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Player of the game: (Aug 5/11) Justin Saufley This game Pitching: ERA:0.00 IP:9 SO:8

Recent Results: Tue Aug 9/11 7:30pm: Fairmont - Wilmont - Sun Aug 7/11 2:00pm: Wilmont 2 Fairmont 5

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FAIRMONT — Wilmont will have to wait another game to punch its ticket to the state tournament.

Leading the best-of-five series 2-0 entering Sunday’s regional amateur baseball game, the Fairmont Martins rallied for a 5-2 victory to extend the series at least one more game.

Adam Diekmann suffered the loss for Wilmont (23-8). He allowed three earned runs while striking out five in six innings.

Joe Ahrens threw two innings of relief and struck out three.

Jay Scheidt was 3-for-3, was hit twice and scored a run to lead Wilmont’s offensive attack.

Diekmann was 2-for-4, while Justin Saufley was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Nate Stoll had an RBI double, while Lucas Henning added a hit.

The Cardinals will host Game 4 at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

R H E

Wil. 000 000 020 — 2 8 2

Fair. 002 003 00X — 5 7 2

WILMONT — Riding another dynamite pitching performance from their ace — right-hander Justin Saufley — and scoring a pair of first-inning runs Friday night, the Wilmont Cardinals claimed an exciting 2-1 victory over the Fairmont Martins in Game 2 of their Region 13C best-of-five amateur baseball playoff series at Butts Probst Field.

Wilmont (23-7) now holds a 2-0 lead and can win the series Sunday afternoon, as Game 3 is scheduled to be played at 2 p.m. at Fairmont’s Herb Wolf Park. If the Martins win, Game 4 will be played Tuesday night (7:30 p.m.) back in Wilmont.

Saufley, who allowed six hits, no walks and an unearned run, struck out eight batters in hurling nine strong innings. Featuring an electric fastball and a hard-breaking curveball, Saufley improved to 10-0 with his complete-game gem.

“I was able to pitch out of some jams, and it was a good thing that we scored our two runs early in the game,” summed up Saufley, who also serves as Wilmont’s manager. “(Shaun) McGuire really settled into a groove for Fairmont, and it was a low-scoring affair. But we made enough plays defensively and held on against a good-hitting lineup like the Martins have.”

McGuire (six strikeouts, two walks) also pitched a complete game, scattering eight hits and allowing just the two first-inning runs in eight solid frames for Fairmont (29-6) — which went 17-1 in league play during the regular season and won both the First Nite League regular-season and tournament championships.

Diekmann’s two-run single lifts Wilmont to quick lead

Wilmont, which won the Gopher League regular-season crown and finished as the tournament runner-up, struck first with a pair of runs in the opening inning to take control early.

Nate Stoll smacked a one-out single to left field, and Steven Kremer followed by coaxing a walk. McGuire then registered his first strikeout before a passed ball during Adam Diekmann’s ensuing at-bat allowed the runners to advance to second and third with two outs.

Diekmann came through in the key spot, driving a 3-2 pitch over the second baseman’s head into right-center field. Stoll and Kremer scored on the play, as Diekmann’s two-run single lifted the Cardinals to a 2-0 lead.

“It felt good to hit the ball well with runners in scoring position,” Diekmann said. “I was able to hit the ball into a good location, which allowed both runners to score and get us out to a nice lead right away.”

Joe Ahrens then singled up the middle, but McGuire fanned the next batter to end the inning.

Saufley, who worked around a two-out double by McGuire in the top of the first, pitched a 1-2-3 frame in the second — striking out a pair of batters and inducing a ground-ball out to Diekmann at shortstop. Eleven of the 27 outs that Saufley recorded came on ground balls.

Saufley pitched scoreless frames in the third and fourth, as well — matching McGuire, who worked around two-out base hits by Lucas Henning (2-for-4, single, second) and Diekmann (2-for-4, double, third) and a lead-off walk issued to Ryan Swanson in the fourth.

Fairmont, which didn’t commit an error in the game, then took advantage of a Cardinals’ defensive miscue in the top of the fifth. Aaron Siefken reached on a two-base infield error to start the frame, hustling to second base and later scoring on a one-out RBI single to left field by Ian Bents.

Trailing 2-1, the Martins had runners on first and second with two outs following another Wilmont error later in the inning. But Saufley ended the threat by notching his fourth strikeout of the night.

Fairmont continues to threaten; Wilmont can’t add to lead in late innings

Wilmont was shut down by McGuire the rest of the way, collecting just a trio of singles — one apiece by Swanson (sixth), Henning (seventh) and Kremer (seventh) — from the fifth inning on. McGuire retired the Cardinals in order during both the fifth and eighth frames, inducing five of his 13 ground-ball outs.

