Game Schedule/Results - Varsity
Coach: Mark Downey: markdowney@charter.net, 612-716-1088
** For last minute game cancellations/changes, see the Suburban East Conference Calendar: MV Schedule
Directions for all games are also available on the Suburban East Website link above.
Section Baseball Tournaments
2008 Varsity Game Schedule/Results
| Date |
Time |
Opponent |
Location |
| Tue, Apr 8 |
4:15PM |
Forest Lake |
Win 3-2 |
| Wed, Apr 9 |
4:15PM |
White Bear Lake |
Win 6-1 |
| Mon, Apr 14 |
4:15PM |
Hastings |
Win 11-10 |
| Wed, Apr 16 |
4:15PM |
Park |
Win 12-2 |
| Mon, Apr 21 |
4:15PM |
Cretin-Derham Hall |
Win 6-2 |
| Wed, Apr 23 |
4:15PM |
Spring Lake Park |
Win 9-7 |
| Mon, Apr 28 |
5:00PM |
Forest Lake |
Win 4-0 |
| Wed, Apr 30 |
4:15PM |
White Bear Lake |
Win 8-3 |
| Thu, May 1 |
4:15PM |
Stillwater |
Win 7-6 |
| Mon, May 5 |
4:15PM |
Hastings |
Win 5-3 |
| Wed, May 7 |
4:15PM |
Park |
Loss 14-5 |
| Thu, May 8 |
4:15PM |
Roseville |
Loss 5-4 |
| Fri, May 9 |
4:15PM |
Stillwater |
Loss 7-6 |
| Mon, May 12 |
4:15PM |
Cretin-Derham Hall |
Loss 3-1 |
| Thu, May 15 |
4:15PM |
Irondale |
Loss 9-8 |
| Fri, May 16 |
3:30PM |
Woodbury (2) |
Loss 5-3, Loss 8-7 |
| Thu, May 22 |
4:00PM |
Sub-Section - Coon Rapids |
Loss 6-1 |
| Sat, May 24 |
2:00PM |
Sub-Section - Irondale |
Win 7-5 |
| Tue, May 27 |
2:00/4:00 |
Sub-Section - Coon Rapids |
Loss 5-2 |
2008 Varsity Game Recaps
VARSITY - Tue, May 27, 2008 - Coon Rapids 5, Mounds View 2
For the second year in a row, Coon Rapids ended Mounds View�s season in the Section playoffs. The Mustangs threatened to jump to a nice lead in the 1st inning with runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs; but the Mustangs came away with only 1 run in the inning to take the early lead 1-0. Coon Rapids jumped in front 2-1 with a pair of runs in the 3rd. In the top of the 6th, 3 walks and an error contributed to a 3 run inning for Coon Rapids to give them a 5-1 advantage. The Mustangs threatened in the bottom of the 6th with the bases loaded but were unable to score, and in the 7th also had runners in scoring position, and managed just 1 run. Coon Rapids pitcher Steve Schroer held the Mustangs at bay offensively for the second game in a row; doing the same in the Section playoff opener last week. The Mustangs competed hard for 7 innings, but had too many miscues in the field to give themselves a chance to win a close well pitched game on both sides. The defensive gem of the day was a diving catch in left field by David Bothwell. David Freed started and pitched a solid 5 and 1/3 innings, and Matt Harris finished up the final 5 outs, recording 3 strikeouts. Harris made 9 appearances on the season; allowing an earned run in only one game this season. Offensively, the Mustangs could only muster 6 hits on the day, and couldn't come up with that timely hit to break things open offensively. Ian Goldsmith, David Freed, Nick Barkve and Ross LaDuke each had a single and a walk for the Mustangs. The Mustangs end the season 11-9; winning their first 10 games, and losing 9 of their next 10 games. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Sat, May 24, 2008 - Mounds View 7, Irondale 5
The Mustangs defeated the Knights in a Section 5AAA losers bracket game at Irondale High School. The Mustangs opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning; Nick Barkve scoring on an error by the Knights with 2 outs; Barkve had doubled in the left field gap to get into scoring position. Austin Hanson's 2 run homer over the 418 sign in left center field in the bottom of the 4th inning gave the Knights a 2-1 lead. The Mustangs responded right back in the top of the 5th with 4 runs to take a 5-2 lead. Nick Barkve led off the 5th with his first career home run over the left field fence. With 2 outs, Brandon Hershey singled in a run and Brad Blumer followed with a base hit to knock in 2 more runs. The Knights scored a run in the bottom of the 6th to close the gap to 2 runs at 5-3. Hershey led off the top of the 7th with a HBP, and pinch hitter Jesse Nickols then hit the first offering over the left field fence to give the Mustangs a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the 7th. The Mustangs helped a Knights comeback effort in the bottom of the 7th with a couple of errors and a walk, but Paul Myers worked through the jam to record the save. Cam Dickison started and gave the Mustangs a strong 5 inning outing to get the win, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits. Matt Harris struck out 3 in a scoreless 6th, and Paul Myers also recorded 3 K's in the bottom of the 7th. Barkve, LaDuke, Hershey and Blumer all had multi-hit days. The Mustangs will play Coon Rapids on Tuesday for the subsection championship; needing to defeat the Cardinals twice. The first game is at 2:00PM at Kohler, and the second game will follow shortly afterwards if the Mustangs win game 1. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Thu, May 22, 2008 - Coon Rapids 6, Mounds View 1
