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WCA Baseball Team Begins Season with 3 Wins in 4 Games

By Craig Olson, 04/24/21, 12:30PM CDT

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The West Central Area baseball team opened their season with a 4-1 win over Ottertail Central on Thursday, April 15, followed up with a double header sweep over Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on Thursday, April 22 and then suffered their first loss of the season on Friday, April 23 when they were shutout by Benson, 9-0.

“For our first game of the season I was happy with how the boys played,” commented WCA Head Coach Andrew Koloski. “Colton Lindquist (4IP, 1H, 3BB, 4K) and Cam Anderson (3IP, 2H, R, 0ER, BB, 4K) did a good job of throwing strikes and pitching ahead in the count. We came out and were aggressive hitting the ball and played a solid game defensively. It was fun to get back on the field. “

Hitting leaders were Reubens Swanson (2-4, R), Jordan Lohse (2-4, 2B, R), Ashton Danner (2-4, 2 RBI) and Cam Anderson (2-3, RBI).

In their 17-3 win over Hillcrest the Knights scored 7 first inning runs and added ten in the second. Cam Anderson (3IP, 3H, 3R, 1ER, 1BB, 3K) was the winning pitcher.  Swanson was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs batted in and two runs scored.  Isaac Kreft (2-2, 2B, 3R, RBI), Jordan Lohse (2-3, 2B, RBI), Anthony Sykora (1-3, 2B, RBI, R) and Lindquist (1-2, RBI, 3R) were the leaders at the plate.

The second game saw Ryder Staples (4IP, 0H, 0R, 6K) and Lohse (3IP, 1H, 1BB, 4K) combine on a shutout in an 8-0 win for the Knights.  Lindquist (1-3, 2 RBI, 2R), Lohse (1-3, 2B, RBI, R) and Swanson (2-3, RBI, 2R) paced the offensive attack.

“We played a young Hillcrest team,” noted Coach Koloski. “Our pitchers did a good job here pitching ahead in the count. Defensively we played well. Ryder Staples was very good in his first start throwing 4 innings of no hit baseball in the first game. Jordan Lohse pitched 3 very solid innings in relief in his first varsity pitching debut.”

Sam Grussing (6IP, 3H, 5K) held the Knights to just 3 hits as Benson posted their 9-0 shutout win on Friday.  Swanson, Sykora and Trent Koloski had the hits with Sykora delivering a double.  Benson was led at the plate by Patrick Minchow (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 3R), Sam Lenarz (2-3, RBI, R), Isaac Minchow (1-3, 2B, RBI, R) and Grussing (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R).

“The Benson game was a tough one,” added Koloski.  “Benson pitcher Grussing was tough on the mound. He did a good job changing speeds and keeping us off balance. We just never really got any momentum going in the game.”

West Central Area will play two games at Hancock on Tuesday and then go to Ortonville for a double header on Thursday.