Mudcats go 2-1 on busy weekend

The Bemidji Mudcats emerged from a busy road weekend with a 2-1 record.

Saturday they defeated Ft. Ripley 6-2 but fell to Henderson 6-4 in two games at Ft. Ripley.

Sunday they stopped at Brainerd to beat the Lakes Area Lightning 5-2.

If lifted Scott Seaton’s forces to 9-5.

This weekend they host their 8th annual Rosco Memorial Tournament starting Friday night. Games will be played at both BSU and the Arena.

Saturday morning the Cats rode the five hit hurling of Tyler Norland to their win over Ft. Ripley.

Norland fanned 10 and walked none in raising his record to 3-0.

Bemidji led from the start scoring twice in the first off Josh Habman when Phil Ronnebaum reached an error and Paul Fenner singled. They advanced on a sacrifice an d held as B.J. Martinka walked.

Norland singled in two runs.

Bemidji gave one back in the last of the frame on a single and two errors.

But it got two more in the third when Martinka reached on one error and scored on another.

Sam Anderson singled in the fourth run.

Ft. Ripley got one back in its at bat on two singles and two more Mudcat boots, both unearned.

But Norland slammed the door at this point and allowed only two base runners over the final four frames.

Bemidji added its final two off reliever Austin Smolke, former Brainerd high star. One came in the sixth on singles by Jeff Schaper and Fenner around a passed ball and one in the seventh on doubles by Anderson and Schaper.

Fenner and Anderson had three hits for the Mudcats and Neil Huewe and Schaper two.

In the second game, the Cats matched runs with Henderson through four frames, tied 4-4 at that point.

But the southern Minnesota team added two more in the fifth to win .

Bemidji scored in the first on hits by Ronnebaum and Anderson around an error.

But Henderson answered with three against Norland on three hits around a pair of hit batters.

Bemidji tied it in the second when Schaper reached on an error, an Greg Skerik doubled.

Schaper scored on a fielder’s choice and Skerik on Dan Bauer’s sacrifice fly .

Seaton made his season mound debut in the third and gave up the go-ahead run when two singles were followed with a walk and hit batter to force in a run.

Bemidji got this one back in the fourth when Skerik doubled and Ronnebaum singled him home.

But the Cats would not score again, getting only two base runners in the final three innings, one wiped out in a game-ending double play.

Henderson scored twice in the fifth to win on a walk, two singles and a ground out.

Bemidji had just six hits, two each by Ronnebaum and Skerik. Henderson managed only seven .

The two Bemidji hurlers fanned four and walked four. Cody Boelter went the route for the win with one strikeout and two walks.

Sunday, Bemidji jumped to a 6-0 lead after three and coasted home.

Fenner and Bauer yielded only three hits fanning four but walking seven.

Aaron Jenkins, BHS Assistant Coach, went the route to lose with five whiffs and one walk.

Bemidji scored three in the second when Anderson and Huewe singled and Ronnebaum walked. Skerik’s ground out sent Anderson home and Norland plated two with a single.

Bemidji doubled the score in the third when Tony Klaers reached on an error but was forced at second. By Martinka.

Anderson singled to plate Martinka, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a one bagger by Schaper.

Huewe’s single sent home the sixth run.

Jenkins then retired the next 12 batters before Bauer reached on a wild pitch third strike with one gone in the seventh.

But Klaers bounced back to the mound and into an inning ending 1-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Fenner left after five, allowing only two hits.

Bauer fanned two and walked two in the sixth but emerged unscathed.

But he fanned two and walked four in the seventh around a single to account for the losers two runs.

Bemidji ended with seven hits, two apiece from Anderson and Huewe.

This weekend Bemidji will defend the title it regained from the Duluth Express last summer. The Express had snapped a three-year Bemidji run in 2006.

Seaton hopes to have several more regulars back in town for the weekend to honor their former teammate.

Mudcats 020-001-1—-7—14—4

Ft. Ripley 101-000-0—-2—5—3

Norland (3-0) and Martinka

Habman (L), Smolke (6) and Jelacie

Mudcats 120-100-0—-4—6—0

Henderson 301-020-x—-6—7—3

Norland, Seaton (0-1) (3) and Martinka

Boelter and Furrson

Mudcats 033-000-0——6—7—0

Lakes Area 000-000-2—-2—3—1

Fenner (3-2), Bauer (6) and Klaers

Jenkins and Parrish

Rematch part of Mudcats weekend road-trip

The Bemidji Mudcats head to Detroit Lakes tonight to begin a four-game weekend, all on the road.

It will be a return meeting with the Angels who fell here 8-5 May 23 to Tyler Norland.

Saturday, the Cats head to Ft. Ripley to face two separate foes in a twin bill going against the host Ft. Ripley at 11 and Henderson at 1:30 with Henderson and Ft. Ripley playing a third game at 4.

