Essig, Mertz master Fairfax

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

SLEEPY EYE -- For Essig's Jacob Mertz, who struck out 11 batters in the Bluejays' 4-1 win over Fairfax in Region 2C amateur baseball Thursday, the night was pretty routine. Even slightly off.

"I hit my spots tonight -- I didn't have the velocity that I've had, because of the shorter rest," Jacob Mertz said. "During the playoffs, you don't get as much rest, but you've gotta do what your team asks you to do."

In his nine innings of work, Mertz walked one, gave up three hits and one unearned run.

"I just think Mertzie pitched a [heck] of a game," Kyle Helget said. "The other guy wasn't bad; Mertzie was just better."

Ryan Blumhoefer took the loss for Fairfax, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out two in 5 2/3 innings. Draftee Brian Dolan from Milroy finished, going 2 1/3 innings, giving up one run on two hits.

The Bluejays, who are 26-7 overall, finish the round-robin tournament 3-2. Fairfax (0-4) hosts Lamberton (3-1) today at 8 p.m.

On the other end of the bat, Fairfax continued its struggles with hitting. The second half of the year did not go as well as the first.

"Bottom line is, we're not hitting the ball. We haven't been for weeks," first baseman Brian Jacobson said. He went 2-for-3 in the game. "Usually, we go to the Green Isle Tournament and kick 'er down after that. This year, we never got that spark we were looking for."

Jacobson scored Essig's only run in the third inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Adam Bemmels and Ryan Blumhoefer reached on back-to-back Essig throwing errors, and Jacobson singled Bemmels home.

But after that, they couldn't generate anything.

"We just didn't have any fire tonight," Jacobson said. "In this round-robin [tournament] when you're down three games, it makes it tough for us to get into the game."

The Bluejays surpassed Fairfax in the bottom of the third as Kyle Helget cranked out a single to right center that scored Travis Walden and Jeff Juni, who had singled.

In both the fourth and fifth innings, Fairfax turned 6-4-3 double plays to end the innings quickly.

Essig turned a double play of its own in the fifth, catching a pop-up at home and throwing out the runner at first.

"We kept 'em off balance for the most part," Mertz said. "And our defense made some great plays."

Kyle Helget launched the sixth inning with a double that skipped over third base and into the left field corner. He scored on designated hitter Doug Radloff's single, and Mitch Stueber scored Radloff.

"We just needed to get those hits in," Helget said.

"That's huge -- when we start hitting the ball, everyone starts ripping it," Mertz said. "It makes it easier for me."

In the eighth, Dusty Fleck hit a leadoff double and was sacrificed home by Radloff and a squeeze bunt by Terry Helget.

"They played well," Johnson said. "They executed a nice squeeze play at the end of the game."

Kyle helget went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a double, and scored once. Fleck was 2-for-4 with a double. Junni went 2-for-3.

Jen Seavey can be contacted at jseavey@nujournal.com.