Earns first ticket from Region 15C
Elrosa - Spring Hill is back where they’ve been gunning all year long after a 2-0 weekend at the Region 15C amateur baseball tournament in Elrosa. The Chargers, now with 16 wins this season against Stearns County League opponents, earned narrow come-from-behind wins against Richmond and New Munich on Saturday as the first team from Region 15C to earn a trip to state.
Richmond led 2-0 going into the eighth inning before falling 3-2, while New Munich led 2-0 in the third inning in a 4-2 loss. The following day, St. Martin took advantage of 5 errors by Lake Henry in a 10-2 win to earn the region’s second ticket to the state tournament.
Spring Hill plays in the winner’s bracket final on Friday against St. Martin at 7:30 p.m. If they win, they’ll go to the region championship and would have to lose twice to get the number two seed to state instead of number one.
The Chargers were stymied at the plate by Richmond starter Ben Schroeder through the first seven innings, getting just four base runners in that time. The Royals defense came up big with a double play in the second and a catcher-to-second pick off on a steal attempt in the fourth. Louie Opatz, who finished two-for-four, had Spring Hill’s first hit with a single in the fifth. Cody Eichers, who had a ground ball and strikeout in his first two at bats, got a leadoff double in the eighth that was followed by a single by Opatz. Eric Schoenberg hit a sacrifice fly RBI to plate Eichers, and number one batter Eric Terres hit a two-out RBI-single to tie the game while scoring Austin Schoenberg. In the bottom of the ninth, Shawn Schoenberg got a leadoff walk, and Corey Schoenberg advanced on an error to put two on with no outs. Eichers then walked on one out to load the bases, and Opatz hit a sacrifice fly RBI to left field that brought [Shawn Schoenberg home] to end the game. Elrosa draftee Ethan Vogt pitched a complete game and had the Royals in check over the final six innings.
Spring Hill 4, New Munich 2
After two initial walks to New Munich’s first two batters, Opatz was replaced by Jordan Welle on the mound in the top of the first inning with just one out recorded. Joe Stangler put the SilverStreaks on the board with an RBI-single, but Welle coaxed two pop ups to leave two runners stranded.
The Chargers loaded the bases in the second with an error on Nathan Terres’s at bat and singles by Eichers and Opatz, but two strikeouts by New Munich starter Ty Reller left three stranded.
Joe Stangler’s sacrifice-y RBI in the third made it 2-0.
Nathan Terres did most of Spring Hill’s damage in the bottom of the third inning, when he hit a bases-clearing double to bring in three RBI. A lead off double by Eric Terres, a walk to Jamie Terres and a successful bunt single by Shawn Schoenberg loaded up the bases on no outs. After Corey Schoenberg was struck out, Nathan Terres knocked the ball to straightaway center for a 3-2 lead.
An RBI-single by Nathan Terres in the fifth inning added an insurance run, and Spring Hill’s defense ultimately kept New Munich from scoring in the final six innings.
Elrosa draftee Aaron Vogt took over for Reller on the mound in the bottom of the sixth and closed for New Munich, and Corey Schoenberg became closing pitcher for Spring Hill in the top of the seventh.
In the top of the ninth, Nick Stangler hit a two-out single followed by a single by Grant Johnson to put the tying run on base. Joe Stangler drilled a deep ball to center field, but Shawn Schoenberg took barely a step into it to record the game’s final out.
New Munich had nine hits with two errors and 11 runners stranded. Spring Hill had eight hits with no errors and nine left on base.
(Melrose Beacon)
