Minnesota Valley Lutheran scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to make Martin County West righty Zach Anderson and the Mavericks sweat after breaking up his no-hitter in the sixth.
Anderson and the Mavericks won an 8-5 nonconference baseball game at Mueller Park thanks to early offense.
Anderson struck out two and allowed six hits and a walk for two earned runs in the complete-game win.
Lucas Larson and Cody Potts led MCW at the plate.
MVL left-hander Zach Riederer lost in five innings, allowing five unearned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four.
Kyan Kube led the Chargers with 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Anderson and Riederer battled for four innings, with Riederer allowing only two hits. Anderson forced six popouts in his first nine batters and saw his left fielder Riley Kascht make a diving grab in left-center in the fourth to rob Riederer of a single.
“I was just mixing it up between my fastball and curveball and just trying to keep them off-balance and getting those popups,” Anderson said.
After his infield started the fifth with three mistakes, Riederer struggled. The Mavericks punished the Chargers with one run on an error and four on two-run singles by Wyatt Williamson and Larson.
“I think it was 0-0 through the first four innings and then we had that bad fifth inning,” MVL head coach Nick Doetkott said. No way. We must reduce physical mistakes. We also made mental mistakes. We can’t have it. We can do better. I take responsibility for it, but we can do better. Zach Riederer pitched well, but we didn’t support him.”
Bradyn Kube relieved Riederer in the last two innings, giving three unearned runs on three hits and a walk. One strikeout.
Potts swiped third and scored as the catcher’s throw missed the third baseman in the sixth for MCW. Larson and Omvig RBI singles added two more in the sixth for MCW.
After Kyan Kube singled to left in the sixth, Anderson walked before getting a popout to finish the inning.
Anderson struggled after Bradyn Kube’s leadoff single to left in the seventh. Anderson induced another popout, but Jensen Gerdts’ bloop single and throwing error scored Bradyn Kube from third and enabled Seth Schmidt to reach first.
MVL survived with RBI singles from Drew Witte and Kyan Kube before Cole Thompson singled home a run up the middle. Riederer’s groundout scored another run before Anderson’s groundout ended the game.
Anderson stated he stopped mixing pitches in the seventh as MVL rallied.
Anderson felt he wasn’t mixing up his pitches enough. “I became predictable. I need to mix up the pitches better than I did at the end.”
Doetkott was proud with his team’s comeback from an 8-0 deficit.
He stated they fought. “Also at the bottom. We got hits and played a game. We created a game out of it, so I have to give my players credit for that.”
MCW faces Fairmont in Welcome on Monday, as MVL awaits section playoffs.