The Sacred Heart Eagles Baseball team did not record a hit until the fourth inning, but found their offensive stride late to outduel the East Grand Forks Green Wave 17-10 in a game played at Stauss Park.
Sacred Heart got the all of the runs started with one in the top of the first to take the early lead. Cullen Rohrich walked, stole two bases, and scored on a passed ball to give the Eagles the lead.
In the second inning, Sacred Heart added on to their lead with a couple more runs. After two walks and a wild pitch, Rohrich hit a line drive right at the center fielder that went off the tip of his glove and landed to bring in both runners.
East Grand Forks answered back with their first two runners in the bottom of the inning. Two walks and an error loaded the bases with one out. Drew Carpenter picked up the first hit for either team to drive in two runs and make it 3-2 after two innings.
After a scoreless inning for the Eagles, East Grand Forks put up seven runs in the third. The first four batters of the inning singled, including a two-RBI single for Tom Gust to take the lead 4-3. A fielder’s choice brought in another run and a bad throw to first scored a second run on the play. Later in the inning, Jeff Vetterkind scored a run with a single and Carson Belbas followed that up with a two-RBI double to cap the scoring in the inning. “We felt there were some plays that should of been made and weren’t,” said the Sacred Heart Eagles Head Coach Paul Bethke. “East side put the ball in play and you never know what can happen.”
Sacred Heart was not going away, however, scoring five runs in the next half inning. A lineout started the inning, and then a walk and single put two runners on. Sam Gapp, Nick Brundin, and Caden Reimer hit consecutive RBI singles and Ethan Arntson knocked in two more runs with a single. “This was really the first game where those guys all put it together at the same time,” explained Coach Bethke. “We really needed it.”
The Green Wave did get another run in the fourth inning. Max Kallock singled with two outs, stole second, and scored on a ground ball error to increase the East Grand Forks lead to 10-8.
That was the last lead the Green Wave would have in the game with the Eagles finding their stride on offense scoring another four runs in the fifth. Cullen Rohrich hit a hustle double to lead off the inning. Following a walk, Sam Gapp scored both runners with a single and advanced to second on the throw. Nick Brundin hit a single to bring in Gapp to take the lead 11-10. The fourth run of the inning came when Brundin stole home on a steal play with runners at the corners.
Sacred Heart added on another five runs of insurance in the sixth inning. With two runners on, Gapp hit a two-RBI triple to left center field and then Brundin singled to score Gapp. After a pitching change, back-to-back doubles from Reimer and Arntson scored two more and gave the Eagles a 17-10 lead after the top of the sixth.
Neither team scored in the sixth and in the top of the seventh inning, Sacred Heart did not get a runner on base which was the only half-inning that happened in the game.
East Grand Forks needed seven runs to tie and eight to win heading into the last half inning. They got a good start with back-to-back singles, but on the second single Mike Gapp, the Eagles’ left fielder, threw out the lead runner at third for the first out. Then, another solid defensive play from the Eagles, a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning and the game giving Sacred Heart the victory by a score of 17-10. “Unfortunately we’ve had a couple of these wild games. Too much of it has been our own doing so we need to clean that up,” added Coach Bethke. “As far as them not quitting, they’ve done a nice job of that.
Sacred Heart improves to 6-1 on the season and will take on Badger/Greenbush-Middle River on Tuesday.
East Grand Forks falls to 1-8 this year and will host Detroit Lakes on Tuesday.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Sacred Heart | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 14 | 4 |
| EGF | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 4 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Cullen Rohrich- Sacred Heart | 2.0 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Ethan Arntson- Sacred Heart | 5.0 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Chaysen Ballard- EGF | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Drew Carpenter- EGF | 3.2 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
| Luke Blazek- EGF | 1.1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
For Sacred Heart
Sam Gapp- 3 for 4, triple, 5 RBI, 3 runs
Nick Brundin- 3 for 5, 3 RBI, 3 runs
Caden Reimer- 3 for 5, double, 2 RBI, 2 runs
Ethan Arntson- 2 for 4, double, 3 RBI, run
Gage Wavra- 1 for 1, 3 walks, HBP, 3 runs
For East Grand Forks
Carson Belbas- 3 for 4, double, 2 RBI, run
Drew Carpenter- 2 for 5, 2 RBI
Finley Lizakowski- 2 for 4, run
Collin Peterson- 2 for 3, 2 runs
Tom Gust- 1 for 4, 2 RBI, run
