Mavericks ground Falcons
Charlie Sorrells - Sentinel Sports EditorArticle Photos
WELCOME - Cody Leiding can be described as a little bit superstitious when pertaining to the game of baseball.
"My wife told me that we would win today because she found my other lucky black sock," Martin County West's mentor said on the heels of the Mavericks' 3-2 comeback victory over the McLeod West Falcons during Thursday's Section 2A elimination playoff game in Welcome.
Martin County West (15-7) advances to face Sleepy Eye St. Mary's in another elimination game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial downed St. Mary's via a 6-4 decision to drop the Knights into the playback bracket.
Unfortunately for McLeod West, the loss not only eliminated the baseball team from the postseason, but it would be the final sports contest for a high school that closed its doors for good this spring.
While the Falcons somberly exited the Fox Lake Sports Complex, the Mavericks were elated after earning the right to hit the diamond at least one more time this season.
"Well, maybe it wasn't the socks," laughed Leiding, who wears the team's No. 13 jersey. "Really ... I was very proud of the way our guys hung in there and didn't quit when we fell behind in the fifth (inning).
"We finally got the bats going in the sixth, and Jon (Traetow) pitched a heckuva game today. He was hitting his spots today and when he does that, he's pretty tough to beat."
Indeed. With Traetow keeping the home team within striking distance by limiting the Falcons to only four hits on the game, the Mavericks finally erupted for half of their six hits during the bottom of the sixth to plate the tying and winning runs with one out.
Conner Grupe reached on a leadoff error - the last of three miscues for McLeod West on the game - before Brady Ziegler, Tim Sparks and Levi Ringnell delivered consecutive singles to chase Falcons' starting pitcher Spencer Glaeser from the mound and grab the lead for the first time.
Grupe, who had reached second base on Steven Zehms' groundout, circled the bases and stepped on the plate with the tying run when Ziegler lined an RBI single to center. Ziegler later advanced 90 feet on Sparks' hit to left and tallied the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run on Ringnell's RBI single to center.
The Falcons clawed out the first of their two unearned runs on the game during the top of the second to grab an early 1-0 edge.
Tyler Knick legged out a slow roller just past the mound for a leadoff infield hit before being replaced on base via Brennan Schuette's fielder's choice. Schuette then advanced to third on a Maverick throwing error - one of five miscues - before scoring on Brody Nelson's RBI single.
Martin County West matched that unearned run with one of its own during the bottom of the third. Traetow reached second on an error before courtesy runner Nich Dorschner scored on Grupe's RBI single back through the box.
McLeod West later took a 2-1 lead via back-to-back Martin County West miscues during the fifth frame.
Traetow recorded nine strikeouts, walked only two and gave up two unearned runs on four hits in seven frames to earn the complete-game victory.
Sparks collected two hits to top the Mavericks, while Nelson produced two hits for the Falcons.
McLeod 010 010 0 - 2 4 3
MCW 001 002 x - 3 6 5
Spencer Glaeser (LP), Dan Rosenau (6) and Zak Neubarth. Jon Traetow (WP) and Levi Ringnell.
LOB-Martin Co. West 6, McLeod West 7. SAC-Ringnell (MCW).
Iowa Baseball
North Sentral Kossuth 9, Garner-Hayfield 3 - Jake Larson batted 3-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the Eagles to a 9-3 nonconference win over the Cardinals on Wednesday in Bancroft.
Brock Beadle added a 2-for-2 game, including a double, with three runs scored and three RBIs for NSK.
Jordan Ricke picked up the win, allowing three runs - two earned - on three hits with seven strikeouts and eight walks in five innings for the Eagles.
G-H 012 000 0 - 3 4 3
NSK 300 024 x - 9 5 1
Estherville-Lincoln Central 14, North Sentral Kossuth 7 - The Midgets pocketed a 14-7 win over the Eagles in nonconference action Tuesday night in Estherville, Iowa.
Brock Beadle went 2-for-4 for NSK with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored, while teammate Chris Rock doubled, tripled and scored two runs.
Nick Larson was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, Jake Larson went 2-for-3, while Griffin Hatten drove in two runs for the Eagles.
Nick Larson was the losing pitcher, allowing seven runs - six earned - on six hits with two walks and one strikeout in two innings of work.
North Sentral Kossuth hosts West Fork at 5:30 p.m. tonight in Bancroft.
NSK 320 110 0 - 7 9 4
ELC 109 121 x - 14 15 4
