Randolph Baseball Defeats Hayfield

In a re-match of last year's Class A State Championship baseball game, the Randolph Rockets traveled to Hayfield today for a Gopher Conference showdown.

The Rockets won 5-2 thanks in part to a great pitching performance by Tayven Geiger, junior, right-hander who struck out 7 and walked one batter.

The Vikings countered with Jack Thoe, lefty, junior, who fanned 2 and walked 5 batters.

Geiger threw 94 pitches, 67 strikes while allowing 6 hits.

Thoe ended the game with 105 total pitches thrown, 54 strikes while allowing 8 hits.

There were no hits for either team until the 4th inning when Randolph #3 hitter Evan Bennerotte, senior, led off with a one hop over the fence ground rule double to open the inning.   Ruben Kriesel, senior, following with a four-pitch walk.

Noah Girgen, freshman, clubbed a RBI single by jumping on the first pitch.  Tristen Zingler, freshman, also attacked the first pitch for a 2 RBI triple.  Zingler would score on a sacrifice fly by #9 batter Kale Staub, junior.

Nine batters were at the plate for Randolph in the top of the 4th inning as they jumped to a 4-0 lead,

Hayfield answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning.  Aiden Nelson. junior, opened with a first pitch single.   Following a strikeout Isaac Nelson. junior, smacked a single to place runners at the corner bases.

Following a ground out, Cole Selk, senior, hit a two RBI single.  Hunter Simonson executed a perfect bunt for a single.  Randolph's lead was trimmed to 4-2 through four innings.

In the top of the sixth inning Richard Olson, junior, walked to start the inning.  His courtesy runner, Jaxson Leifeld, sophomore, advanced to second on a 1-4-3 out at first base.  Leifeld tagged up on a fly to center field and advanced to third base.

Brayden Olsen, sophomore, hit a 1-0 count single to left field scoring Leifeld.  Geiger got a single to right field before a fly out ended the Rockets at bat.

Hayfield did get a hit from pinch hitter Kale Steele to start the bottom of the 7th.  Following back-to-back fly outs, Aidan Nelson hit a ball resulting in an error meaning the go-ahead run was coming to the plate with two outs.

Geiger delivered a fast ball that Zander Jacobson gave a ride to right field, but the baseball was caught by Jack Beck to end the game.

Our Cash Wise Foods and Pharmacy of Owatonna Delivery of the Game for Hayfield was Aidan Nelson and Isaac Nelson.  They scored the two runs for the Vikings and both reached base twice in the game.

The Delivery of the Game for Randolph was Geiger and senior Evan Bennerotte with two hits including a double and a couple of fine catches in center field.

Randolph is 8-1 and goes to Goodhue Monday.  Hayfield now 7-4 travels to Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Tuesday.

In other area baseball Thursday:

• Kenyon-Wanamingo   13      Medford       3
• NRHEG   9    J-W-P    6
• Blooming Prairie    10    Triton     8
• Maple River   10   Waterville-Elysian-Morristown   0
• Lyle-Pacelli   9    Southland    2
• Fillmore Central/Lanesboro    14    Leiston-Altura    4
• Lewiston-Altura    13    Fillmore Central/Lanesboro   3
• Winona Cotter    4    Houston    2
• Dover-Eyota    11   St. Charles    0
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa   8   P-E-M     3
• Stewartville     7     Cannon Falls    4
• Tri-City United   11   Waseca    7
• Farmington    16   Burnsville    1
• Eastview    7    Eagan    2
• Rosemount   12   Lakeville South    6
• Lakeville   North   3    Shakopee    2
• LaCrescent    7    Caledonia   0
• Chaska   12    New Prague   5
• Dover-Eyota   11    St. Charles    0
• Rochester John Marshall   7   Austin    3
• Albert Lea   7   Rochester Mayo   2
• Owatonna   10    Mankato East   9
• Rochester Lourdes   10   Goodhue     0
• LCWM    15    Cleveland    6
• Norwood-Young America   6    Belle Plaine   2
• Lester Prairie    3    LeSueur-Henderson     2
• Northfield    9     Winona     2
• Apple Valley    7    Prior Lake    4
• Jordan     4    Southwest Christian    3

Here are scores from Fastpitch Softball on Thursday"

• Winona    2     Northfield    1
• LeSueur-Henderson   16   Lester Prairie     0
• L-H    15    Lester Prairie    0
• Byron    11   Rochester Lourdes    1
• Tri-City United   19   Sibley East    1
• T-C-U    12    Sibley East   2
• P-E-M    15   Wabasha-Kellogg   8
• LaCrescent   2   Caledonia    1
• St. Charles   4     Dover-Eyota    2
• Bethlehem Academy   8    United South Central   2
• Randolph   8    Hayfield    0
• Waterville-Elysian-Morristown   6   Maple River   2
• NRHEG   14   J-W-P   4
• Medford    8    Kenyon-Wanamingo    2
• Pine Island   14   Goodhue   1
• Bloomingh Prairie   11   Triton   6
• Southland   13   Lyle/Pacelli   0
• LCWM    15   Martin Luther/GHEC/Truman   0
• Rochester Mayo   6    Albert Lea     2
• Mankato East    4   Owatonna    3
• Rochester Century    6    Faribault   2
• Zumbrota-Mazeppa   7    Cannon Falls    6
• New Ulm   10   Waseca   0
• Mankato   West   7    Red Wing    3
• New Prague   15   Benilde-St. Margaret's   5
•  Rosemount   17   Shakopee   1