Kenyon-Wanamingo Baseball Closes Regular Season with Win

Kenyon-Wanamingo head coach Randy Hockinson told KDHL after a 4-1 victory over Triton on Thursday that the regular season, "was outstanding." That's past history now.

Knights junior ace Gavin Roosen struggled commanding his fastball, but his curve and changeup were working. Roosen allowed just three hits, struck out 12 and walked four while throwing 118 pitches, 75 for strikes. He was 16 of 27 on first-pitch strikes.

Triton sophomore Nick Roussopoulos was pretty good, too. The right-hander scattered five hits while throwing 87 pitches in six innings, but just 41 were for strikes. Roussopoulos had two strikeouts and walked six Kenyon-Wanamingo batters.

Roosen has a tendancy to overthrow his fastball, so Hockinson said he and coach Mark Strandemo asked Roosen to dial it back a bit.

He did and on the first pitch Triton leadoff hitter freshman Drew Kelly crushed an elevated pitch over the left fielder's head to the fence and had a double.

After two outs were recorded, Cobra cleanup hitter sophomore Cole Rollins smacked a 1-0 count pitch over the head of Knight centerfielder Ted Androli for another double and Triton had a 1-0 lead.

Kenyon-Wanamingo answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.

Leadoff batter Jake Whipple walked on four pitches to start the game, stole second base and went to third on a error. Luke Rechtzigel had a RBI single.

The inning ended on what I thought at the time was a suicide squeeze. Androli was at third and came flying down from third base. Blake Jacobson was at the plate and bunted the ball and was thrown out.

After the game, Hockinson said Jacobson was given the take sign so Androli could steal home. He's done it before for the Knights.

The game stayed 1-1 until the sixth inning when Kenyon-Wanamingo scored three runs to put the competitive contest away.

Androli opened the inning with a single and Dylan Craig was hit by a pitch. Carter Leninger laid down a perfect bunt for a hit and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Jacobson had a sacrifice fly to score Androli. Matt Houglum singled to load the bases again and Ethan Benda walked for a RBI. Jake Whipple ended the scoring with a sacrifice fly.

Our Sviggum Insurance Agency of Wanamingo Knights of the game were Roosen, Craig and Leninger.

Craig was on base all three times he came to the plate and scored a run. Leninger had that nice bunt and was on base two of the three times he came up, and Roosen threw the three-hitter.

Kenyon-Wanamingo finished the regular season 18-2 and 15-1 in the Hiawatha Valley League.

The Gold Division champs play Blue Division champions Cannon Falls for the overall HVL title Monday at 5PM in Wanamingo.

The game will be on Power 96 Radio, with coverage starting at 4:45PM.

Cannon Falls has an identical 15-1 conference mark. The Bombers' only conference blemish was a loss at Kenyon-Wanamingo.

Cannon Falls hosts state-ranked Minnehaha Academy on Friday at 7PM and Randolph on Saturday night to close their regular season.

The Randolph game will be on KDHL Radio 920AM, with coverage beginning at 6:45PM.

In other high school baseball games Thursday:

• Bethlehem Academy 10, Blooming Prairie 6
• Cannon Falls 3, Kasson-Mantorville 2 (WP-Tanner Carlson. Bombers scored two runs in bottom of seventh to win in walk-off fashion. Jake Christensen had two hits and eight Cannon Falls batters collected hits.)
• Hayfield 3, Goodhue 2
• Stewartville 10, Byron 0 (5 iinnings)
• Rochester Lourdes 12, Lake City 8
• Pine Island 5, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 3 (Head coach Craig Anderson makes it official, announcing he is stepping down after this season.)
• Medford 3, Maple River 1
• Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 3, Randolph 1
• Red Wing 5, Mankato West 0
• Rochester Century 8, Mankato East 4
• Albert Lea 6, Rochester Mayo 5 (9 innings)
• Northfield 3, Austin 2
• Northfield 6, Austin 4
• Lakeville North 4, Eagan 0
• Prior Lake 10, Farmington 0
• Eastview 4, Shakopee 3
• Cleveland 10, Alden-Conger 5
• Belle Plaine 12, Le Sueur-Henderson 5
• Belle Plaine 13, Le Sueur-Henderson 1 (5 innings)
• Sibley East 18, Lake Crystal-Welcome-Memorial 8 (5 innings)
• Jordan 2, Tri-City United 0
• Tri-City United 3, Jordan 2
• United South Central 9, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 7 (Loss means a makeup game Monday between BA and WEM determines Gopher Conference title. If Bucs win they are champs, if Cardinals win they tie and United South Central is in the mix.)

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In high school softball Thursday night the Faribault Falcons finished their season with a 8-5 win over the Rochester John Marshall Rockets in Rochester.

Sophomore pitcher Claire Drentlaw showed more of her impeccable control while scattering eight hits and striking out seven; she had no walks. Just two of the runs allowed were earned.

The Falcons had 10 hits and scored three runs in the fourth, three runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth inning to close their season 9-11 and 5-6 in the Big Nine.

The Rockets finish with an identical record.

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The Faribault Bethlehem Academy Cardinal softball team got back on the winning track with a 14-0 six inning win over Medford.

Tess Glenzinski threw a one-hitter and the Cardinals had a monster night at the plate from Breanna Degrood with three hits and three RBI. One of her hits was a triple.

Beatrice Smith added two hits and two RBI. Grace Viland added three hits, including an RBI double as the Cardinals clubbed 15 hits.

Meagan Donahue had three hits and three RBI, and Kylie Hanson collected two hits and a RBI.

Other area softball:

• St. Clair 17, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 11
• New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva 7, Maple River 4
• Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 7, Blooming Prairie 3
• Nicollet 12, United South Central 2
• Kasson-Mantorville 6, Rochester Lourdes 3
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa 10, Kenyon-Wanamingo 0
• Byron 4, Stewartville 1
• Lake City 9, Triton 8
• Pine Island 6, Cannon Falls 0
• Hayfield 10, Goodhue 2 (Grace Mindrup hits homer for Hayfield.)
• Northfield 7, Austin 0
• Rochester Mayo 5, Albert Lea 2
• Rochester Century 4, Austin 0
• Mankato West 10, Red Wing 0 (5 innings) West pitcher Lexi Schoper throws no-hitter
• Mankato East 16, Red Wing 0 (5 innings)
• Winona 11, Owatonna 1
• Lyle/Pacelli 24, GHEC/Martin Luther 13 (5 innings)
• Lakeville South 2, Shakopee 0
• New Prague 3, Waconia 0
• Randolph 23, Glenville-Emmons 1
• Norwood-Young America 18, Tri-City United 2
• Le Sueur-Henderson 3, Eden Prairie 0