“He pitched really well,” Saufley said. “This was a great ballgame, just like the first one was. That’s what you expect during playoff baseball, as good pitching tends to limit good hitting most of the time.”

Indeed it does, and Saufley was sure tested himself in each of the final four innings. Fairmont’s Jon Wilson belted a one-out double in the sixth, Alex Schmidt reached on a two-out, infield single in the seventh, and Jon Ellis created havoc by reaching on a bunt single — and advancing to second on an errant throw — to begin the eighth.

But Saufley wiggled out of trouble each time — most impressively, though, in the eighth. With Ellis standing on second base and no outs, the Martins had their 3-4-5 hitters (McGuire, Wilson and Adam Schmidt) due up.

However, Saufley struck out McGuire on a high fastball, fanned Wilson on a bending curveball, and got Schmidt to groundout to Swanson at third base.

Fairmont threatened yet again in the ninth, as Siefken ripped the first pitch he saw into right field for a lead-off single. A sacrifice bunt by Taylor Morris put the potential tying run at second.

Saufley, though, worked out of another tough spot by retiring the next two batters on K and F-9 scoring plays, as Wilmont held on for a 2-1 win.

“I have always been able to pitch myself out of jams, and it helps to have a great defense like we have,” explained Saufley. “I went to my fastball more often late in the game and just tried to make it tough for them to make solid contact. It worked out for us, and we got a big win against a very good team.”

R H E

Fair. 000 010 000 — 1 6 0

Wil. 200 000 00X — 2 8 4

FAIRMONT — Behind a solid pitching performance, the Wilmont Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in their best-of-5 series against Fairmont with a 3-2 victory in an amateur baseball playoff game Wednesday night.

Brian Beuning, a draftee from Luverne, allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking one and striking out seven in a complete-game effort.

The Cardinals struck first, scoring a run in the third.

However, the Martins added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead.

But Wilmont scored two decisive runs in the eighth for the one-run victory.

Lucas Henning, Joe Ahrens and Nate Stoll each had two hits in the game for Wilmont.

Henning was 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Ahrens was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI.

Stoll was 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Jay Scheidt, Justin Saufley and Nick Ahrens each added a single for Wilmont.

The Cardinals (23-7) will host Fairmont in Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night.

R H E

Wil. 001 000 020 — 3 9 2

Fair. 000 002 000 — 2 4 0

WILMONT — A four-run output in the bottom of the second inning helped set the tone for the top-seeded Wilmont Cardinals Friday night, as they claimed a 7-4 victory over the second-seeded Milroy Irish in an elimination game of the Gopher League amateur baseball playoffs at Butts Probst Field.

Wilmont (22-6) clinches a berth in the upcoming Region 13C tournament, joining Pipestone from the Gopher League. Jackson and Fairmont — which earned a 3-1 victory over Fox Lake on Friday — will represent the First Nite League.

Fourth-seeded Pipestone, which has not yet lost in the double-elimination tournament and defeated the Cardinals 4-3 last Friday, will host Wilmont Sunday afternoon to determine the Gopher League champion. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m., and Wilmont would need to claim a pair of victories over Pipestone to earn the top seed and the top draft pick for the region playoffs.

Jackson hosts Fairmont today (2 p.m.) to determine the top seed and the number-one draft pick out of the First Nite League for the region playoffs, which will likely begin Wednesday night.

Diekmann, Stoll and Kremer lead Cardinals

Wilmont will play in the region tournament for the third straight year, thanks in large part to Adam Diekmann, Nate Stoll and Steven Kremer among several others.

Diekmann twirled nine strong innings for the Cardinals, fanning 11 batters and issuing just one walk. Diekmann scattered 11 hits and allowed four runs — one earned — to notch a complete-game win on the mound.

“Adam always throws strikes and gives us a chance to win,” Wilmont player/manager Justin Saufley said after the game. “He did a really nice job tonight of limiting the damage, as Milroy did hit the ball pretty well throughout the game. But Adam worked out of some jams and kept us in the game all night.”

Stoll (2-for-4) and Kremer (2-for-3, two walks) each drove in two runs for Wilmont, including cracking back-to-back run-scoring base hits in the second inning.

An Irish error opened the door for Wilmont to score four runs in that frame, as Jay Scheidt reached on a defensive miscue with two outs and runners on first and second. Joe Ahrens (2-for-5) and Stuart Rogers led off the inning with consecutive singles before a pair of strikeouts followed.