Coon Rapids defeated Mounds View at Kohler Meadows in the first game of the subsection playoffs. Coon Rapids pitcher Steve Schroer went the distance and kept the Mustangs batters at bay, striking out 8, walking one, scattering 6 hits, and allowing only 4 Mustangs runners to reach scoring position. Nick Barkve had a pair of hits, Ian Goldsmith reached twice on a hit and a walk. Dan Reichert played in his first game since the 2nd game of the season, and he singled and scored the lone Mustangs run. David Freed pitched the first 5 innings for the Mustangs, facing one over the minimum through 3 innings. The 4th inning proved costly as the Cardinals scored 4 runs. The Mustangs didn't get any breaks in the inning: with no runs scored, the 3rd out in the inning swung and missed for strike 3, but the pitch hit the front of the plate and bounced over Catcher Phil Wessberg's head. Four runs later, the Cardinals had the 4-0 lead. Paul Myers and Andy Gallagher each pitched an inning in relief for the Mustangs. Walks proved costly for the Mustangs; representing 4 of the Cardinals' 6 runs. Coon Rapids advances to the winners bracket game vs. Irondale on Saturday at 12:00PM. The Mustangs will face the loser of that game at 2:00PM Saturday at Irondale High School for the opportunity to play on Tuesday for the subsection championship. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Fri, May 16, 2008 - Woodbury 5, Mounds View 3
In the nightcap of the doubleheader at Woodbury, Woodbury jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. The Mustangs, to their credit after losing a heartbreaker in Game 1), battled back to tie the score on homeruns in the 4th inning by Ross LaDuke (solo) and Jesse Nickols (2-run), only to lose the game on 2 unearned runs in the top of the 7th after retiring the first 2 batters in the inning. For the second game in a row, the Mustangs gave away bases defensively as they gave up 5 SB's, 2 WP's and 2 PB's. David Freed pitched 6, and faced only 4 over the minimum total after the first inning. Anthony Tallarico pitched the 7th and deserved a better fate. Jesse Nickols doubled, homered and walked in his 3 at-bats, and Ian Goldsmith was 3 for 4. The Mustangs will have Senior Day on Monday as they host Roseville. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Fri, May 16, 2008 - Woodbury 8, Mounds View 7
In the first game of a doubleheader at Woodbury, Woodbury rallied from 3 runs down (7-4) in the bottom of the 6th to score 4 runs and defeat the Mustangs 8-7. The wheels came off late in the game for the Mustangs once again; a BB, HBP and an error in the 6th helped the Royals as they also strung 3 hits together to take the lead. The Mustangs were unable to control the Royals running game as they recorded 6 stolen bases. Cam Dickison started and pitched into the 7th inning, and Andy Gallagher finished up in the 7th. Offensively, the Mustangs built their lead with 2 runs in the 2nd, 4th and 5th innings, and added a run in the 6th as well. The offensive production was balanced through the line-up with all 9 gaining 1B at least once: David Freed had a pair of hits, Ross LaDuke also had 2 hits including a double and a run scored, Justin Moline had a hit with 2 walks and 2 runs scored, Phil Wessberg doubled for an RBI and walked, and David Bothwell had a pair of hits with a run scored and an RBI. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Thu, May 15, 2008 - Irondale 9, Mounds View 8
