Litchfield 1
The Bulldogs completed their season sweep of the Dragons 8-1 on Tuesday, May 16. The Bulldogs won their two games against Litchfield this spring by a combined score of 24-4, including a 16-3 romp earlier in the year.
Nathan Schutz's seventh-inning bloop single to left scored Doug Fuchs for the winning run as the Bulldogs rallied to beat St. Cloud Cathedral on Monday 7-6. The victory, in a showdown between the fourth- and fifth-rated teams in the state in Class AA, gave the Bulldogs the outright title in the West Central Conference North.With two outs, the bases empty, and the score tied at six, Doug Fuchs lofted a double to the gap in right-center. Adam Miller (pictured at right) was intentionally walked, and Chris Rohe reached on an infield single. Schutz, a senior, hit a flare to short left that fell between the third basemen, shortstop, and left fielder and allowed Fuchs to score.
Miller had three hits in the game, and Rohe and Fuchs each had two.
Cathedral entered Monday's contest with a record of 9-2 in conference, while the Bulldogs were 10-1. The victory raised the Bulldogs' record to 11-1 in the WCCN, with their only defeat coming at the hands of the Crusaders in April by the score of 7-0.
Cathedral jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first two innings Monday and chased the Bulldogs' starting pitcher Jon Lieser. Justin Mackedanz allowed only one run in six innings of relief pitching to earn the victory.
Trailing 5-2, the Bulldogs took the lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Miller and Rohe had two-out singles to score the tying and go-ahead runs in the rally.
Cathedral loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but scored only one run, on a sacrifice fly to right, to tie the score at six.
A complete game summary will be in next week's issue.
The Bulldogs also played Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa on Tuesday.
The Bulldogs were seeded second in Sub-Section 20 behind New London-Spicer. The Bulldogs' first sub-section game will be at home on Thursday at 5 p.m. against #7 Kimball.
Paynesville 4
Sauk Centre
The Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the conference title with a 4-0 shutout of Sauk Centre on Friday.
Senior Doug Fuchs starred again on the hill and at the plate for the home side. He pitched a two-hit, complete-game shutout, and also homered and drove home three runs.
Fuchs pitched his way out of a jam in the first inning, after yielding hits to two of the first three batters he faced. But he escaped the game, thanks in part to a timely strikeout, and didn't yield a hit the rest of the way.
The last jam Fuchs faced was in the third, when he walked a batter and a two-out error put runners on the corners with two out. Fuchs induced a ground ball for the third out.
In the bottom of the first, senior center fielder Ben Bork singled-one of his three hits-and junior shortstop Jon Lieser was hit by a pitch. Fuchs scored them both with a double to left center.
In the third, Fuchs hit a drive to right center for a solo homer.
With two outs in the fourth, Bork tripled over the head of the Streeters' center fielder. He scored when Lieser beat out a chopper for an infield hit.
The Bulldogs-who had 11 hits, including two by Adam Miller-left the bases full in the sixth. The bottom of the Bulldogs' batting order loaded the bases with singles by Curtis Christian, Justin Mackedanz, and Shaun Fleischhacker.
Also on display was the Bulldogs' improved defense. Both Realdsen and head coach Brad Skoglund said the Bulldogs' infield defense, which had some shaky moments earlier in the season, has improved dramatically in the past few weeks.
The win was the 11th consecutive for the Bulldogs, who are now ranked fifth in the state in Class AA. Their overall record is 16-2 and 10-1 in the West Central Conference North.
The win kept the Bulldogs a game ahead in the conference race.
| Sauk Centre-- | 000 | 000 | 0 | - 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Paynesville-- | 201 | 100 | x | - 4 | 11 | 1 |
Sauk Centre - Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Scott Nelson (L) (6-11-4-4-1-5); Paynesville - Batting: Ben Bork 3-4 3B; Doug Fuchs 2-3 2B HR; Adam Miller 2-3; Jon Lieser 1-3; Curtis Christian 1-3; Justin Mackedanz 1-3; Shaun Fleisch-hacker 1-3; Runs: Bork 2; Lieser; Fuchs; RBI: Fuchs 3; Lieser; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Fuchs (W) (7-2-0-0-3-7).
Paynesville 8
Litchfield 1
The Bulldogs completed their season sweep of the Dragons 8-1 on Tuesday, May 16. The Bulldogs won their two games against Litchfield this spring by a combined score of 24-4, including a 16-3 romp earlier in the year.
The Dragons scored first with a run in the second inning, and the Bulldogs didn't put a crooked number on the scoreboard until they scored three times in the third.
The PAHS pep band played at recent baseball and softball games.
Assistant coach Dick Realdsen was impressed by the team's composure after falling behind. He said the team is playing with a lot of confidence, and waited patiently for the bats to roll.
The Bulldogs scored three runs in the third, with two of the runners who scored reaching base after being hit by a pitch.
They scored twice in the fifth, including a solo home run by senior Scott Braun to lead off the inning. Braun had two hits and scored two runs. Christian knocked home Fuchs, who had doubled, for the other run.
In the bottom of the sixth, Fuchs hit a three-run homer for the Bulldogs' final runs.
Lieser threw a complete game for the pitching victory. He scattered eight hits while allowing one run. Lieser is undefeated pitching this season.
The Bulldogs played flawless defense in the game.
| Litchfield-- | 010 | 000 | 0 | - 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Paynesville-- | 003 | 023 | x | - 8 | 10 | 0 |
Litchfield - Batting: Brent Jergens 2-3; Matt Pennertz 2-3; Robert Garcia 2-3; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Pennertz (5.1-9-7-7-1-3); Paynesville - Batting: Doug Fuchs 3-4 2B HR; Scott Braun 2-4 HR; Ben Bork 1-2 HBP-2; Curtis Christian 2-3; Adam Miller 1-3; Chris Rohe 1-3; Runs: Fuchs 3; Bork 2; Braun 2; Justin Mackedanz; RBI: Fuchs 4; Braun; Miller; Christian; Pitching: (ip-h-r-er-bb-k) Jon Lieser (W) (7-8-1-1-2-2).