On Sunday, Bemidji stops at Brainerd on the way home to face the Lakes Area Lightning at noon. That contest will be played at Mill Park.

That will be the final game before the start of the Rosco Memorial tournament here next weekend.

Bemidji will continue to go with a young, revamped lineup featuring a large number of BHS graduates, mostly from the 2006 and 2007 classes.

Lefthander Matt Stasch will get tonight’s start. He worked one scoreless inning in the first win over DL in relief of Norland and went three in the later loss to Midway and was effective.

B.J. Martinka will handle his deliveries with Jeff Schaper, Nate Heim, Dan Bauer and Neil Huewe around the infield from first to third and Greg Skerik, Ryan Johnson and Paul Fenner in the outfield from left to right.

Sam Anderson will be the designated hitter for Stasch.

Fenner and Norland will be the likely starters Saturday with Bauer facing the Lightning in Sunday’s game.

Mudcats sweep Hibbing

The Bemidji Mudcats rallied in their final at bat in each game Sunday to pull out victories over the Hibbing Miners at the BSU diamond.

Bemidji scored three runs in the last of the seventh to take the opener 6-5. It walked in five runs in the last of the sixth to win the nightcap 10-7.

The sweep lifted Bemidji to 3-0 in the Arrowhead League and 7-4 overall. Hibbing dropped to 0-2 and 0-3.

Bemidji heads to Detroit Lakes Thursday to face the Angels in a return game, then goes south for the weekend for a 1 p.m. twin bill at Ft. Ripley and stops at Pequot Lakes Saturday for a single game with the Lakes Area Lightning.

Sunday’s wins left the Cats fans standing in the aisles with the late heroics that overcame Hibbing leads.

The Miners, who had played only one game, seemed in total control of both contests.

Tyler Norland was hit hard in the opener, yielding 11 hits in his six innings of work but walked only one and kept Bemidji within reach.

Alex Gornick doubled and scored on Nate Hedley’s single in the first.

Nick Hedley doubled, Andy Finco was hit by a pitch and Gornick singled in both for a 3-0 lead in the second.

The Cats got one back in the third when Jeff Schaper was hit by a pitch, Dan Bauer doubled and Tony Klaers reached on an error scoring Schaper.

Hibbing got this one back in the fourth on Nick Hedley’s triple .and Finco’s single.

Bemidji drew within 4-3 in the fifth when Klaers reached on an error and Shawn Ross was hit by a pitch. They advanced on a ground out and scored on Doug Peterson’s single.

But the Miners moved to a 5-3 lead in the sixth when James Brubaker singled, Jayson Hron singled and Nick Hedley reached on an error.

Beau Vlatkovich’s single off Norland’s glove plated one but Gornick’s comebacker was turned into a 1-2-3 double play to prevent further trouble.

After Bauer blanked Hibbing in the seventh, Bemidji fought back to win.

A walk and Bauer’s single opened the frame.

They were sacrificed up a base and Ross was again hit by a pitch to fill the sacks.

B.J. Martinka then drove a double to the right canter field fence to drive in all three runners and end the game.

Bauer and Martinka had two hits in Bemidji’s meager five-hit attack. Gornick, Jamie Steinberg and Nick Hedley all had two for Hibbing.

Tony Sartori went the route fanning three and walking two. The two Bemidji hurlers had five whiffs and one walk. Bauer’s win was his first.

Cats repeat

It was a repeat performance in the nightcap.

Paul Fenner recovered from a second inning shelling to pitch four scoreless frames as Bemidji slowly fought back from a 7-3 deficit to trail by two.

An error opened the gate for a first inning Hibbing run scored on Nate Hedley’s double.

Bemidji took the lead in its first at bat when Klaers doubles with two outs, Sam Anderson coaxed a walk and Shawn Ross, in his first outing of the year, blasted a Dan Lanari fastball over the right field fence.

The lead was brief. Hibbing slammed out seven hits in the second to score six times With Vlatkovich and Scott Hoium each knocking in two.

Fenner, perhaps showing the effect of his 176 pitch winning effort Tuesday, finally fanned the 11th batter to end the frame.

He pitched in and out of trouble the next four frames, allowing five more hits but no runs.

Bemidji got two back in the second on a pair of walks and Klaers’ two-run double.

But Lanari shut them down over the next three frames on one hit.

Gornick began the fatal sixth in relief but left after walking the bases loaded.

Manager Steinberg came on in relief and hit the first two batters he faced to tie the score.

Bauer sent home the game-winner with a sacrifice fly and Klaers added the icing on the cake with a two-run single.

Reenter Bauer for another seventh inning stint. This time he fanned the side to earn the save and complete the sweep.

Hibbing had 13 hits off Fenner, including four by Hate Hedley and two from his brother and Colin Moberly.

Bemidji had just six, three by Klaers.

Lefty Matt Stasch will get Thursday’s start at DL. Norland and Fenner will likely go this weekend with Sam Anderson another possibility.

