MORRIS, Minn. - In a doubleheader that took more than 50 hours to complete, Minnesota Morris defeated Wisconsin-Superior in two tight games Monday in UMAC baseball action at the Cougar Diamond.
The two teams started the first game of the doubleheader Saturday and played into the third inning before lightning, and later rain, postponed action until Monday. The game resumed with the Cougars leading 3-1 with UWS batting in the third with runners on first and second and two outs.
Michael Dockendorf got the start on the mound for the Cougars Saturday and he went back out Monday to continue what he started. He retired the Yellowjackets to close out the third and he pitched into the seventh allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out five.
The Cougar offense gave Dockendorf the run support he needed. In the fifth, after
Jackson Gessell and
Donnie Mavencamp singled,
Blaise Fairbanks delivered a 2-RBI single right that gave UMM a 5-1 edge.
They would extend their lead in the sixth.
Trent Johnson,
Chandler Erickson, and
Connor Spindler all singled to lead off the frame.
Evan Ellingworth's sac fly brought home Johnson the Mavencamp's single plated Erickson to make it 7-2 Cougars.
UWS loaded the bases in the seventh when
Tyler Hannan was brought in to curb any rally. He retired all three batters he faced in the inning, only allowing a sacrifice fly. He only allowed one base runner over the final two innings to record his fourth save of the season in the 7-4 Cougars win.
The second game started nicely for Minnesota Morris as they raced out to a 6-0 lead after two innings. Five Cougars crossed the plate in the second inning alone.
Trent Johnson started the scoring with an RBI single to score
Lucas Luedtke. A Spindler single to right scored both Luedtke and Erickson. Spindler later scored on an RBI single from Gessell and Gessell would score on a double from Mavencamp.
The Cougars lead stayed at 6-0 until the fifth when UW-Superior had a big six-run frame to tie it. UMM would break the tie in the seventh. With one out, Luedtke,
Zach Kuefler, and Johnson all singled to load the bases. Erickson followed with a perfectly placed suicide squeeze, that turned into a base hit, to score Luedtke.
Hannan came on again in the eighth and pitched out of a jam in the eighth and, with runners on second in the third in the ninth, got the final two outs on a strikeout and a groundout to record his second save of the day.
Erickson had a big day at the plate going a combined 9-for-10 on the day with four runs scored.
Minnesota Morris (8-16, 2-2 in UMAC) hits the road for a Wednesday doubleheader at Crown.
