NYM eyes fourth straight trip to state

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The New York Mills Eagles captured the sub section championship last week, and in the process, moved just two wins closer to a fourth straight trip to the state baseball tournament. 

After defeating Hillcrest by a score of 20-6 in the sub section opener on Tuesday night, the top seeded and top ranked Eagles defeated Brandon-Evansville 13-3 and Browerville 10-0 on Thursday night in Evansville. 

On Monday the Eagles were scheduled to play Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the championship round finals with the winner advancing to Tuesday’s Section 6A championship game. The Jaguars are the top seeded team in the south sub section and advanced to the finals by defeating second seeded Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg by a score of 6-5 on Thursday. 

The loser of the game will drop to the elimination bracket and will need to play at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday against either KMS, Parkers Prairie, Upsala/Swanville and Browerville. 

The Section 6A championship game is set for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Minnewaska Area High School. If the team coming out of the elimination bracket wins that game a winner-take-all game will be held. The date and time of that game has yet-to-be-determined. 

Results of the game on Monday were not available at the time of press. 

NY Mills is currently 19-4 overall and ranked first in both the QRF and state polls. 

Tuesday

Hillcrest Lutheran Academy jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on Tuesday night, and in the process, woke up a sleeping giant in the NY Mills Eagles. The Eagles overcame the early deficit, as well as a weather delay, to pump out 15 hits and 20 runs on their way to a 20-6 win over the Comets.

After the Comets struck first with 4 runs in the top of the first inning, including 3 runs and loading up the bases with no outs, NY Mills answered with 10 runs in the first inning, 7 runs in the third inning and 3 more runs in the third inning to come away with the lopsided win over the eighth seeded Comets. 

Most of the damage in the first inning came with two outs as 8 of NY Mills’ runs came after two outs were recorded. Among the highlights of the inning were 2-run doubles by Bode Roberts and Waylen Fudge and a 2-run home run by Jonah Ruther. 

In the second inning, Fudge hit an RBI single, Teegan Lausten hit an RBI single, Monte Briard connected with a 3-run home run, DaShaun Robinson hit an RBI single and Oakes connected with an RBI double. 

In the third inning Rowland Dykhoff hit an RBI double, Mason Unger hit an RBI single and Brayden Ehnert hit an RBI single to make the game 20-4. 

The Comets added a pair of runs in the fifth inning to cut the score to 20-6, but would get no closer. 

In all, 11 Eagles finished with a hit on Tuesday night with Monte Briard leading the way with 3 hits, 3 runs and 3 RBIs.  Oakes finished with a pair of hits and Fudge finished with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. 

Ehnert picked up the win on the mound as he pitched 2 innings in relief and struck out 2 hitters and walked 2 batters.

AB R H     BI

Jonah Ruther 2 2 1 2

Jon Rinerson 2 0 0 0

Monte Briard 3 3 3 3

Mason Unger 1 1 1 1

Brayden Ehnert 2 2 0 0

Bode Roberts 2 0 1 2

B Ehnert 1 0 1 1

Dashaun Robinson 2 2 1 1
Carter Hudalla 1 0 0 0

Will Oakes 3 1 2 1

B Unger 1 0 1 0

Waylen Fudge 2 1 2 3

Hunter Holtti 1 1 0 0

Braden Partlow 0 0 0 0

Sam Kopveiler 1 2 0 0

Isaac Page 1 1 1 0

Gravy Roberts 1 0 0 0

Teagan Lausten 2 1 0 0

Rowland Dykhoff 2 1 1 1

Finn Roder 0 2 0 0

HITTING- 2B- Rowland Dykhoff, Waylen Fudge, Will Oakes, Bode Roberts

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Will Oakes 0.0-3-4-4-2-0, Brayden Ehnert 2.0-0-0-0-2-2, Dashaun Robinson 1.0-0-0-0-0-3, Sam Kopveiler 1.0-0-0-0-0-1, Jon Rinerson 1.0-2-2-2-2-1