Staff photo by Travis Rosenau Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Connor Board safely slides into third base during Tuesday’s nonconference baseball game against Maple River at Johnson Park in New Ulm.
NEW ULM — Maple River scored two unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday at Johnson Park, and Eagles right-hander Caleb Thompson held on to defeat the Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers. defeated 2-0.
The game was called in the top of the seventh inning due to heavy rain.
Thompson picked up the win for Maple River (5-3). He pitched six innings, allowing five hits and two strikeouts.
The Chargers fell to 5-6 with Zach Riederer taking the loss. He pitched five innings, allowing four hits and two runs (none earned) and striking out six.
Thompson had three hits for Maple River, and Braxton Simon and Jackson Fite had two RBIs.
For the Chargers, Seth Schmidt had two hits and Reeder added a double.
“I feel bad for Zack.” Chargers head coach Jim Bubolz said. “He pitched well enough to keep us in the game and we were in the game. But we just misplayed a fly ball and we were down from there.”
Both pitchers had goose eggs until the fourth inning, allowing just two hits.
But in the top of the fifth inning, the Eagles took advantage of the only MVL error of the game.
Garrett Bolman took the lead with a left fly, but it was a misplay and resulted in a two-base error.
He stole third base and scored on Simon’s single to left field.
After Reeder struck out the first two outs of the first inning, Veit hit an RBI homer to right for a 2-0 lead.
The Chargers had a chance to close the lead by two points.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jensen Goertz reached on an error and Schmidt hit a single.
Josh Karlovsky’s sacrifice bunt advanced runners to second and third base.
However, Thompson retired the next two batters, ending the threat.
MVL added more threat in the 6th inning.
Connor Board singled on Bradyn Cube’s one-out single and raced to third base.
However, Thompson again rose to the challenge by retiring the Chargers’ next two batters.
“We have to create that big hit.” Bubolz said. “We need to improve our approach to scoring goals. The players did everything they could to win the game.
“I knew it was going to rain if I could score two or three runs. But it ended up being one play and it didn’t go well.”
The Chargers have 24 hours to turn around and face New Um Cathedral at Muller Park on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
The game was moved to Wednesday because rain was forecast for Thursday.
Bubolz said the Chargers can’t afford to get hurt in the game.
“We have a winning formula and we can’t let it hurt us.” He said. “We have to help ourselves little by little.”