In a long and slow moving game, the Mustangs lost their 3rd straight extra inning game; bringing little energy to Kohler Meadows for the second big game in a row. They committed 6 errors and walked 9 batters; 2 of Irondale's 9 runs were earned. Irondale also handed the Mustangs many of their runs with 7 walks. Paul Myers started and went 4 and 2/3; Phil Wessberg pitched 1 and 2/3 innings, striking out 3; and Andy Gallagher finished the final 3 innings allowing 0 earned runs. Offensively, Nick Barkve scored a pair of runs; Ian Goldsmith was on base 3 of 4 times with a single, 2 walks, and a sacrifice fly for an RBI; and Brandon Hershey also had a sacrifice fly, doubled and had a pair of RBI's. The Mustangs travel to Woodbury for a doubleheader on Friday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Mon, May 12, 2008 -
Cretin Derham-Hall 3, Mounds View 1
The Raiders handed the Mustangs their second extra inning loss in a row by the score of 3-1. The Raiders put runners on 2nd and 3rd in both the 1st and 2nd innings, but failed to score Capitalizing on a couple of Mustangs defensive miscues, the Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the 3rd inning. The Mustangs tied the score in the 5th; David Bothwell reached on a HBP, and scored on David Freed's double. Cretin's David Bettenburg hit a 2-run homerun in the 8th to provide the margin of victory. The Mustangs opened the bottom of the 8th with a walk by Freed, and Cretin then brought in Georgia Tech recruit Jacob Esch to close out the game for the Raiders. Cretin's Nate Swanson dominated the Mustangs hitters today, scattering 5 hits and striking out 9 in his 7 innings of work. Offensively for the Mustangs, Ross LaDuke had a pair of hits, and David Freed had a double, a walk and the Mustangs RBI. The Mustangs host neighborhood rival Irondale on Thursday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Fri, May 9, 2008 - Stillwater 7, Mounds View 6
The Mustangs were beaten by the Ponies in extra innings at Stillwater on Friday. Like the first meeting, the game was very competitive and entertaining. Cam Dickison pitched extremely well; going 5 and 1/3 innings, scattering 4 hits and holding the potent Stillwater offense to 3 runs. Matt Harris relieved Dickison in the 6th, and got out of a jam with 1 run. Harris suffered an arm injury in the 7th; and Paul Myers entered and finished the game. The Mustangs opened the scoring in the top of the first on a 2 run opposite field homerun by Ian Goldsmith. Shaun Marshall's homerun for Stillwater in the bottom of the second closed the gap to 2-1. Brad Blumer scored on David Freed's single in the top of the third to give the Mustangs a 3-1 lead. Stillwater countered in the bottom of the third to score a run making it 3-2. It stayed that way until the 6th when the Mustangs scored 3; taking advantage of 2 Stillwater errors that eventually lead to David Bothwell's key 2 run single. Stillwater scored a run in the bottom of the 6th to make it 6-3 going into the 7th. In the 7th and 8th innings, the Ponies got the bats going - they led off the bottom of the 7th with 3 straight hits to score 2 runs and placing the tying run on 2B. Matt Harris had to leave the game due to an arm injury, and Paul Myers was called into emergency service. With 2 outs and the Mustangs clinging to a 1 run lead, the Ponies had the tying run on 3B. Catcher Phil Wessberg had the runner at 3B picked off but his throw hit the runner's helmet and deflected toward left field which allowed the tying run to score. The Mustangs could not capitalize on Bothwell's single in the 8th, and the Ponies scored the winning run in the bottom of the 8th. Offensively, Ian Goldsmith led a 10 hit attack with his home run, 2 RBI's and 3 hits overall, and David Bothwell had a multi-hit game with a pair of RBI's. On the one hand, a disappointing loss for the Mustangs given the 3 run lead into the 7th inning. On the other hand, there were many positives to build upon that included some defensive gems by shortstop Nick Barkve, and Cam Dickison's pitching performance. Most importantly, the players competed extremely hard, and given their competitive make-up, I'm confident that the way this game ended will only make them more determined. The Mustangs host Cretin at 5:00PM on Monday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Thu, May 8, 2008 - Roseville 5, Mounds View 4