Scheidt, who later singled in the sixth, then reached when Milroy’s first baseman dropped a throw from the shortstop on a ground ball, allowing Ahrens to score the game’s first run.

Stoll came through with a key two-run single to left-center, driving in Rogers from third and Scheidt from second to make it 3-0. Kremer then blasted an RBI double to right-center, plating Stoll to give Wilmont a quick 4-0 advantage.

“We came up with some clutch hits in key spots,” Saufley said. “We caught a break in that second inning and made the most of the extra opportunity that we had there.”

Milroy answered with a run in the top of the third on Isaac Dolan’s RBI single. Tyler Peterson (2-for-4) drew a one-out walk and later scored from second, getting the Irish on the board — trailing 4-1.

Dominic Dolan (2-for-5), Cory Madison (2-for-4) and Josh Ramos each collected a single in the first two innings for Milroy, but Diekmann fanned a trio of batters for three of his six outs in that span to keep the Irish in check.

Diekmann struck out two more batters in the fourth, working around a two-out double by Derek Riley. But the Irish broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth, trimming the gap to 4-3.

Peterson and Aaron Ogdahl (2-for-5, single in the third) led off with back-to-back singles — the seventh and eighth base hits of the game for Milroy — before Diekmann recorded a strikeout.

Andy Ogdahl then reached on a fielder’s choice, with everybody safe, to load the bases. Anthony Dolan followed with a 6-4 fielder’s choice (Rogers to Nick Ahrens), driving in Peterson from third to make it 4-2.

Anthony Dolan and Aaron Ogdahl then executed a double steal, with Dolan taking second and Ogdahl streaking home on the throw down to create a 4-3 score.

Madison followed with an infield single, but Wilmont got out of the inning when Dolan tried to score from second on the play. Diekmann, covering first base on the play, fired a strike to Kremer for the tag at the plate.

Wilmont responded with a run in the bottom half, as Saufley (2-for-4) belted a lead-off double to the fence in right-center field. Joe Ahrens drove in Saufley with a one-out RBI single to center and hustled all the way to third when the ball skipped past the center fielder.

Isaac Dolan (five innings, eight strikeouts, four walks) struck out the next two batters, stranding Ahrens at third and keeping the score at 5-3 Wilmont after five frames.

Diekmann then pitched three shutout innings, retiring nine of the 11 batters he faced in the sixth, seventh and eighth. Diekmann tossed 1-2-3 frames in the sixth and eighth — aided by a great diving catch by Joe Ahrens at first base to start the eighth — and worked out of a jam in the seventh.

Peterson (single) and Aaron Ogdahl (error) both reached to start the seventh, and Milroy’s 4-5-6 hitters were due up. But Diekmann retired the next three batters via K, F-8 and F-3 scoring plays, getting the Cardinals off the field with a 5-3 lead.

Wilmont added to that cushion in the eighth on back-to-back RBI singles from Kremer and Saufley, plating Scheidt (walk) and Stoll (single), respectively. Those run-producing base hits increased the Cardinals’ lead to 7-3 heading into the ninth.

Dominic Dolan tagged a lead-off double to left-center and later scored on an error to make it 7-4, but Diekmann completed his strong outing by inducing a ground-ball out and fanning the last two batters — sending Wilmont back to the region playoffs.

“It’s been a fun year, and we are happy to advance,” summed up Saufley. “The region tournament creates a great atmosphere with the best-of-five series, and hopefully we can continue to play well and compete favorable against either Jackson or Fairmont.”

R H E

Mil. 001 020 001 — 4 11 2

Wil. 040 010 02X — 7 10 3

WILMONT — Ace right-hander Justin Saufley hurled a complete-game gem, and veteran left-fielder Jesse “Muff” Teerink delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday night, leading the top-seeded Wilmont Cardinals to a thrilling 3-2 victory over the third-seeded Luverne Redbirds in an elimination game of the Gopher League amateur baseball playoffs at Butts Probst Field.

Saufley (six strikeouts, two walks) and Luverne’s Andrew DeBoer (five strikeouts, four walks) were both sharp on the mound, combining to pitch 12 scoreless half innings of baseball. The other five half innings each featured one run — three for Wilmont and two for Luverne — as the Cardinals advanced in the double-elimination tournament.

Wilmont (21-6) will host the second-seeded Milroy Irish — who lost to the fourth-seeded Pipestone A’s 2-1 Wednesday — Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

The winner of that game will clinch a berth, along with Pipestone, in the upcoming Region 13C playoffs.

Luverne ends the season as the fifth club to be eliminated from the eight-team league tournament. Adrian, Hadley, Tracy and Minneota have already been knocked out of the playoffs — leaving Wilmont, Milroy and Pipestone as the only teams remaining.

