A seven-run fifth inning propelled Dell Rapids Baseball to an 11-2 victory over Tri-Valley in high school action at Rickeman Field in Dell Rapids on Friday, April 17th.
Tri-Valley scored right away in the top of the first inning. Kyle Kretchmar hit a one-out triple down the right field line, and then Matt Prather drove him home with an RBI single to give Tri-Valley an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Dell Rapids scored two times in the bottom half of the inning without a hit. Josh Roemen and Casey Hansen both reached base on errors, and later scored in the inning after Tri-Valley committed three more errors in the inning. Dell Rapids led 2-1 after the first inning.
Starting pitchers Brett Mogen (DR) and Logan Larsen (TV) cruised through the next few innings. Mogen faced the minimum nine hitters over his next three innings, striking our four in that stretch. Larsen held Dell Rapids hitless through his next three innings, and after the fourth inning, Dell Rapids maintained their 2-1 lead.
Mogen ran into a little trouble in the top of the fifth inning. He walked the lead-off hitter Alex Van Asselt. The next hitter, Kevin Cress, hit a sharp ground ball to short. The force out at second could not be made, but an out was recorded at first. Sheldon Hofer capitalized on the miscue and hit an RBI single that scored Van Asselt to tie the game. Mogen was able to get out of the inning allowing only the one run, and the game was 2-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
That’s when the Dell Rapids offense erupted. Kretchmar moved to the mound in relief of Larsen, and Dell Rapids sent 11 men to the plate scoring seven times. Nate McKee had an RBI single, Matt Gillogly had a three-run triple, and Mogen, Ryan Geraets, and Carter Gullicksen also had RBIs in the inning. The seven-run inning gave Dell Rapids a 9-2 lead after five innings. Dell Rapids would add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on RBI hits by Gillogly and Eddie Price.
Gillogly had two hits and four RBI in the game. McKee finished with two singles and an RBI. Roemen, Geraets, Price, and Gullicksen all collected singles in the game.
Mogen picked up the win pitching five innings, giving up two runs on three hits, striking out six, and walking four. Trevor Pulscher pitched two innings of relief allowing just one hit and striking out three. Larsen earned a no-decision giving up two runs, both unearned, on no hits, striking four and walking three. Kretchmar took the loss pitching two innings giving up nine runs on eight hits while striking out three and walking three.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | ||
Tri-Valley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
Dell Rapids | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | x | 11 | 8 | 1 |