There was a little bit of everything for the hearty fans to enjoy in Monday's amateur baseball game between the Austin Blue Sox and Stewartville/Racine Sharks at Seltz Field.
The Blue Sox spotted the visiting Sharks an early five-run lead and then battled back the rest of the game. The Blue Sox eventually caught the Sharks with a ninth inning rally to tie the game, but the extra inning didn't go very well and the result was a 15-10 loss.
Numerous walks and batters hit by pitches helped to extend the length of the game. Defense allowed them to stay in the game with a pair of Sharks thrown out at the plate, but crucial errors in the 10th inning kept the Blue Sox winless on the season.
"We found some things we do well and also saw some parts of our game that need work," Blue Sox player/manager Josh Kunze said. "We got off to a rough start, but showed a lot of heart and had a nice rally in the ninth inning, so that's something to build on."
Preston Higbe was the starting pitcher for the Blue Sox and went into the fourth inning. The home team would use a total of four pitchers on the night. Adams McMasters threw two-plus innings, Cody Meyer pitched three innings in relief, and Chris May took the loss in the 10th inning.
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Facing a 6-1 deficit in the bottom of the second, the Blue Sox rallied for a couple of runs. Brady Klingfus, who reached base five times in the game, led off with a single. Mike Tindal followed with a double to put runners at second and third with nobody out.
A fly ball followed but it wasn't deep enough for Klingfus to tag and he waited to score on a subsequent groundout from Quinn Yocom. A single from Brandon Rector then plated Tindal to make it a 6-3 deficit.
This continued to be a back-and-forth affair with two runs from the Blue Sox in the third, two from the Sharks in the top of the fourth, and another back for the Blue Sox in the bottom of the fourth. The home team just couldn't seem to catch up with the pesky visitors on the scoreboard.
Meyer put on a pitching display in the later innings as he struck out the side in the top of the eighth. Rector scored his third run of the night in the bottom of that frame and the Blue Sox crept closer to the Sharks. Meyer worked out of a jam in the top of the ninth and this set the stage for a big rally.
Pinch-hitter Taylor Bordelon started the late rally for the Blue Sox with a leadoff single. Klingfus was then hit by a pitch for the third time. A couple of outs followed, but a walk by Quinn Yocom loaded the bases.
An infield single from Rector allowed Bordelon to score for a 10-8 deficit. Chris May next hit a two-run single to tie the game, but Rector was caught in a rundown between third and home which meant an extra inning.
Three walks and a pair of hit batters, coupled with two errors led to the demise of the Blue Sox in the 10th inning. The Sharks (8-4) scored five runs and put the game away.
"It was a non-league game and we got a lot of guys on the field," Kunze said. "We're growing with some experience and we'll add a few more players next week. The guys hit the ball well and kept battling back the whole game."
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Austin Blue Sox (0-6) go on the road Wednesday night for a game against the Rochester Roadrunners at Hudson Field.
STEWARTVILLE/RACINE 15, BLUE SOX 10
Stewartville .......#420#201#100#5#—#15#16#1
Blue Sox.....#122#100#013#0#—#10#14#4
Stewartville/Racine Sharks:Josh Benson 1-for-5, BB, 3 R, RBI; Scott Boettcher 3-for-6, BB, 2 2B, 4 R; Donnie Beddow 2-for-4, 2 BB, HBP, 4 R, RBI; Matt Stubbs 2-for-5, BB, HBP, R, 2 RBI; Isaac Johnson 1-for-5, BB, R, RBI; Gary Rysavy 2-for-4, BB, 2 HBP, 2B, 2 RBI; Brian Parlin 1-for-5, HBP, R; Tyler Schmitz 2-for-6, BB. SP: Cody Digre 6 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 9 H, 3 BB, 3 HB, 3 K. WP:Josh Benson 4 IP, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 H, 4 BB, 2 HB, 6 K.
Austin Blue Sox:Quinn Yocom 0-for-5, BB, R, RBI; Brandon Rector 2-for-3, 3 BB, 2 SB, 3 R, RBI; Chris May 2-for-2, 3 BB, HBP, 2 RBI; Kyal Williams 2-for-6, RBI; Clay Eustice 1-for-6; Josh Kunze 2-for-4, BB, R; Taylor Bordelon 1-for-1, R; Brady Klingfus 2-for-3, 3 HBP, SB, 3 R; Mike Tindal 1-for-1, HBP, SB, 2B, R; Jamey Pratt 1-for-3, RBI. SP: Preston Higbe 3 1/3 IP, 8 R, 8 ER, 12 H, 1 BB, 1 HB, 0 K. RP: Adam McMasters 2 2/3 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 HB, 0 K; Cody Meyer 3 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 H, 4 BB, 1 HB, 6 K. LP:Chris May 1 IP, 5 R, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 2 HB, 0 K.
