Legion baseball team has geat start to new season

   by Rachael Paumen

Maple Lake baseball players are keeping busy this summer with Legion ball. The summer season got started with games in Howard Lake and St. Michael. Monticello then came to town before Maple Lake was back on the road again to play Delano Orange.

Maple Lake vs. Howard Lake

In their first game since the end of the school season, Maple Lake made the trip to Howard Lake on June 10.

Maple Lake led the game until the late innings when Howard Lake clawed their way back to tie the game 4 to 4. Maple Lake then loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and scored the winning run on a perfectly-executed squeeze play. Maple Lake won 5-4.

Cam Knudsen started on the mound for ML. He pitched a strong five innings, scattering very few hits. Hayden Bryant then came in to pitch two strong innings of relief. Howard Lake came back to tie the game up versus Bryant, but several of those runs were unearned due to a few errors on the infield. Luke Fobbe pitched a strong 8th and 9th to pick up the win.

Maple Lake vs. St. Michael

Nearly two weeks later on June 21 the Maple Lake Legion team was back on the road for a game against St. Michael that could be described as a true pitchers’ duel.

Knudsen pitched a great game for Maple Lake. Unfortunately, St. Michael got a great performance from their ace as well. Both pitchers were aided by the large strike zone of longtime umpire Joe West.

Maple Lake struggled to get that clutch hit they needed as they stranded a multitude of base runners. In at least two separate innings Maple Lake left the bases loaded. It was unfortunate because Knudsen did an outstanding job on the mound. Maple Lake dropped the game 0-3.

Maple Lake vs. Monticello

Playing in front of the home crowd on June 22, Maple Lake 10-runned Monticello on a hot and humid summer evening.

The Legion team showed up to hit and the Monticello pitchers struggled to throw strikes. This combination resulted in 14 runs for the Irish in a quick seven-inning game. 

Mitch Wurm showed why he is one of the better pitchers in the Wright County League. He kept the Monticello hitters off-balance with a good fast ball and hard slider. 

Derek Rachel caught a nice game and a had a few key at bats early in the game. He fought off several pitches to get a couple base hits with two strikes on him. 

Brian Redemske also hit a nice line-drive home run to the right center field late in the game.

The final score was Maple Lake 14, Monticello 3. 

   Maple Lake vs. Delano Orange

Starting out a new week on the right foot, Maple Lake continued their winnings ways against Delano Orange on June 28.

The team continued to hit and run the bases well as they beat Delano Orange 11-1. Justin Bidwell started the scoring early with a two-run home run in the first inning. Bidwell finished the game with a couple more hits and ran the bases well.

Mitch Wurm cruised through all seven innings on the mound, giving up only one home run in the first inning. After that, he settled in and kept the Delano hitters off balance.

Maple Lake hit very well as a team and played almost perfect defense.

The team will continue play with a busy week of back-to-back to-back games starting on Wednesday, June 30, with a game against the Laker Legends at Irish Stadium at 6:00 p.m. They will continue at home with a game against Delano Black on July 1 at 2:30 p.m. before traveling to the Dassel Ballpark on July 2 to take on Dassel-Cokato.

Maple Lake baseball players are keeping busy this summer with Legion ball. The summer season got started with games in Howard Lake and St. Michael. Monticello then came to town before Maple Lake was back on the road again to play Delano Orange.

In their first game since the end of the school season, Maple Lake made the trip to Howard Lake on June 10.

Maple Lake led the game until the late innings when Howard Lake clawed their way back to tie the game 4 to 4. Maple Lake then loaded the bases in the top of the ninth and scored the winning run on a perfectly-executed squeeze play. Maple Lake won 5-4.

Cam Knudsen started on the mound for ML. He pitched a strong five innings, scattering very few hits. Hayden Bryant then came in to pitch two strong innings of relief. Howard Lake came back to tie the game up versus Bryant, but several of those runs were unearned due to a few errors on the infield. Luke Fobbe pitched a strong 8th and 9th to pick up the win.

Nearly two weeks later on June 21 the Maple Lake Legion team was back on the road for a game against St. Michael that could be described as a true pitchers’ duel.

Knudsen pitched a great game for Maple Lake. Unfortunately, St. Michael got a great performance from their ace as well. Both pitchers were aided by the large strike zone of longtime umpire Joe West.

Maple Lake struggled to get that clutch hit they needed as they stranded a multitude of base runners. In at least two separate innings Maple Lake left the bases loaded. It was unfortunate because Knudsen did an outstanding job on the mound. Maple Lake dropped the game 0-3.

Playing in front of the home crowd on June 22, Maple Lake 10-runned Monticello on a hot and humid summer evening.

The Legion team showed up to hit and the Monticello pitchers struggled to throw strikes. This combination resulted in 14 runs for the Irish in a quick seven-inning game. 

Mitch Wurm showed why he is one of the better pitchers in the Wright County League. He kept the Monticello hitters off-balance with a good fast ball and hard slider. 

Derek Rachel caught a nice game and a had a few key at bats early in the game. He fought off several pitches to get a couple base hits with two strikes on him. 

Brian Redemske also hit a nice line-drive home run to the right center field late in the game.

The final score was Maple Lake 14, Monticello 3. 
Maple Lake vs. Delano Orange

Starting out a new week on the right foot, Maple Lake continued their winnings ways against Delano Orange on June 28.

The team continued to hit and run the bases well as they beat Delano Orange 11-1. Justin Bidwell started the scoring early with a two-run home run in the first inning. Bidwell finished the game with a couple more hits and ran the bases well.

Mitch Wurm cruised through all seven innings on the mound, giving up only one home run in the first inning. After that, he settled in and kept the Delano hitters off balance.

Maple Lake hit very well as a team and played almost perfect defense.

The team will continue play with a busy week of back-to-back to-back games starting on Wednesday, June 30, with a game against the Laker Legends at Irish Stadium at 6:00 p.m. They will continue at home with a game against Delano Black on July 1 at 2:30 p.m. before traveling to the Dassel Ballpark on July 2 to take on Dassel-Cokato.