“This was the most fun and intense game of the season, as playoff baseball tends to be that way this time of year,” summed up Saufley, who also serves as Wilmont’s manager. “We didn’t want our season to end tonight, and we battled all the way against a very good Luverne team. We made some great plays defensively, and “Muff” came through with the key hit to win it for us like he always seems to do in clutch situations.”

Teerink’s game-winning base hit came on a 1-2 count with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the veteran slapped a ground ball the other way into the hole between first and second base and into right field. Pinch-runner Brandon Schroeder scored from third on the play, snapping a 2-2 tie and putting Wilmont up by a run.

“I just stuck my bat out and was able to get it past a diving effort by the first baseman,” explained Teerink, who is the longest tenured player for Wilmont. “What a great game this was that had two of the best pitchers in the area dueling against each other. It was just a lot of fun to be a part of, and we’re happy to have the chance to play at least one more time.”

Saufley’s RBI single, five scoreless innings help Wilmont take 2-0 lead

Saufley worked a 1-2-3 frame on 12 pitches in the top of the first, fanning a pair of batters and inducing a ground-ball out to second baseman Nick Ahrens — who had four assists and three putouts in the game.

Wilmont then scored in the bottom half to take a quick 1-0 lead. Lucas Henning (2-for-4, single in the third) landed a one-out single into left field and later scored from second on Saufley’s RBI single to get the Cardinals on the board.

Luverne’s Zach Olson and Brian Beuning (2-for-4) cracked back-to-back singles to begin the second, but a nifty 6-4-3 double play — shortstop Adam Diekmann to Nick Ahrens to first baseman Joe Ahrens — helped Saufley wiggle out of that early jam.

The Cardinals nearly doubled their lead in the bottom half, as Diekmann (2-for-3) ripped a lead-off single up the middle and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Stuart Rogers. Teerink (2-for-4) followed with a single to center, but Zack Clark was there to field the softly-hit ball and fire a strike to Beuning at the plate — cutting down Diekmann, who was waved around third, on a close play.

Luverne made another great defensive play in the third, as third baseman Tim Connell gloved a hard smash down the line off the bat of designated hitter Jay Scheidt and threw across the diamond for the out.

Wilmont’s second-inning action was then duplicated in the fourth, with Diekmann smacking a lead-off single and moving to second on another sacrifice bunt by Rogers. But this time, Nate Stoll belted a two-out, RBI double to right-center that plated Diekmann from third for a 2-0 Cardinals’ lead.

Saufley tossed scoreless frames in each of the third, fourth and fifth frames, working around a lead-off single by DeBoer in the third and a one-out walk to Connell in the fifth. Saufley induced a trio of ground-ball outs — including a diving play by Joe Ahrens — in a 1-2-3 fourth and then started a 1-6-3 double play on a comebacker in the fifth.

Luverne scores twice, threatens to take lead; Saufley limits damage

Both of the runs that Luverne scored were unearned, coming after the only two errors that Wilmont committed in the game. The Redbirds scored their first run in the sixth, as the speedy Clark reached on a one-out error and promptly stole second base.

An infield single by Tony Sandbulte (2-for-4) and an RBI fielder’s choice groundout off the bat of James Fisher ensued, as Clark scored to make it 2-1. A diving catch by Stoll — on a line drive hit by Olson — in center field was next, as Wilmont held onto the lead.

DeBoer worked his only 1-2-3 innings back-to-back — in the sixth and seventh — to keep the score a one-run difference. Eleven of the 24 outs that DeBoer recorded in eight innings came as a result of ground balls.

The momentum seemed to be tilting Luverne’s way at the plate, as well. Beuning and Connell both singled in the seventh, and the Redbirds broke through with another run in the eighth to tie the game.

Taylor Van Santen reached on an error to start the inning. A passed ball and an infield single by Clark allowed Van Santen to advance to third, where he scored from when Sandbulte laced an RBI single into left field.

With the score tied at two runs apiece and a pair of runners on with no outs, it appeared that Luverne might break the game open — especially with the middle of the Redbirds’ order due up.

Saufley, though, fanned the next batter for the first out. Nick Ahrens then made a dandy of a play on a ground ball up the middle, getting a force out at second and leaving runners at the corners with two outs before Stoll hauled in a fly ball for the third out.

“That was big to get out of there allowing just one run,” Saufley said. “That’s what I wanted to do after the first three batters reached that inning, and I liked our chances of winning if the game was still tied. It worked out for us.”

