* * * Apologies, dear readers, I neglected to click the little "Display on Home Page" button after I wrote the recap last week. My bad, please forgive El Webby, thank you. * * *

 

 

The Fish hosted the Shakopee Coyotes for a rare Sunday afternoon doubleheader at the Tank yesterday.

 

Riley Ahern took the hill for New Market in the first game, opposite Shakopee's Jesse Nystrom. We got on the board early thanks to an RBI single from Brett Herber in the 2nd inning, which brought Ni. Rost around to score after he singled and stole second.

 

Shakopee answered right back however, putting up a five-spot in the top of the 3rd. Five consecutive batters reached, with the big blows being Hoffman's two-RBI double and Theis' 3-run homer.

 

Slowly but surely we began to chip away. In the 3rd, Scotty doubled, and two batters later Na. Rost doubled, making the score 5-2. In the 5th we made it 5-4 thanks to a clutch two-run dinger from the aforementioned Na. Rost: 'twas a laser beam to right center. 'Twas.

 

Shakopee would add one in the 6th, but we plated four in the 7th and then added two more in the 8th for good measure. A. Henkemeyer and Ni. Rost both homered in the 7th; Andy's was a three-run shot, Nick's a solo job.

 

Shakopee scored all six of their runs off Ahern. TNR came in with two outs in the 6th and went the rest of the way, not allowing a single run, striking out five, and picking up the "W" in the process.

 

Harry Ballantyne, Scotty Lyden, and the Rost Bros. all had multiple hits.

 

Final score (game one):

Shakopee 6

Muskies 10

 

 

Like the first game, we jumped out to an early 1-0 lead: Scotty walked and would eventually come around to score on a Ni. Rost single.

 

Herber was on the mound, and was effective: through four innings pitched he didn't give up a run (despite walking walking three batters in the first inning). Over the next three he gave up only two base hits while striking out four.

 

Momentum swung the Coyotes way in the 5th, however, after Hoffman launched a three-run blast high over the left-center field fence. They would add two more in the 7th on a Buchtel two-RBI double.

 

Going into the bottom of the 7th the score was 5-1 in favor of Shakopee.

 

TNR got the rally started in the bottom of the 7th with a lead-off double. Two batters later, Kyle Bergstrom stepped up to the plate and proceeded to smoke one over the right-center field fence, thus bringing the score to 5-3.

 

TNR came in to pitch in the middle of the 8th and shut the door on the Coyotes offense.

 

In our half of the 8th we kept chipping, chipping away. Harry and K. Henkemeyer led off with a back-to-back singles. But the next two batters were retired. TNR came up with two outs and hit one that Shakopee's shortstop couldn't handle, brining Harry around to score.

 

5-4 Shakopee after eight complete.

 

Nate set 'em down in order in the top of the 9th, giving the Cardiac Kids a chance to work some magic in the bottom of the 9th.

 

The rally got off to an inauspicious start: five pitches into the inning and Hoffman---who took over on the mound for Isensee in the 9th---already had two outs. With the game on the line, Tyler Bergstrom stepped up to the plate. He hit one up the middle that Shako's shortstop misplayed, and we were in business. Joe McKibben took over as pinch runner. That brought Harry Ballantyne to the dish. Like TB before him, he hit one hard enough that the second basemen couldn't make the play (though it should be mentioned that Becker did have six hits on the afternoon; tip 'o the cap to ya, kid). Kibs advanced to third on the play. With the tying run only 90 feet away and all the fans on their feet, lead-off hitter Kyle Henkemeyer found a hole on the right side of the infield, bringing Kibs in to score and getting Harry over to third. Tie ball game, friends. With Scotty Lyden up, Baseball Manager Todd Bergstrom put on the old first-and-third double steal play, and it worked like a charm: Kyle took off for second, the catcher threw down, Harry sprinted home, and the throw back to the plate was not in time. Muskies win, Muskies win.

 

Shakopee hadn't made an error all day until the bottom of the 8th in the second game. But we took advantage of their mistakes when they made them and found a way to get it done.

 

Final score (game two):

Shakopee 5

Muskies 6

 

Annnnndddd kudos to Nate Rost for vulturing two wins.

 

Hope to see you in Dundas on Wednesday night!