Merchants finish 4-3 in Dairyland play

The Abbotsford Merchants wrapped up their Dairyland League schedule with games against Rib Lake and Spirit, splitting the pair to finish league play with a 4-3 record. They also lost a home exhibition game against Augusta, bringing their current overall record to 6-7.

Rib Lake, 8-7

The Merchants traveled to Rib Lake to take on the Osprey in their final Dairyland League contest of the season last Friday evening. While the visiting Abby squad took the league leaders to the brink, Rib Lake was able to sneak out with aN 8-7 win over the Merchants.

While the Osprey were able to take an early 1-0 lead after scoring an unearned run in the first inning, it was Abbotsford that took control over the early game. Lucas Stahnke reached on a double in the top of the second and was able to score on an error later in the inning toknot things up. Stahnke then came through with an RBI single in the third, scoring Mateo Lopez for the go-ahead run.

Abbotsford continued to expand their lead in the fourth. Lopez smacked his second double of the contest, driving in a third run, and starting pitcher Aaron Morrow helped his own cause by coming up with a two-out RBI single to make the score 4-1. Rib Lake finally answered in the bottom of the fifth with a single run, but another Morrow single with runners in scoring position in the top of the sixth allowed the Merchants to maintain their three-score advantage.

A flurry of singles in the bottom half of the sixth flipped the game on its head. The Osprey collected five base hits in the inning, including two bunt singles, and were able to retake the lead by pushing across 4 runs in the inning. The Merchants responded with two runs in the top of the seventh after Trevor Stuttgen knocked in Ty Peterson with an RBI double and Lopez came through with another RBI hit to once again give the visitors the lead. However, runs in the bottom of the seventh and the eighth for Rib Lake shifted the lead back to the Osprey for one final time. Down 8-7 in the ninth, the Merchants were able to get a baserunner on but were unable to score him and ultimately fell to their Dairyland rivals.

Morrow pitched most of the game, going seven innings and surrendering seven runs on nine hits and 10 walks while striking out five batters. He did not factor in the final decision. Lopez was saddled with the loss after giving up one run in the bottom of the eighth on two hits.

The pair of pitchers combined to go 6-for-10 from the plate, with Lopez collecting two extra base hits and driving in two runs and Morrow ended the game with three RBIs. Stahnke was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double and Chance Clement reached base three times, going 1-for-4 and drawing two walks.

Spirit, 12-6

Trevor Stuttgen had a three hit game and scored three runs, Payton Schreiber and Aaron Morrow combined to strike out 17 batters and the Merchants were able to cruise to a 12-6 road victory over the Spirit Twins on Sunday, July 21.

Aside from a tough sixth inning, the contest was dominated by the Merchants. The visiting Abbotsford team outhit the Twins 10-to-2 and scored nine unanswered runs to start the game.

Stuttgen got things started for the Merchants with a leadoff double in the third inning and Lucas Stahnke was able to drive him in on a ground out to put Abbotsford on the board.

An impressive fourth inning solidified the visitors’ hold over the contest. Despite two quick outs to open the inning, the Merchants strung together seven straight baserunners, scoring five times in the frame. Stuttgen began the two-out

See MERCHANTS/ Page 10

FIRE DOWN TO FIRST - Merchants catcher Lucas Stahnke unleashes a throw down to first on a bunt attempt during Abbotsford’s matchup with the Rib Lake Osprey on Friday. He also was productive at the plate, collecting two hits and an RBI.

STAFF PHOTOS/MATT FREY

CATCHING HIM RED HANDED - Ty Peterson lays down the tag on a would be Rib Lake base stealer in the Merchants final Dairyland game of the season. While Abbotsford got the out, they could not quite hold on to their early lead and fell to the Osprey 8-7. Merchants

Continued from page 9

rally with a single and was later able to score after the Twins committed a pair of infield errors. Stahnke collected a walk to load the bases and then shortstop Brett Nelson came through with a single to drive in a pair of runs. Wayne Jakobi and Morrow continued the parade with RBI singles of their own, with only an out at the plate finally ending the inning.

