Chargers defeat defending champs
Cold Spring- Spring Hill brought a smile to the face of almost every Stearns County League fan with its 1-0 victory over Sobieski Saturday, Aug. 22 in the Class C state baseball playoffs. “We definitely put ourselves on the board,” said Eric Schoenberg, who scored the game-winning run in the fourth inning. “Sobieski is a great team and we played a great game to beat them.”
The Skis won the 2014 Class C championship, and many considered this year’s team even better. Pitching for them was Tyler Jendro, the 2014 Class C state tournament MVP. From the start of the game the Chargers showed they were ready to play with that talent. Eric Terres led off the game with a single. After an infield error allowed him to reach second base, he stole third.
That was as close as Spring Hill got to scoring until the fourth inning when Schoenberg scored. The game was a gem of pitching and defense.
“We had three great pitchers today and they brought us through, and the defense played good,” said Schoenberg
The Chargers had a chance to break the game open in the fourth inning.
With one out Eric Schoenberg and Louie Opatz had back-to-back singles and Corey Schoenberg drew a walk to load the bases. That brought Chris Spanier to the plate. He was aware of who he was facing. “Tyler Jendro was a last year’s MVP,” he said. “He is always around the plate.”
Spanier drove one of those pitches to the outfield. It was not all that deep, but allowed Schoenberg to score. “We put the bat on the ball,” said manager Randy Schoenberg. “A few more good hits and we would have been on our way.” “I hit a curveball,” Spanier said. Jendro got out that inning and Spring Hill had only one more threat the rest of the game. Eric Terres, who had three hits, reached third in the seventh inning, but was stranded there when the inning ended. After the fourth inning, the Chargers would have only three more hits the rest of the game. “We wanted to score a few more (runs), but I had a feeling it would be down to the wire,” said Opatz. “We have to give a lot of credit to Austin and to our draftee pitchers.” Spring Hill started Austin Schoenberg who would earn the win. Schoenberg didn’t allow a hit until the sixth inning. He did not have smooth sailing most of the game. In the first inning an error put a runner in scoring position. In the third Sobieski had a man on third base. In each case he had the next batter hit into an inning-ending play.
Schoenberg left the mound in the sixth inning right after Scott Litchy broke up his no-hit bid. [Ben Schroder], drafted from St. Martin, came and gave up another hit, but then retired three straight batters. One of those retired came as shortstop Jamie Terres snared a line-shot for the second out of the sixth inning. In the seventh, the Skis had runners at the corners. Spring Hill got out of that inning turning a short-second-first double play. Schroeder retired the side in order in the eighth, then ran into trouble in the ninth inning.
Sobieski, kept the pressure on. In the ninth inning they opened with a single and a sacrifice to put a runner on second base. After a one-out walk, Spring Hill brought JaColby Anderson, drafted from Atwater, to pitch. Sobieski needed just one hit to tie the game. It didn’t get it.
“I really didn’t know a lot about our draftees,” said catcher Nathan Terres. “We just threw strikes and let the defense play.”
Anderson faced only two batters and had both ground into fielder’s choice plays. The last ground the ball to shortstop Jamie Terres, who stepped on second to end game.
“You want the ball in that situation,” said Terres. “You have to stay in front, knock down and make the play.”
The win sends Spring Hill against Pelican Rapids, champions of Region 16C Sunday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Cold Spring. The two teams have never met, but manager Randy Schoenberg noted it should be a good game “Everybody is tough here. Nobody is a slouch,” he said. “You play the game, play it hard and whatever happens, happens.”
(Melrose Beacon)