Catcher Steven Kremer and Saufley (2-for-2, two walks) led off the bottom of the eighth with consecutive singles, with Schroeder and Tanner Loosbrock inserted as pinch-runners, respectively. Joe Ahrens advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Diekmann was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.

DeBoer notched a key strikeout for the second out and then got up 1-2 on Teerink, but “Muff” knocked the next pitch into right field to score Schroeder and give Wilmont a 3-2 lead.

Saufley issued a lead-off walk to Tanner Skattum in the ninth, and Connell laid down a sacrifice bunt. With a runner on second and one out, DeBoer hit a hard smash up the middle that Saufley got a glove on before Nick Ahrens fielded behind second base and fired to a stretching Joe Ahrens for the out at first.

Saufley, who is now 9-0 on the mound, then stranded the potential tying run at third when he struck out the next batter on an off-speed pitch, recording the third out of the inning and the 27th out of the game — keeping the Cardinals’ season alive.

R H E

Luv. 000 001 010 — 2 8 0

Wil. 100 100 01X — 3 10 2

WILMONT — After Tracy scored four runs in the top of the sixth to pull within one run on the scoreboard Sunday afternoon, the top-seeded Wilmont Cardinals answered with six runs in the bottom half of the frame and went on to claim an 11-4 victory over the seventh-seeded Express in an elimination game of the Gopher League amateur baseball playoffs.

Wilmont (20-6) advances in the double-elimination tournament and will host third-seeded Luverne Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.

Joe Ahrens pitched the first six innings for the Cardinals and was credited with the win, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out six batters. Lucas Henning (two innings, four strikeouts) and Stuart Rogers (one inning) finished up on the mound for Wilmont.

Steven Kremer (2-for-4, three RBIs), Jesse Teerink (2-for-3, two runs), Nate Stoll (2-for-4) and Justin Saufley (1-for-4, two RBIs) were the top performing hitters for Wilmont, which increased a 5-4 lead into an 11-4 advantage with six runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Jason Minett was 4-for-4 to lead Tracy at the plate, while Robbie Slinkman was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

R H E

Tracy 000 004 000 — 4 7 0

Wil. 140 006 00X — 11 11 0

WILMONT — For seven innings, the Wilmont Cardinals were in control of Friday night’s amateur baseball game.

But the final two frames proved to be the difference.

Pipestone scored three runs in the eighth and added a run in the ninth to take a 4-3 victory.

Matt Paulson led off the ninth by drawing a walk for the A’s and Jon Schelhaas followed with an RBI double, which ended up being the game’s decisive run.

Lewis Valt had a key two-run double in the eighth to tie the score at 3-all.

Doug Mead added an RBI single for the A’s.

Bryce Beyers earned the victory on the hill. After giving up two first-inning runs, Beyers allowed one more run while scattering eight hits and striking out eight in eight innings. Paulson earned the save in relief.

Adam Diekmann suffered the loss for Wilmont (19-6). He allowed two earned runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out nine in a complete-game effort.

Jesse Teerink was 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead the Cardinals, while Steven Kremer was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Jay Scheidt and Lucas Henning each had a hit and scored a run, while Diekmann had an RBI in the game.

Wilmont will host Tracy on Sunday at 2pm in the next round of playoffs.

R H E

Pipe. 000 000 031 — 4 7 2

Wil. 200 001 000 — 3 8 2

 WILMONT- Justin Saufley struck out 16 batters and didn’t allow a walk, leading Wilmont past Minnesota in an amateur baseball playoff game.

Saufley scattered two hits in seven innings.

Adam Diekmann threw the final inning and struck out one.

At the plate, Saufley was 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Jay Scheidt was 2-for-5 and drove in a run, while Diekmann was 1-for-3 and drove in two.

Joe Ahrens had an RBI double in the game.

Wilmont will continue playoff action Friday night against either Pipestone or Adrian.

R H E

Minn. 000 000 00 — 0 2 2

Wil. 000 103 41 — 10 11 0

WILMONT — Sparked by Adam Diekmann’s 4-for-4 performance at the plate Friday night, the Wilmont Cardinals pounded out 14 hits and claimed a 10-5 victory over the Southwest Barnstormers in an amateur baseball game at Butts Probst Field.

The Barnstormers, who are a team comprised of area players ages 35 and older, were playing a bit short-handed against the Cardinals — the team sitting atop the Gopher League standings with a 15-3 league record (16-5 overall).

But it was a very special night for one player on the visiting team, who was competing on a field that he called home for 24 seasons in uniform and many more years as a youngster growing up watching Wilmont baseball.