The Merchants added to their lead in the top of the sixth. Schreiber reached on a single and Nelson was able to drive him in two at-bats later on a single. Two more runs were able to come home on another error by the Spirit defense and a sacrifice fly, giving Abbotsford a 9-0 advantage.

Schreiber had mowed through the Twins lineup through the first five innings, collecting 10 strikeouts and not allowing a single hit. However, the Merchants starter ran into trouble in the sixth. While he managed to strike out two of the five batters he faced in the inning, three Spirit runners were able to reach after being hit by pitches, loading the bases with two outs. After a pitching change, an error would allow the first run to score for the Twins and seven runners in a row would reach safely. The ball did not leave the infield during the stretch and only one of the seven Spirit runners had a hit, the others reaching via walk, hit by pitch, or error.

While the game certainly was certainly made closer after the Twins' rally, the final three innings would belong to the Merchants. Abbotsford answered back with a run in the seventh and then picked up two more in the top of the ninth courtesy of Stuttgen scoring on a wild pitch and then Blake Bargender coming home on a double steal later in the inning. Morrow pitched a clean final three innings for the Merchants, only giving up one more hit and striking out five to secure the win.

Schreiber earned the win, going five-andtwo- thirds while striking out 12 and not surrendering a hit. He walked three and hit six batters and had three runs from the sixth charged to him. Morrow gave up three runs, none of which were earned, in three-and-athird innings worth of work, giving up two hits, four walks, and two hit batters.

Stuttgen finished 3-for-6 with three runs and a double, Nelson collected two RBIs and scored twice on two hits and Jakobi ended the game with a pair of singles. Stahnke had two RBIs and two runs scored after reaching safely four times, collecting a double and three walks.

Augusta, 3-2

Abbotsford once again found itself in a low-scoring contest with the Augusta Athletics when the two teams collided in an exhibition match on Friday, July 19. As in their first meeting, the Merchants were able to take an early lead, but ultimately Augusta came out on top, defeating the hosting Abbotsford squad by scoring two runs in the final frame of the seven inning contest.

Starting pitcher Blake Jakobi pitched a gem on the mound for the Merchants, going all seven innings and holding Athletics in check for most of the evening, striking out 12 of the 30 batters he faced while only walking two. He started out the game by tossing four shutout innings, allowing the home team to take a hold over the early portions of the game.

The Merchants got on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Mateo Lopez was able to take advantage of some defensive misplays by the Athletics to singlehandedly give Abbotsford the lead. The Merchant’s center fielder reached on a twoout single and was able to move over to second on the play. Then another error by Augusta not only allowed Lopez to take third, but home as well.

They then threatened in the third inning after a walk by Jakobi and a single and steal, courtesy of Parker Lissner, gave the home

See MERCHANTS/ Page 14 Merchants

Continued from page 10

team runners on second and third with just one out. The Athletics were able to escape the inning with a strikeout and flyout, however, stranding the two Abbotsford runners.

The visiting squad was able to finally get to Jakobi in the top of the fifth after a leadoff walk and a single gave Augusta runners at the corners with no outs. Jakobi bounced back with a strikeout, but an error allowed Augusta to tie the game at 1-1. Two more strikeouts from Jakobi ended the threat, limiting the damage.

Jakobi and Lissner paired up again in the bottom half of the fifth, with Jakobi reaching on an error and Lissner getting on with a single. The two advanced on a wild pitch and Blake Bargender earned a walk to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly from Payton Schreiber allowed Abbotsford to retake the lead, but that would be all the damage the Merchants could manage in the inning, leaving them clinging to a 2-1 lead heading into the final two innings.

While the Merchants had led for the majority of the game, the complexion of the game shifted in a matter of a few pitches in the top of the seventh. A leadoff double for the Athletics was followed up with a single to put runners on the corners and a balk allowed the tying run to score. Then, an error allowed the go-ahead run to come across the plate during the next at-bat. In the span of five pitches, the Athletics had taken the lead. While the Merchants managed to stop them from pulling ahead any further, they were not able to answer in the bottom half of the frame and ultimately fell 3-2.

Jakobi was saddled with the loss, giving up three runs, just one earned, on four hits and two walks.

Lissner went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles and two stolen bases, Lopez was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Talon Scheithauer and Aaron Morrow also had hits.