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12U Maroon Team Battles but Comes Up Short

By Kevin Pearson, 07/13/19, 11:00AM CDT

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The Fergus Falls 12U Maroon Team played four games this week. Unfortunately they weren’t able to pull out any victories, but three of the games were decided by one or two runs. The Otters traveled to Evansville on Wednesday and lost both games of the doubleheader by two runs to the PRBA Cyclones. They lost the first game 5-3 and lost the second game 7-5. They hosted a talented Moorhead team on Friday. They lost game one 5-4 and game two 10-1.

In game one on Wednesday, the Otters wasted no time getting on the board as they plated two runs in the first inning. Aikhem Bethel led off with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Carston Fronning, Brock Scheuerman smoked a line drive off the pitcher’s leg to score Bethel and advance Fronning to third. Parker Thielke drove in the other run when he grounded out to the shortstop.  The Otters threatened to score more, but they left the bases loaded. PRBA answered with one run in the first and two more in the second to take a 3-2 lead. The Otters tied it up in the fourth. With one out, Scheuerman was hit by a pitch. Jack Ratz followed with a single advancing Scheuerman to third. Thielke drove in his second run of the game when he laced a single to left field. The Cyclones finished the scoring with two more runs in the bottom of the inning. Bethel, Scheuerman, Ratz, Thielke, and Jaden Miller had one hit each. Thielke pitched the first two innings. He gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, walked 4 and struck out 2. Jacob Fronning pitched the last two innings. He gave up 2 runs on 1 hit, struck out 2 and walked 4.

The Otters scored first in game two as well. Miller drew a lead-off walk. Carson Grenier singled to right advancing Miller to third. Aiden Schake was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After Miller was retired trying to score on a wild pitch, Bethel singled to load the bases again. Carston Fronning drew a walk to plate the first run. Scheuerman grounded out to score the second run of the inning. The Cyclones answered with 3 runs of their own in their turn at bat. The Otters scratched out a run in the second on an error and two walks. PRBA put up a crooked number as they scored 3 runs to take a 6-3 lead after two innings. The host team increased their lead to four with a run in the fourth. The Otters tried to mount a rally, but came up two runs short. Jacob Fronning hit a one out single. Luke Pearson followed with a walk. Preston Berge came up huge with a double to center to score two runs. Berge was stranded at second as the last two Otter hitters were retired.   Berge led the Otters at the plate with two hits while Grenier, Bethel, and J. Fronning each had one.  Both Preston and Sean Berge pitched an inning.  They each gave up 3 runs. Scheuerman pitched two strong innings only giving up one run on 3 hits.

The visitors from Moorhead took advantage of some Otter wildness as they scored 4 runs in the top of the first inning. The Otters came right back with 3 runs of their own. Bethel singled to left. Thielke drew a walk. Scheuerman drove in both of them with a double down the right field line. Carston Fronning singled to put runners on the corners. Scheuerman scored when Ratz grounded out to the second baseman.  The Spuds made it 5-3 with a run in the fourth. The final run of the game came in the home half of the fourth when Bethel singled, stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball. Bethel had two hits while Scheuerman, Carston Fronning, and Miller had one. Bethel pitched five innings for the Otters. After he struggled with his control in the first, he settled down and pitched four tremendous innings. He only gave up 2 hits, walked 6, and struck out 5. Cam Wiederich worked around two walks to pitch a scoreless 6th inning.

Game two was close until the Spuds scored seven runs in their last two at bats. The score was tied at one after three innings. Moorhead plated two runs in the fourth, and then scored four in the 5th and three more in the 6th. The Otters lone run came in the first inning. Schake drew a lead-off walk and advance to second on Bethel, sacrifice bunt. Schake advance to third on a ground out by Thielke and scored on Scheuerman’s single. The Otters could only muster four hits. Scheuerman continued his hot streak with two more hits. Bethel and Miller also had a hit for the home team. Carston Fronning pitched 4 innings. He gave up 3 runs, 6 hits, walked 4 and struck out 3. Jacob Fronning gave up 4 runs, 3 hits, walked 2 and struck out 2 in his one inning of work.  Thielke pitched the last inning.  He allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and walked two batters.

The 12U Maroon team is now 7-15 on the season.