Sam Baumgartner, who played for the Cardinals from 1986 through 2009 and now plays for the Barnstormers, was honored with a pre-game ceremony that featured lots of high praise from former teammate Jeff Appel. Many former teammates were on hand for the event, as Wilmont retired Baumgartner’s number — 2 — and presented him with a framed Cardinals’ jersey.

“I really appreciated that,” said Baumgartner, who started playing with Wilmont after his sophomore year of high school. “It was a lot of fun playing for Wilmont over the years, and I have so many great memories and friendships as a result of my experiences. I can’t thank my teammates enough for thinking this highly of me, and it’s really an honor to be a part of something special like Wilmont baseball the way that I have for so long.”

Baumgartner was the starting pitcher and batted lead-off for the Barnstormers Friday night, striking out four batters in three innings of work and finishing 1-for-4 with an RBI single and a run scored at the plate.

“We’re excited for Sam and happy to be involved in a great night of baseball,” Barnstormers manager Tarry Boelter said. “Give Wilmont credit for playing well and also for getting the field ready to go, as they worked hard to make this thing possible. There was a nice crowd on-hand, and I think it was a pretty good ballgame by both teams.”

Diekmann leads Wilmont in the field and at the plate; Barnstormers rally to tie the score

Baumgartner led off the game with a sharp ground ball up the middle and appeared to have a lead-off single, but Diekmann — playing shortstop for the Cardinals — made an incredible diving stop behind second base and fired a throw to first from his knees to record the initial out of the night.

That was the first of six straight outs to begin the game for Wilmont starter Ryan Swanson (five innings, eight strikeouts, four walks), who fanned four batters — starting with a 1-1 count (35-and-older rules) — in a pair of 1-2-3 frames.

Wilmont then scored five runs on five hits in the bottom of the second inning, as Stuart Rogers smashed a lead-off single to left field and advanced to second when the ball was misplayed. Diekmann followed with his first hit of the night, delivering an RBI single to left field and plating Rogers to make it 1-0.

Nick Ahrens later reached on an error before Nate Stoll (single), Lucas Henning (single) and Steven Kremer (double) laced three consecutive run-scoring base hits. Diekmann, Ahrens and Stoll each scored to make it 4-0, and Henning later scored on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Justin Saufley to give the Cardinals an early 5-0 lead.

The Barnstormers, though, answered right back with five runs of their own in the top of the third. Todd Armstrong (2-for-2) of Windom started and finished the five-run output, cracking a lead-off single and scoring, and later ripping an RBI single to drive in the team’s fifth run of the frame.

In-between Armstrong’s base hits, the Barnstormers drew four walks and smashed two more singles to help even the score. Appel (run), Chuck Sendelbach (run), Jeff Rogers (RBI, run) and Kevin Nowotny (RBI) each coaxed a free pass, while Baumgartner (run) and Dan Blankenship (2-for-4) both drilled an RBI single to highlight the action for the Barnstormers.

“It’s always fun playing these guys,” said Saufley, who serves as Wilmont’s manager. “They battled right back after we took the lead, and it was a fun game to be a part of. It was an awesome night to honor Sam, who has done more for and meant more to Wilmont baseball than maybe anyone else has ever.”

Cardinals stretch lead back to five runs, hold Barnstormers scoreless

Wilmont scored once in the bottom of the third, taking a 6-5 lead on an RBI single to center by Tanner Loosbrock (2-for-3). Diekmann blooped a one-out double down the left-field line and scored to put the Cardinals back on top.

The Cardinals scored three times in the fourth, as Henning (2-for-3) belted a lead-off double and scored on an RBI double by Brandon Diekmann (2-for-2) to make it 7-5. Adam Diekmann and Loosbrock added back-to-back RBI singles later in the inning, increasing the gap to 9-5.

Wilmont closed the game’s scoring in the sixth, as Brandon Schroeder reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on the first hit of the season for Ahrens — an RBI single up the middle that made it 10-5. Both Diekmann brothers — Brandon and Adam — had a base hit in the inning, as well.

Swanson and Stuart Rogers each pitched a pair of scoreless innings the rest of the way (after the third). Swanson allowed just a two-out single to Blankenship in the fifth, while Rogers (three strikeouts) worked around walks to Armstrong in the sixth and Nowotny in the seventh.

Nowotny hurled the final three innings for the Barnstormers, starting a 1-2-3 double play to end the fourth and twirling a perfect fifth frame.

Both teams play Sunday, as Wilmont hosts Adrian at 2 p.m. The Barnstormers (3-2-1) play in Searles, also at 2 p.m.