Roseville scored 3 in the bottom of the 7th to defeat the Mustangs at Roseville. The Mustangs were plagued by 4 errors and 6 walks in the game. The Mustangs opened the game's scoring in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly by Brad Blumer that scored Brandon Hershey. Roseville took advantage of 2 errors and 2 walks to score 2 runs to take the lead 2-1 in the bottom of the 3rd. Brandon Hershey's towering solo homerun to right field in the top of the 4th tied the score at 2-2. The Mustangs strung 3 hits together in the 6th to score 2 to take a 4-2 lead. A couple hits and a couple walks provided the Raiders with 3 runs and the win in the bottom of the 7th; the game ended with the Raiders scoring the winning run on a bang-bang play at the plate on Ian Goldsmith's throw from centerfield after a base hit. David Freed started on the hill for the Mustangs; Anthony Tallarico relieved him after 2 innings and went through the 6th; Andy Osborne took the loss in the 7th. Brandon Hershey led the team's 9 hit effort with 3 hits including the homerun, and he scored 3 runs. Justin Moline reached 3 times in his 3 at-bats with 2 singles and a walk, and he had an RBI. Goldsmith tripled and had a walk. Chris Szymanski was 1 for 2 with an RBI, a sacrifice bunt, and he also threw out a Raider baserunner attempting to steal. The Mustangs play at Stillwater on Friday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Wed, May 7, 2008 - Park 14, Mounds View 5
The Wolfpack pounded out 19 hits to coast to a 14-5 victory over the Mustangs at Kohler Meadows. Park was the beneficiary of several well placed bloop hits, but also recorded many hard hit balls that included 5 doubles. Sophomore Tom Swannson kept the Mustangs hitters off-balance with his ability to throw all his pitches for strikes and hit his spots to record the complete game victory. Park put up 3 runs in the top of the first, and the Mustangs scored 5 in the bottom of the second to take a 5-3 lead. The Wolfpack responded with 6 runs in the top of the 3rd and never looked back. Paul Myers started for the Mustangs, and Josh Balzer saw his first varsity action by pitching 4 and 2/3 innings, striking out 5, and allowing 0 walks. Offensively for the Mustangs, David Freed, Nick Barkve and Ian Goldsmith all had multi-hit days. Thanks to the Diamond Club for hosting a barbecue for fans and players! The Mustangs travel to Roseville on Thursday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Mon, May 5, 2008 - Mounds View 5, Hastings 3
The Mustangs came from behind twice to come away with the win at Hastings. The Mustangs looked like they hadn't been outside in 3 days; but finally got things going midway through the game enough to capture the win. Hastings jumped to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The Mustangs took the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third as Justin Moline led off the inning with a single; followed by singles from David Freed, Ross LaDuke and Ian Goldsmith to score the 2 runs. Hastings tied the game in the 4th and took the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th. The Mustangs responded with 3 runs in the top of the 6th - keyed by Justin Moline's clutch 2-out single to score the tying and go-ahead run. Moline's alert baserunning to gain 2B on the play allowed him to then score on David Bothwell's single to provide the Mustangs with an insurance run. Andy Gallagher started on the bump for Mounds View, tossing 5 strong innings, and allowing 2 earned runs with 5 K's to pick up his 3rd win. Matt Harris was stellar in relief yet again; finishing the final 2 scoreless innings to keep his ERA at 0.0, and earn his 2nd save of the season. Offensively, Moline was 2-3 with 2 RBI, 2 Runs, and the game winning RBI. David Freed collected 3 hits on the day, Nick Barkve was on-base 3 times, and Ross LaDuke had another multi-hit day. The game ended with a line drive out to Bothwell in left field with the tying run on 2B. The Mustangs host Woodbury on Tuesday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Thu, May 1, 2008 - Mounds View 7, Stillwater 6
