Chargers top Thunderbirds 10-0 with four hits

By BENJAMIN TOMCZAK

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Minnesota Valley Lutheran only had four hits Tuesday against Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop. The Chargers won 10-0.

What!?

Before you call to see if the Journal made some sort of error, let's add a couple of other details: GFW pitchers issued 11 walks, threw three wild pitches that brought in three runs and the GFW defense committed four errors accounting for two more unearned runs that helped the game end after five innings due to the 10-run rule.

It wasn't extremely pretty at all times, but neither would one call it ugly. MVL's coach, Jim Buboltz said, "a win's a win. We took advantage of some mistakes and some young players that gave us some extra bases. You've got to take advantage of those times."

The Chargers (5-3, 4-3 Tomahawk) took advantage of the Thunderbirds (1-9, 1-7) early, chasing their starter, Ashley Dording, after just two-thirds of an inning. Dording walked three and gave up one hit that resulted in four runs, only one of them earned.

Even Dording's only positive for the short stint, a strike out, went to MVL's advantage. Becca Kramer struck out swinging, and when the catcher dropped the ball, headed to first. On the throw, Melissa Meyer scampered home to score. It was the third unearned run of the inning.

Dording was relieved by Ashley Vorweck, who walked two and gave up a double to Kelsey Black, but got the third out with the bases loaded to stop the bleeding. In the second she was relieved by Ashley Dey, who went the rest of the way and gave up the rest of the runs (six, but only two earned) and walked six more. It was Dey who was victimized in the fifth for three more unearned runs that ended the contest.

MVL's Allie Krenz opened the bottom of the fifth inning with a walk, her second, and stole second. Danielle Geistfeld walked and the two advanced on a one-out infield fly from Janelle Fischer. Meyer then hit a shot to third that was mishandled (GFW's fourth error) allowing Krenz to score, making it 8-0. Two consecutive wild pitches from Dey scored Geistfeld and Meyer to end the game.

It was a frustrating end to a frustrating day for Thunderbird coach Wade Werner. "We've got a couple or errors here, a couple of errors there -- if we could eliminate those errors, we'd be able to go seven innings and the games would be a little closer.

"It is a little disappointing, a little frustrating, but we're counting some of the successes and some of the victories in other ways."

Between the two innings of chaos, the Chargers put three runs across the plate in rather mundane ways. Danielle Hammerschmidt reached on a bunt single in the second, moved to third on steals and scored on a fielder's choice by Fischer. In the third Black walked, advanced on a Emily Halvorson single, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a fielder's choice by Geistfeld. Halvorson scored when Paige Schuette dropped a fly ball at second.

But MVL wasn't just making its mark in the bottom half of the innings. In the field, the Chargers made sure that the Thunderbirds weren't going to make a game of it.

It started at the mound. Alissa Michels earned her first varsity win, pitching a complete game one-hitter and striking out six.

"She kept good control and I thought she kept the ball around the plate real well," Buboltz said. "She came with some velocity at times."

Behind her was a defense that made just one error (which was meaningless) and helped keep GFW from getting any runners past second base.

"I was definitely impressed with our fielding. I thought we made a couple of real nice plays out in the field here and that's got to continue."

Buboltz was also impressed with another first -- Black's first varsity start. The sophomore went 1-for-1 with a double, walked twice and scored. She also made a nice grab on GFW's only solid hit to the outfield, a fly ball by Beth Werner in the fifth inning.

"It was good for her first start. She got her first varsity hit. She looks good out there, swings an aggressive bat. We're really going to need her as the season goes down. We're looking forward to getting some innings from her."

MVL faces McLeod West in a doubleheader Thursday at MVL. GFW hosts Wabasso in a doubleheader, also Thursday.