahead with two outs in the fifth. Drew Chandler singled and scored on a Cowell double. Chase Christianson and Kolby Louwagie kept the ball rolling with another RBI single each to make the score 6-0.

RTR improves to 12-2 on the season with the wins and hosts Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove for another Red Rock Conference matchup today at 4:30 p.m.

RTR 1 

TYLER — The Russell-Tyler-Ruthton softball team dropped the first game of its Red Rock Conference matchup against Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey by a score of 16-1 in six innings. The Knights went on to get swept in the Saturday doubleheader.

RTR took an early lead when Laken Baartman and Paisley Thooft singled consecutively and Kynsi VanderPlaats reached on a dropped third strike to load the bases with one out. Taylin Thooft hit an RBI single to put the Knights on the board, but Payton Johansen lined into a double play to end the inning.

The first-inning run marked RTR’s only offense in the game. MLAC surged ahead with four runs in the third and fourth innings, scored another pair in the fifth and closed out the win with a six-run sixth inning. RTR committed four errors in the game compared to just one from the Wolverines.

Baartman was the only batter to reach base twice for the Knights, reaching on a single and a walk. RTR finished with five hits as a team to MLAC’s 18.

Jaida Fricke was charged with the loss, giving up 14 earned runs over six innings with four strikeouts and a pair of walks.

GAME 2 (5 inn.)

RTR 2

TYLER — In the second game of its doubleheader against Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey, the Knights fell into an early hole and never recovered. The Wolverines scored a pair of first-inning runs, five more in the second and three more in the third as they cruised to a 14-2 win.

RTR’s runs came in the fourth while trailing 10-0. Paisley Thooft and Kynsi VanderPlaats singled consecutively to start the frame. With one out, Johansen drove in one run on a single and VanderPlaats scored on a passed ball to trim the deficit to 10-2. Still, a runner caught attempting to steal and a fielder’s choice ended the frame. MLAC scored four more runs in the bottom of the inning and retired three of the four RTR batters in the fifth, the exception being a Laken Baartman double, to end the game.

Baartman led the Knights with two of the team’s six hits. RTR did not draw a walk in the game.

Fricke gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and a walk over two innings of work. In relief, Baartman gave up one earned and six unearned runs on five hits and five walks over two innings. RTR committed three errors in the game.

RTR drops to 3-8 on the season with the pair of losses and hosts Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove (2-6) for another Red Rock Conference matchup today at 7 p.m.

MCC 7,

E/SWC 4

EDGERTON — A six-run sixth inning made all the difference for the Murray County Central softball team as the Rebels claimed a 7-4 Red Rock Conference win over Edgerton/Southwest Minnesota Christian on Saturday.

The Knights trailed 4-1 heading into the game’s penultimate frame when a Kate Blankenship single and a Taylor Larson walk put two runners on with one out. Calleigh Doeden dropped down a bunt single and an error allowed Blankenship to score as the other runners advanced into scoring position.

From there, Kat Miller reached on another error to score Larson. With two outs, Ava Deacon then hit a single with a pair of errors allowing both runners and Deacon to score on the play.

Consecutive singles from Emmi Peltola and Thea Schneider and an RBI double by Blankenship made the score 7-4 in favor of the Knights before a strikeout ended the inning.

Schneider retired six of the next seven batters she faced, the exception being a seventh-inning single, to close out the win in the circle.

Schneider threw all seven innings for the Rebels, surrendering two earned runs on four hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.

Peltola, Schneider and Blankenship each had a pair of hits on the day while Larson walked twice and Deacon logged a single and a walk.

E/SWC trailed 1-0 when an error allowed them to plate three third-inning runs. A sacrifice bunt in the fourth increased the Dutchmen’s lead to 4-1.

Deacon scored the game’s first run when she drew a leadoff walk before scoring on a Schneider single.

MCC improves to 5-1 on the season and next hosts Adrian/Ellsworth (5-2) today at 4:30 p.m.