Hauger knocks in 4 in 8-5 weekend win over Dragons
The Panther baseball team rallied from a 6-0 deficit after two innings to notch an 8-6 win over Lac qui Parle Valley in Madison on Tuesday.
TMB (3-3, 2-0 Camden) scored four in the third inning, one in the six and won the game with a three-run seventh. All of the Panthers’ runs came with two outs.
“(Jackson) Kruse came up with two outs and Connor (Lanoue) and Griffin (Zick) on base and hit a long double to the left field fence after getting into a two-strike count,” TMB coach James Fultz said. “Dave (Schuh) got another hit in the seventh and got us a two-run cushion. The atbats were great all day, the guys kept grinding them out and putting pressure on LQPV and it worked in our favor.”
Schuh had two hits and two RBI, Kruse had the one hit and drove in two, and Trevor Smith, Noah Knakmuhs and Zick each had one hit, with Knakmuhs scoring twice.
Lanoue started and gave up five earned runs four innings. Schuh earned the win with 2-1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, and Zick tossed two innings to earn the save.
“Dave came in to relieve Connor and was great, pounded the zone and forced LQPV into a ton of weak contact,” said Fultz. “This game had a ton of impact from everyone on the team. We carried our momentum from Saturday against Adrian and got a big conference win.”
TMB 004 001 3 — 8 6 2 LQPV 240 000 0 — 6 6 2
Lanoue, Schuh (5, W), Zick (7, S) and Squires. 2B:
Kruse. HBP: Knakmuhs.
APRIL 12: TMB 8, A-E 5
Playing their third game in as many days and fourth in five days, it would’ve come as no surprise if the Panthers struggled Saturday against Adrian-Ellsworth. However, the bats came alive and TMB was able to rebound from an ugly 13-2 loss to Murray County Central a day earlier with an 8-5 victory over Adrian-Ellsworth.
“It was good to see,” TMB manager James Fultz. “I think the kids were a little bit embarrassed by (Friday’s game). They showed up ready to roll.”
While TMB starter Trevor Smith roared through the first three innings with five strikeouts, the Panther offense was doing its part with a pair of runs in the second inning. Noah Knakmuhs and Griffin Zick both singled to lead off the inning and both came around to score on a two-run single by Saturday’s offensive hero Brody Hauger.
The Dragons rallied with three runs in their half of the fourth, but TMB did the same in the bottom of the inning. Zick reached on an infield single to open the inning, and with one out, David Schuh snuck a grounder between first and second base. They both would later score on Hauger double just inside the third base line to tie things at 5. Hauger scored the go-ahead run when Taylor Squires reached on an error.
“He hasn’t seen a ton of varsity pitching, and things are starting to click for him,” Fultz said. “He had great at-bats today. We’re going to have a lot more success than when it’s just one or two guys hitting well.”
A-E scored a single run in the fifth to knot the game at 5-5 and came close to regaining the lead if not for TMB catcher Taylor Squires throwing out a runner at home after a wild pitch.
And once again, TMB’s offense responded. Trevor Smith started things off with a double and advanced to third on a perfect sacrifice bunt by Noah Knakmuhs. Zick then singled to plate Smith for a 6-5 lead and went to second on a groundball out off the bat of Jackson Kruse. Zick scored on a two-out base hit by Schuh, who later crossed the plate when Aiden Sanow doubled on the first pitch he saw to put TMB up 8-5.
TMB reliever Alex Munson worked around an error in the top of the sixth to keep the score at 8-5, and set the Dragons down in order in the seventh to cap off the victory. Munson relieved a tired Smith in the fifth.
“You could tell Trev was getting tired in the fourth inning when he started missing,” Fultz said. “He even admitted his legs were a little shaky. He was maybe going to throw (Friday), but that score made the decision for us to save him for today. It’s still early, and we’re trying not to overthrow him, hovering around that 80 (pitch) mark.
Smith finished with two hits, as did Zick, Schuh and Hauger, who also walked and drove in four runs. Zick scored three times and Schuh twice.
A-E 000 410 0 — 5 8 2 TMB 020 330 x — 8 11 4 Smith, Munson (W, 5) and Squires. 2B: Hauger, Smith, Sanow. SAC: Knakmuhs.
APRIL 10: TMB 9, LAKEVIEW 5
The Panthers scored nearly as many runs in the first inning of Thursday’s game against Lakeview as they did their first two games combined and went on to claim their first win of the season, 9-5 over the Lakers, in their Camden Conference opener.
It didn’t take long for TMB’s offense to wake up, as the Panthers scored five runs in the first on five hits, including a Jackson Kruse triple to right. Taylor Squires, Noah Knakmuhs, Connor Lanoue, Kruse and Brody Hauger all had hits in the first. TMB added to its lead with a four-run third. Aiden Sanow, Squires and Kruse all had singles in the inning, as the Panthers went up 9-1.
Kruse scored three runs, and Squires two.
The Lakers put up four runs in the fifth, but TMB responded with two more runs on three straight walks and Squires’ third base hit.
Connor Lanoue struck out five in five innings and gave up five runs (three unearned). David Schuh went the final two innings.
TMB’s home game today was moved to 2 p.m.
Lakeview 001 040 1 — 6 6 4 TMB 504 002 x — 11 9 3 Connor Lanoue (W), Schuh (6) and Squires. 3B: Kruse.