R H E

SW 005 000 0 — 5 5 2

Wilmont 051 301 X — 10 14 0

Wilmont 8, Minneota 4

WILMONT — Adam Diekmann (five strikeouts, no walks) hurled seven strong innings Sunday, leading the Wilmont Cardinals to a victory over the Minneota Mudhens in the first game of a Gopher League home doubleheader.

Joe Ahrens (third inning) and Tanner Loosbrock (sixth inning) each tagged a two-run home run for Wilmont, while Lucas Henning (RBI, two runs) and Nate Stoll (two runs) each cracked two hits.

R H E

Minneota 002 101 0 — 4 11 1

Wilmont 004 022 X — 8 10 0

Wilmont 10, Milroy 3

WILMONT — Justin Saufley (six strikeouts, no walks) also tossed seven strong innings Sunday, as Wilmont topped the Milroy Irish in the nightcap of a Gopher League doubleheader.

Adam Diekmann (three RBIs) and Joe Ahrens (RBI, three runs) were each 2-for-3, while Saufley (HR two RBIs) and Jesse Teerink (RBI) each had a base hit.

Wilmont (14-5, 14-3) plays at Pipestone on Tuesday night.

R H E

Milroy 001 001 1 — 3 8 1

Wilmont 200 323 X — 10 11 0

Wilmont 9, Windom 5

WINDOM — A trio of players had two hits as Wilmont defeated Windom in an amateur baseball game Wednesday night.

Lucas Henning, Justin Saufley and Adam Diekmann were each 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Cardinals.

Joe Ahrens picked up the victory on the hill. He allowed no runs on one hit while walking two and striking out three in three and two-thirds innings.

He came on in relief of Nick Ahrens, who threw four and one-third innings.

Saufley finished the game on the hill. He allowed one hit while striking out one in one inning.

Nick Kulseth suffered the loss for the Pirates. He came on in relief of starter Charlie Dunnink.

Brett Mattson was 4-for-4 to lead Windom at the plate, while Kirby Johnson was 2-for-5. Matt Anderson was 1-for-5, but had a two-run double in the third inning.

R H E

Wil. 000 040 401 — 9 10 2

Win. 013 010 000 — 5 11 2

WILMONT — Adam Diekmann silenced Hadley’s bats Wednesday night in an amateur baseball game.

Diekmann allowed one run on four hits while striking out eight in a complete-game gem, leading Wilmont to a 4-1 victory against the Buttermakers.

Zach Bruns suffered the loss for Hadley. He allowed four runs while striking out 10 in eight innings.

Eric Wieneke had two hits to lead the Buttermakers, while Bruns added an RBI double in the fourth inning.

Steven Kremer was 1-for-2 with a run scored and two walks for the Cardinals (11-2), while Tanner Loosbrock added an RBI fielder’s choice.

Lucas Henning had a single and scored a run for Wilmont, which will travel to Jackson on Friday night.

R H E

Had. 000 100 000 — 1 5 3

Wil. 000 120 01X — 4 4 0

WILMONT — If Justin Saufley had any doubts about receiving enough run support to pick up the victory for Wilmont in an amateur baseball game against the Luverne Redbirds on Tuesday, his teammates extinguished them in the third inning.

The Cardinals scored 10 runs in the frame, setting up an eventual 15-2 victory in seven innings.

Saufley (five innings pitched, one earned run, four strikeouts) picked up the win and Joe Ahrens (two innings, one earned run, four strikeouts) finished the game in relief.

Steven Kramer made a big impact on offense for Wilmont by going 1-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Adam Diekmann was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two walks, Stuart Rogers was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored and Jay Scheidt was 1-for-1.

The Cardinals (10-2) host Hadley today.

R H E

Luv. 000 010 1 — 2 7 3

Wil. 00(10) 302 X — 15 9 1

 

Saufley and defense Stun Lakers!

Mt Lake 1, Wilmont 4

Justin Saufley was nearly perfect! As he just misses the perfect game pitching 8 2/3 perfect innings and stuns the Mt Lake Lakers in the complete game victory!

Saufley helped himself at the dish going 2-4 with and RBI and a run scored. Lucas Henning was 3-5 with and RBI and also scored a run. Joe Ahrens added a double in two plate appearances, while Ryan Swanson was 1-1 with and RBI, and Tanner Loosbrock scored two runs. Cards also swiped two bags as a team in the well fought victory! 

Mt Lake 000 000 001 - 1 2 3

Wilmont 002 001 10X - 4 10 1

Wilmont 2, Milroy 1

MARSHALL — Adam Diekmann threw a complete-game gem as Wilmont won a close game against Milroy Saturday.

Diekmann allowed one run on six hits while walking two and striking out 14 in nine innings. He was also 3-for-4 with an RBI at the plate.

