Faribault Baseball Loses in Rain Shortened Game
The umpires started the baseball game between Faribault and Rochester Century 15 minutes early in Rochester Friday hoping to get it in before rain.
The game ended one out short of five innings completed with the Panthers ahead 4-1 so it will be counted as a game on both schedules.
The first game played between conference opponents in the Big Nine is considered a conference game and the second contest does not count in the conference standings.
Ben Cuniff, right-hander, started for the Falcons and lefty Mike Rufff took the mound Rochester Century at Mayo Field in downtown Rochester.
The Panthers got on the scoreboard in the first inning. Ryan Ohm opened the inning with a walk. Owen Kelly jumped on the first pitch for a single.
Jerry Fletcher hit a towering fly ball in the infield that was not caught. The infield fly rule was called so he was out, and Ohm tried to advance to third on the play and was thrown out for the second out.
Harrison Esau attacked the first pitch for an RBI single followed by a sinking liner that Faribault left fielder Owen Amelkovich made a nice sliding catch on to end the inning.
Century added three more runs in the second inning when nine batters came to the plate against Cuniff.
A fly out started the inning followed by a walk to George Boyce. Then Cuniff got his first strikeout of the game bringing the #9 batter in the order up. Jack Eustice smacked a 2-2 fastball for a single.
Ohm was walked following a seven pitch at bat to load the bases. Kelly again jumped on the first pitch for a 2-RBI single. There was an error to load the bases again. Esau got his second RBI by walking with the bases loaded before a ground out ended the inningh.
Faribault scored in the top of the 4th inning. Ruff threw the first two innings allowing 2 hits, striking out 4 of 8 batters faced and hitting a batter.
Jake Scherf opened the second inning being hit by the first pitch and ended up at second base following a full count single by Ben Stoessel. Cunniff hit a fly ball to right center field that was caught,
It appeared Scherf tagged up at second and went to third base, but the Panthers appealed the play by throwing to second indicating they thought Scherf left too soon and won the appeal for the second out,
In the fourth, Hudson Dillon was walked by Fletcher following an 8-pitch battle. The next two Falcons were struck out. Stoessel hit a ground ball resulting in an error that Dillon scored on.
Fletcher got the win for Rochester Century with 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, allowing 1 hit while throwing 56 pitches, 30 strikes in his 3 innings of work.
Ruff went the first two innings with 4 strikeouts, no walks, 2 hits allowed while throwing 36 pitches, 22 strikes.
Cunniff finished the game with 73 pitches thrown, 58 strikes. He struck out 3 batters, walked 5 and gave up 5 hits.
Lightning flashed. The umpires ordered everyone to the dugouts and after about a 15-minute delay it was determined there was no way the game was going to be resumed so it was ruled an official game.
Faribault had 3 errors, Century 1 miscue.
The Falcons fell to 2-9, Panthers improved to 3-4.
Faribault has a home game with Northfield Monday at 5:00 p.m.
Rochester Century is scheduled to play at Apple Valley Saturday, May 6, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.
Here are other scores from Friday high school baseball games in the Faribault area:
- Dover-Eyota 9 Chatfield 7
- Winona Cotter 6 Rushford-Peterson 5 Second game Postponed
- P-E-M 12 Wabasha-Kellogg 4
- Red Wing 10 Albert Lea 2
- Owatonna 5 Miinneapolis Southwest 2 at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud
- Belle Plaine 9 Tri-City United 0
- Lyle/Pacelli 7 Spring Grove 0
- Triton at St. Clair Postponed
- Caledonia 5 LaCrescent 4
- Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 10 Goodhue 4
- Cannon Falls 3 St. Charles 1
- Mankato East 9 Mankato West 7
- Pine Island at NRHEG Cancelled
Fastpitch Softball scores from Friday:
- Faribault at Stewartville Rain Delayed
- Mankato East 5 Winona 4 Second game rain
- Austin 7 Rochester John Marshall 3
- Rochester John Marshall 5 Austin 2
- Chatfield 14 Dover-Eyota 0
- Chatfield 7 Dover-Eyota 0
- Winona Cotter 2 Rushford-Peterson 1
- LeSueur-Henderson 4 Belle Plaine 3
- Lakeville South 12 Apple Valley 2
- Lakeville North 16 Eastview 5
- Rosemount at Farmington Rain
- Southland 22 Mabel-Canton 3
- Northfield 4 New Prague 3
- St. Charles 7 Mounds Park Academy 0
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