MVL puts hold on Raiders

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Minnesota Valley Lutheran's Mark Rolloff had a simple plan going into Tuesday afternoon's game against Nicollet played in a steady rain at Mueller Park.

"I just wanted to throw strikes and get our defense off the field as fast as possible," Rolloff said. "With the rainy conditions, it is no fun being out in the field."

And the senior right-hander also made it no fun for the Nicollet hitters as he struck out a season-high 12 hitters as the Chargers blanked the Raiders 5-0 in non-conference baseball.

Rolloff allowed just four hits and allowed just one Nicollet base runner to reach third base.

Jeff Allerson was touched with the mound loss for Nicollet, striking out three and walking two, both of which scored.

Adam Hoscheit, Tyler Morgan, Mark Rolloff, David Sting and Phil Holz each had a hit, while Morgan, Holz and Jake Firle each had an RBI with two Charger runs coming courtesy of the only Raider error in the contest.

Tony Hulke collected two of the four hits for Nicollet, now 6-6.

"I thought that Mark Rolloff did a very good job considering the conditions," said MVL coach Jeff Schoenherr who saw his team improve to 7-5. "We just put the tarps back on the mound -- there is about an inch or two of clay out there. He did a real good job."

After a scoreless first two innings, the Chargers broke through on the right-handed Allerson for three big runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Firle led off with a free pass and stole second. Adam Hoscheit's one-out bloop single to left fell in, and Firle stayed at second. After Allerson struck out Sam Mielke for the second out, a passed ball moved both runners up a base. Morgan followed with a squibber in front of the plate that brought in Firle for a 1-0 lead, with Hoscheit taking third.

Rolloff then rapped a ground ball to shortstop. Allerson fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw sailed wide of first, allowing Hoscheit and pinch runner David Petersen to scamper home.

"We took advantage of a walk in that inning and came up with some timely hits," said Schoenherr. "We had lost to Nicollet last year and I think that the kids really came focused today."

That would be more than enough for Rolloff, who would allow just two singles after the third inning and would record eight of the final 12 outs of the game by strikeouts.

"My strikeout pitch today was my curveball," Rolloff said. "I was throwing more curves today than I usually do. The fastball worked but the curveball really seemed to do the job. The fastball set up my curve."

The Chargers tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth, with Rolloff helping his own cause. He led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Mark Thiesfeldt stole second. Jason Costello coaxed a one-out walk and Holz followed with an RBI single to center for a 4-0 lead.

Jake Firle's groundout scored the Chargers' fifth run of the game.

"We only had (two errors) in the game, and with the conditions that we played in, I was happy," commented Schoenherr.

NICOLLET 000-000-0--0 4 1

MVL 003-002-X--5 5 2

WP: Rolloff, LP: Allerson