GILMAN BASEBALL - Pirates start fast, hold on to beat Spencer; Stratford rolls to 10-0 win

GILMAN BASEBALL

The Gilman Pirates scored five runs in the top of the first inning Tuesday and that was enough for the pitching and defense to nail down a 6-3 Eastern Cloverbelt Conference baseball win at Spencer.

Left-hander Dawson Grunseth got the win with six strong innings as he worked around eight hits and two walks to allow just two earned runs while striking out three. Dawson Robinson struck out two and allowed a hit on just 10 pitches in the seventh, leaving him able to pitch at full capacity if needed today, Thursday, when Gilman hosts a rematch with the Rockets.

The Pirates did have to sweat it out a bit late. Down 6-0, Spencer scored twice in the sixth and then gave up a run as the Rockets put the first four hitters on in the seventh. The last of those four was Madden Prybylski, who singled off Robinson to load the bases, but Robinson struck out Tyler Peterson looking, got the potent Reed Knecht to pop out and then struck out Dalton Post to end it.

The win puts Gilman at 2-0 in conference play and 6-2 overall. Spencer fell to 2-2, 5-3.

Gilman’s big rally in the first inning started with a single by Lucas Halida on the second pitch from Spencer’s Peterson. Beau Pockat was hit by a pitch and they advanced a base on a passed ball. Connor Nichols drove in both on a single to rightfield.

Grunseth’s single and a walk to Talyn Podolak loaded the bases for Robinson, who grounded into a fielder’s choice where the Rockets failed to get an out and allowed a run to score. They did get an out on Tate Krizan’s grounder but a run scored and an error on a ball hit by Max Pockat scored the fifth run.

After that, Peterson and the Spencer defense settled in, only allowing a fourthinning run on Beau Pockat’s groundout. Peterson wound up going 5.2 innings and allowing seven hits. Five of Gilman’s runs were earned. Peterson struck out two and walked two.

Grunseth, Max Pockat and Trevin Duellman each had two of Gilman’s nine hits.

After today’s rematch with Spencer, Gilman gets Loyal, who is currently 5-0, next week. The sites for those games have been switched. Loyal will host the Tuesday game while Gilman now gets the May 1 contest. Both start at 5 p.m. On May 2, Gilman will make up an early-season, non-conference postponement at Cadott.

Stratford 10, Gilman 0

On Thursday, Gilman tested itself against a formidable Stratford squad and struggled both offensively and defensively in a 10-0, five-inning road loss.

The Tigers scored three runs in the second and third innings and, after tacking on a run in the fourth, ended the game with three more in the fifth. They outhit Gilman 11-2 and the Pirates committed five errors, leading to five unearned runs.

Brady Berg struck out five Gilman hitters and didn’t walk any. Halida started the game by reaching on an error and stole second. He wound up being the only Pirate to advance past first base. Grunseth singled with two outs in the fourth and Krizan singled with one out in the fifth.

Grunseth pitched a scoreless first inning, but Stratford’s Jaegar Ormond led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run. With two outs and a runner on first, Matthew Schoenfuss tripled to lift to drive in one run and he later scored on a double steal to make it 30.

Vance Kielman started the third with a double. He scored on an error on a ball hit by Ormond. After two walks, Jack Remus singled in a run and a third run scored on an error on a ball hit by Schoenfuss. Jack Tubbs singled, stole second and scored on Riley Spindler’s single in the fourth.

Kolton Haupt started Stratford’s rally in the bottom of the fifth with a onedouble and took third on an error. He scored on a Remus groundout. But Gilman couldn’t get the third out. Schoenfuss, Tubbs and Spindler all singled and an error on a ball hit by Kielman ended it.

Grunseth pitched the first three innings. He struck out one, walked four and allowed five hits and six runs, two of which were earned. Max Pockat got five outs with one of them being by strikeout. He allowed six hits and four runs, three of which were earned.

Tubbs, Ormond and Schoenfuss had two hits apiece for Stratford, who improved to 5-1 at the time.