By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The New York Mills Eagles fell to 7-6 overall and 4-5 in the Park Region Conference with a pair of losses, as well as a big non-conference win against one of the top teams in Class A on Friday.

The Eagles opened the week with a tough 6-4 loss to Pillager at home, before making the long trek to Cherry to take on two of the top teams in the state in Cherry and South Ridge. After falling to Cherry by a score of 6-1 to open the day, the Eagles came away with a 3-2 win over South Ridge to close out the week on a high note.

This week the Eagles will hit the road as they travel to Sebeka on Tuesday night and Parkers Prairie on Friday. 

Tuesday

A Braxton Ehnert RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning tied Tuesday’s game against the Pillager Huskies up at 4-4, but unfortunately the Huskies scored a pair of runs on an RBI double in the top of the eighth inning to come away with a 6-4 win in Park Region Conference action.

After Pillager scored three runs in the top of the third inning, the Eagles fought back with one run in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an Ehnert fielder’s choice that brought Blake Unger across the plate. 

Pillager added another run in the third inning to take a 4-1 lead, before Blake Unger hit a two-run triple in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-3 in favor of the Huskies.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the fifth inning when Ehnert hit an RBI single to tie the game up at 4-4. 

Finn Roder and Unger led the way offensively with three hits apiece, including a double for both hitters and a triple by Unger. 

Isaac Kawlewski took the loss on the mound as he went seven innings and gave up 10 hits, five earned runs and struck out nine hitters. Kolston Lofgren pitched the final inning of action and gave up one earned run and a pair of hits. 

NYM vs. Pillager

AB R H     BI

Finn Roder 5 2 3 0

Blake Unger 4 2 3 2

Braxton Ehnert 4 0 1 2

Grady Roberts 2 0 1 0

Bergen Roder 0 0 0 0

Kolston Lofgren 3 0 1 0

Slade Doll 4 0 0 0

Evan Doll 4 0 0 0

Aiden Muscha 1 0 0 0

Eli Vaughan 1 0 0 0

Hunter Bosman 3 0 1 0

HITTING- 2B- Finn Roder, Blake Unger

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Isaac Kawlewski 7.0-10-5-5-1-9, Kolston Lofgren 1.0-2-1-1-0-1

Friday

NY Mills made the trek the Iron Range to take on the top ranked Cherry Tigers and eighth ranked South Ridge Panthers on Friday afternoon. 

In the opening game of the day, the Eagles fell to the Tigers by a score of 6-1. 

After Cherry scored on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the second inning, NY Mills tied the game up at 1-1 when Blake Unger hit a fielder’s choice that brought Evan Doll across the plate to score. Cherry would add single runs in the third and fourth inning, as well as three runs in the fifth to come away with the 6-1 win. 

Braxton Ehnert took the loss on the mound as he went six innings and gave up six hits, six runs of which two were earned and struck out one batter. 

In the second game of the day, NY Mills was trailing 2-0 and down to their final two outs before plating three runs in the top of the seventh inning to come away with a thrilling 3-2 win over eighth ranked South Ridge. 

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Hunter Bosman led off the inning with a walk. Following a strikeout, Blake Unger connected with a clutch RBI triple to put the Eagles on the scoreboard. Unger didn’t stay on third base for very long as Braxton Ehnert followed with an RBI single to tie the game up at 2-2. Following a Grady Roberts single that left runners on first and second base with one out, Kolston Lofgren came through with an RBI single to give the Eagles their first lead of the game by a score of 3-2. 

South Ridge was able to strike out the final two hitters of the inning to set up a big bottom of the seventh inning for both sides.

After Finn Roder forced a ground out to lead off the inning, South Ridge forced a walk and a single to leave runners on the corners with just one out. Fortunately for NY Mills, Blake Unger came in and forced a double play to strand the runners and give the Eagles a 3-2 win. 

Ehnert, Lofgren and Bosman led the way offensively for NY Mills with two hits apiece, while Roder picked up the win on the mound as he gave up nine hits and two earned runs, while striking out seven hitters over 6 1/3 innings. Unger picked up the save by forcing a game ending double play. 

NYM vs. Cherry

AB R H     BI

Finn Roder 3 0 1 0

Blake Unger 2 0 0 0

Braxton Ehnert 4 0 0 0

Grady Roberts 3 0 0 0

Kolston Lofgren 3 0 1 0

Isaac Kawlewski 2 0 0 0

Slade Doll 3 0 0 0

Evan Doll 3 1 1 0

Hunter Bosman 3 0 1 0

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Braxton Ehnert 6.0-6-6-2-1-1

NYM vs. South Ridge

AB R H     BI

Finn Roder 3 0 1 0

Blake Unger 4 1 1 0

Braxton Ehnert 4 1 2 1

Grady Roberts 3 0 1 0

Finn Wallgren 0 0 0 0

Kolston Lofgren 4 0 2 1

Everett Ruther 3 0 1 0

Isaac Kawlewski 1 0 0 0

Eli Vaughan 2 0 0 0

Aiden Muscha 3 0 1 0

Hunter Bosman 2 1 2 0

PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-k)- Finn Roder 6.1-9-2-2-4-7, Blake Unger 0.2-0-0-0-0-0