CROOKSTON PIRATE BASEBALL PLAYING A PAIR OF SECTION GAMES AT ROSEAU

The Roseau Rams used a couple of big innings in each game to sweep the Crookston Pirates 7-3 and 11-2 in a pair of Section 8AA games in Roseau.

Game 1
The Roseau Rams Taylor Jacobson drilled a line shot three-run homer over the left field fence to give the Rams a 5-0 lead in the second inning and that would be all Danny Wensloff would need in the Rams  7-3 win over the visiting Crookston Pirates in the first game of a doubleheader at Gilbertson Field in Roseau.
Roseau struck for a run in the first inning after Oliver Lee led off with a single, went to second on a stolen base and came in to score on a Jordan Moser two-out single to make it 1-0 after an inning. The Rams would strike again in the second inning after Brock Byfuglien led off with a double, Jayden Warne followed with a walk and Lee’s single scored Byfuglien to make it 2-0. With two outs, Jacobson, who flew out to the base of the left field in the first inning, lasered a fastball over the left field fence that took about five seconds to get out and the three-run blast game Roseau a 5-0 lead after two innings.
Roseau score a couple more in the fourth inning when Lee and Wensloff singled to start things and both scored on a Moser single to make it 7-0 and the Pirates would take out starting pitcher Brady Butt and reliever Jacob Miller would get out of the inning keeping it at 7-0.
Crookston would strike in the sixth inning with three runs. With one out, Miller singled and then with two outs, Jade Selzler singled, pinch hitter Carter Bruggeman walked to load the bases. Brooks Butt would single in two runs, followed by a rbi single by pinch hitter Joseph Ramirez and Crookston closed the gap to a 7-3 game and runners on first and third. Roseau would bring in Byfuglien in relief and he got a big strikeout to end the inning and the Rams still led 7-3.  “It was nice to see Jacob get a hit and Joseph had a nice rbi down the line,” said Pirate Coach Mitch Bakken. “The guys kept playing hard and finished the game strong and didn’t give up, which was nice to see.”
That is the way the game would end as the relief pitching for both teams was outstanding. For the Pirates Miller came in and shut down the Rams the rest of the way giving up just one hit, striking out three. The Rams Byfuglien faced four batters getting four outs and one strikeout.
Roseau leadoff hitter, Lee was 4-4 in the game scoring three times and knocking in a run and Jacobson only had one it but it was the big fly breaking the game open. The Pirates were led at the plate by Brooks Butt and the one hit which plated two runs, Leyton Salentine had a double which was the Pirates only hit through five innings before they picked up four in their three-run sixth.
“I thought we did a lot of things well, but Roseau came out and hit the ball hard,” said Coach Mitch Bakken. “I was happy with our performance, but Roseau was playing in their eighth game and it showed with their offensive performance.”

For Crookston
Brooks Butt  1-3, 2 rbi
Leyton Salentine  1-3, double
Joseph Ramirez   1-1, rbi

For Roseau
Oliver Lee   4-4, 3 runs, rbi
Jordan Moser  2-4, 3 rbi
Brock Byfuglien 1-2,  double, run

Game 2
Roseau took advantage of some early wildness from Crookston’s starter in the second game, Jade Selzler, who had two hit batters and a walk in the first four batters. With bases loaded and one out, Selzler got a pop fly for the second out but the Rams Hunter Nelson blooped a single to left that drove in two runs to give Roseau a 2-0 lead after a half inning. Crookston came back in the second inning on some early wildness by the Rams starter when Selzler was plunked by a pitch to lead off the second inning and his courtesy runner Jacob Miller stole second and would score on a Brooks Butt single. After Cade Deleon walked to load the bases with two out, but Zach Janicke, the Roseau pitcher got a big strikeout to end the inning with Roseau still leading 2-1.
Roseau would break it open in the third inning sending 11 players to the plate and scoring seven times. Taylor Jacobson started it off with a hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. With one out, Brock Byfuglien doubled in Jacobson and then the Rams scored two more on wild pitches to make it 5-1. Janicke would help himself with a rbi single and leadoff hitter Oliver Lee got his fifth hit of the day with a single that brought in another run. After Lee went to second on a wild pitch, Danny Wensloff brought him in with a bad-hop single. Wensloff stole second and scored on a Jacobson double and Roseau took a 9-1 lead going into the fourth inning.  “We really didn’t pitch well in the second game,” said Coach Bakken. “I kept guys out a little longer than I normally would because we need to get some innings in and the guys need to find a way to fight through it.”
Crookston did counter with a run in the fourth after Brooks Butt was hit by a pitch (sixth player in the game to be hit by a pitch by both teams), went to second after a Gunnar Gunderson walk and scored on a Joey Doda single and Crookston trailed 9-2.
Roseau did pick up two more runs in the fifth inning taking advantage of a couple of walks and then a ground out scored one and an error plated the other to make it an 11-2 game. That would be all the Pirates could muster as they were shut down by a quality relief performance by Rams Isaac Wensloff who struck out eight of the 10 batters he faced, just a triple to Gavin Salem, but left him stranded with two strikeouts to preserve the 11-2 win for the sweep for the Rams.  “I was happy with how we played today.  We had some struggles in the second game, but Roseau is a solid team and they played great and had some nice pitching,” said Coach Bakken. “We need to get a little tougher and we only have three games under our belt and need to improve and keep working.”
With the pair of wins, Roseau improves to 5-4 while the Pirates drop to 1-2 and will be home this weekend hosting the Jim Karn Baseball Classic starting with Thompson, North Dakota on Friday at 6:30 PM.

For Crookston
Brady Butt  2-4
Gavin Salem 1-3, triple
Carter Bruggeman  1-2
Brooks Butt 1-2, rbi
Joey Doda  1-4, rbi

For Roseau
Danny Wensloff  2-4, 3 runs, rbi
Isaac Wensloff  2-4
Brock Byfuglien 2-3, double, run
Oliver Lee 2-5, rbi
Taylor Jacobson 1-2, 3 runs, double, rbi

Pirate Baseball vs Roseau

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