Nate Harberts had a hit and scored a run, while Brandon Diekmann and Lucas Henning each had a hit and scored a run.

R H E

Wil. 000 000 110 — 2 8 0

Mil. 001 000 000 — 1 6 2

Wilmont 5, Fox Lake 3

WILMONT — Justin Saufley, Stuart Rogers and Tanner Loosbrock each drove in a run, leading the Cardinals to a two-run victory on Sunday afternoon.

Steven Kremer led Wilmont with two hits and two RBI, while Joe Ahrens had a double.

Ahrens picked up the victory on the hill in two innings of relief of Nick Ahrens (four innings, two strikeouts). Saufley also threw one inning.

R H E

FL 000 021 0 — 3 4 1

Wil. 100 013 X — 5 8 1

Fairmont 9, Wilmont 3

WILMONT — The Cardinals only pitched to Fairmont’s Pete Bissen one time.

He made it count.

Bissen hit a grand slam in his only official at-bat, leading the Martins to a victory against Wilmont.

Nate Harberts suffered the loss, while Justin Saufley and Ryan Swanson each threw in relief.

Joe Ahrens had an RBI single, while Adam Diekmann added an RBI.

Lucas Henning had a single and scored a run, while Saufley and Steven Kremer each scored a run.

The Cardinals (7-2) will travel to Pipestone on Friday.

R H E

Fair. 005 102 1 — 9 11 3

Wil. 200 010 0 — 3 2 4

Cardinals churn Buttermakers!

Wilmont 8, Hadley 2

HADLEY — Wilmont’s Justin Saufley pitched seven shutout innings and hit a two-run home run to lead his team to a comfortable win against Hadley on Sunday.

Saufley (six hits, seven strikeouts) picked up the win, with Joe Ahrens (two innings pitched, two hits, three strikeouts) finishing out the game on the mound for the Cardinals.

Zach Bruns, Alex Van’t Hof and Luke Schneider combined on the mound for the Buttermakers.

Stuart Rogers was 3-for-4 on the day for Wilmont, Steven Kremer was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Lucas Henning and Jesse Teerink each recorded a double. Saufley finished 3-for-4 at the plate.

Alex Petersen led Hadley by going 3-for-4 at the dish with a double and an RBI and Max Zwart also recorded a double.

The Buttermakers (3-3, 2-2) are at Adrian on Wednesday and at Pipestone on Thursday.

R H E

Wilm. 400 002 020 — 8 13 3

Hadley 000 000 002 — 2 8 0

Wilmont smokes express!

WILMONT — Wilmont’s pitchers almost completely shut down Tracy’s attack and the Cardinals’ batters were close to unstoppable in a 19-0 amateur baseball victory on Thursday.

Nate Harberts (five innings pitched, 10 strikeouts), Joe Ahrens (one inning pitched, two strikeouts) and Nick Ahrens (one inning pitched, three strikeouts) combined on a two-hitter for Wilmont on the mound.

Steven Kremer led the Cardinals’ attack with a three-run homer (3-for-5, five RBI), Adam Diekmann was 2-for-3 with three RBI, Tanner Loosbrock was 3-for-5 with two RBI and both Justin Saufley,Ryan Swanson and Brandon Diekmann recorded two hits apiece.

Wilmont (4-1) plays at Pipestone on Sunday.

 

 

Wilmont thumps Mudhens!!   

 

The Wilmont Cardinals opened their 2011 season on a winning note, by drilling the Minneota Mudhens 10-0. After a slow first 5 innings Wilmonts bats came to life. Collecting 10 runs on 9 hits and 11 walks, that proved to be more than enough run support for starter Justin Saufley. Saufley went 6 innings striking out 6, walking 0 and allowed only 1 hit. Nate Harberts and Adam Diekman threw the remaining 3 innings combining for 7 k's. Brandon Diekman, Steven Kremer, Jesse Teerink and Saufley each had 2 hits while Ryan Swanson added a single. Tanner Loosebrock walked 3 times and collected a pair of rbi. Wilmont travels to Heron Lake Sunday for a 2:00 affair.

 

 

 

SATURDAY MAY 21ST!!! WILMONT HOME OPENER VS ADRIAN 2:00 PM !!!

 

 

There are extra hats and window decals if you are interested....

3/21/10
Check out the team store at the link on the left hand side of the screen!!  Now updated for ALL your apparel needs, blankets, household items, etc.  The Wilmont Logo is now available to be on pretty much anything you want.  Click on any item and it brings you to the main store where you can adjust designs and styles on anything and see how it looks immediately. There are many styles and choices available