Midway holds off Mudcats

The Midway Snurdbirds jumped to a 6-0 lead Friday night and held off the Bemidji Mudcats to win a 9-8 decision at the BSU diamond.

It ended a two-game win string for the Cats and dropped them to 5-4.

Sunday they host the Hibbing Miners in an Arrowhead League doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

Tyler Norland (2-0) and Paul Fenner (1-2) will get the starting calls in those two games.

Ex-Lumberjack Doug Peterson made his first start for the Cats and pitched well other than the fifth inning.

Midway combined five of its hits in that frame and scored five times to take the 6-0 lead.

Bemidji fought back with four to trail by two and later came within one at 8-7 with each team scoring once in the eighth to end their scoring.

The visitors scored in the third on walk, infield single, wild pitch and sacrifice fly.

Kyle Dormanen singled to open the fifth and Zach Etter tripled him home. He scored on Brady Lusti’s single. Two outs later Payton Burkman stroked a three-run homer over the right field fence.

Jake Lund blanked Bemidji on two hits into the fifth. But a pair of walks around a hit batter filled the bases. Tony Klaers singled in two, B.J. Martinka delivered a third with a single and a fourth run scored on Sam Anderson’s sacrifice fly.

But the Birds received two gift runs in the sixth on a dropped pop up, single and walk which filled the bases. Both runs scored on a force out at second when the relay to first got loose.

The Birds gave one back in the last of the frame on a double steal after an error and walk.

Bemidji scored twice more in the seventh on singles by Martinka and Greg Skerik, an error and Joe Andersen’s double.

But Midway scored the eventual winning run in the top of the eighth on a single, wild pitch and two ground outs.

Bemidji matched it on an error, ground out, wild pitch and ground out.

The Cats went out in order in the ninth.

Lund went the first six to get the win with Pete Marjama closing. The pair fanned six and walked three.

Peterson had nine strikeouts during his six frames walking three. Matt Stasch finished allowing only two hits in the final three frames.

Etter had three hits and Dormanen two for the Birds. Martinka was the only Mudcat with two.

Midway 001-052-010—-9—10—5

Bemidji 000-041-210—-8—8—3

Lund, P. Marjama (7) and C. Baso

Peterson (0-1), Stasch (7) and Martinka

Mudcats baseball: Fenner limits Itasca in Arrowhead Leage opener

BEMIDJI – The Bemidji Mudcats opened Arrowhead League play Tuesday night, pulling out a 5-3 decision over Itasca at the BSU diamond.

The Cats saved the best for last, scoring three times in the seventh to overcome a 1-0 deficit and adding two gift runs in the eighth that proved to be the difference.

The Indians scored twice in the ninth against a tiring Paul Fenner and had the bases loaded when an interference call recorded the final out as two runs appeared to be scoring.

Bemidji Mudcats pitcher Paul Fenner delivers a throw during the first inning.

Fenner went the distance fanning 11 but walking seven and hitting a batter.

In a throwback to the Billy Martin days, he threw 176 pitches before the game ended.

Thirty eight came in the ninth when an error opened the door for a pair of unearned runs.

Mike Gebhart reached on the error and Casey Litchke walked, With one gone, Dan Gilbert singled to center to plate Gebhart.

Dan Gebhart forced Gilbert at second sending Litchke to third. He scored on a wild pitch.

A walk and hit batter filled the bases.

Jed Ryan then bounced toward short where Brent Magnuson was called out for interfering with Dan Bauer’s opportunity to make the play.

Had he not, the ball got through to the outfield with two runs apparently scoring.

The dramatic end took something off the Cats comeback.

For five innings, Fenner and Kevin Sutherland matched slants. Sutherland, allowing only one hit, Doug Peterson’s fourth inning single. Fenner allowed two.

But they came in the fourth when Andy Paul singled, stole second and scored on Litchke’s single to center.

Sutherland left after five in favor of Mike Gebhart. He pitched a scoreless sixth. But in the seventh, Sam Anderson opened with triple to the right center field fence. Aaron Schmitz was hit by a pitch.

Joe Andersen then singled to left to plate Anderson. Greg Skerik advanced both runners with a sacrifice. Ryan Johnson singled to score Schmitz and Andersen crossed as Tony Klaers grounded out.

The eventual winning runs came in the eighth against Dan Gebhart. Peterson reached on a throwing error and Schmitz was hit by a pitch. Andersen then reached on a throwing error to plate Peterson. Before the play ended Schmitz also crossed on another misplay.

Justin Gambill eventually got the last two outs on a strikeout with a runner caught stealing.

At the time it appeared a safe lead. But it became anything but before the game ended.

Bemidji ended with only four hits. Itasca had five, all singles. Paul and Litchke had two each.

The four Itasca hurlers had five strikeouts and seven walks.

The Cats play a non-league game Friday with Midway and host the Hibbing Miners in a Sunday league twin bill at 1.

They stand 5-3 on the year.