In the most competitive and entertaining game of the season thus far, the Mustangs prevailed in a see-saw offensive game with Stillwater. Both teams played solid defense, and the Ponies and the Mustangs both were productive offensively despite a strong wind blowing in; Stillwater had 14 hits to the Mustangs 10; the first game this season in which the opposition has outhit the Mustangs. The Ponies opened the game with 2 runs in the top of the first, and added 3 more in the 3rd to take a 5-0 lead. The Mustangs responded with 5 runs of their own in the bottom half of the 3rd by banging out 3 singles and 3 doubles. David Bothwell scored a go-ahead run in the 4th on a wild pitch to give the Mustangs a 6-5 lead. A Stillwater solo HR in the 6th tied the game back up, and the inning ended with the Ponies threatening to take the lead on a single, but David Bothwell's perfect throw from left field to Phil Wessberg ended the inning in dramatic fashion tied at 6-6. Nick Barkve's line drive single scored Karl Eicher with what would be the winning run in the bottom half of the 6th. Barkve, Andy Kurkowski and Phil Wessberg had multi-hit games for the Mustangs. Ian Goldsmith had 2 RBI's, and Eicher scored 2 runs. Paul Myers pitched the first 4 innings, and gave the ball to Cam Dickison who was making his 2nd relief appearance in 2 days. Dickison threw 1 and 2/3, and yielded to Matt Harris who closed out the game for the final 1 and 1/3 to pick up his 2nd win of the season. In addition to Bothwell's throw to nail the Stillwater go-ahead run, the Mustangs also turned a 1-2-3 (Myers to Wessberg to Hershey) double play to end a bases loaded Stillwater rally in the 4th inning. The Mustangs host Roseville on Friday - The Diamond Club is hosting a cookout for players and fans. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Wed, April 30, 2008 - Mounds View 8, White Bear Lake 3
Brandon Hershey's 2-out RBI double in the first got the Mustangs off to a 1-0 lead. In the 3rd, the Bears jumped ahead with 3 runs started with a solo home run by Alex Noonan. In the top of the 5th, the Bears were threatening to open their lead by opening the inning with a double. A pitch to the next batter went to the backstop and it caromed hard off the fence, returning to an alert Chris Szymanski behind the plate who quickly threw to 3B where Justin Moline applied a quick tag to gain the out and eliminate a Bear baserunner on 3B with 0 outs. In the bottom of the 5th, the Mustangs took advantage of 3 hits, a walk and a costly error by the Bears. A key play in the inning occurred with Mustangs' baserunners at 1B and 3B with one out. Ian Goldsmith at 3B quickly read "down angle" on a hard ground ball by Brandon Hershey and headed for home causing the Bears' 3B'man to bobble the ball, thus eliminating a potential double play, scoring a run and keeping the inning alive to score 2 additional runs after that play. The Mustangs never looked back from there; leading 6-3 after 5 innings. For yet another game, the Mustangs recorded 10 hits on the day; led by David Freed's 4-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBI's and a stolen base. Freed was also busy in the field, recording 5 putouts in right field. Brandon Hershey was 2-4 with a double, 3 RBI's and a stolen base. David Bothwell also had a multi-hit day with 2 runs scored and a stolen base. But for an outstanding play by Bears' pitcher Peterson on an outstanding bunt, Bothwell would have had 3 hits on the day... The Mustangs have 3 players hitting over .500 in Hershey, Freed and Ross LaDuke. Andy Gallagher started on the hill for the Mustangs, surrendering 2 earned runs in 4 and 2/3 innings, scattering 3 hits and striking out 5. Cam Dickison entered in the 5th to thwart a Bears rally, and pitched a total of 1 and 1/3 scoreless innings to record the win and lower his season ERA to .955. Phil Wessberg closed things out in the 7th to keep his ERA at .000 on the season. The 8-0 Mustangs host the 7-1 Stillwater Ponies on Thursday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Mon, April 28, 2008 - Mounds View 4, Forest Lake 0
The Mustangs traveled to Schumacher Field (sporting a brand new infield that was re-done last fall) and returned with a 4-0 win. David Freed started and went 6 and 2/3 innings to get the hard earned win; striking out 5 in his almost complete game shutout. Matt Harris came in to close the door on a 7th inning Forest Lake rally to earn the save. The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Ian Goldsmith led off the game with a walk, stole second, and scored on Brandon Hershey's fielders choice in which he beat the double play throw to allow the run to score. The Mustangs tacked on a run in the 5th. Double plays in the 5th (with the bases loaded and 0 outs - a line shot to Ross LaDuke who relayed to Brandon Hershey at 1B to double off the runner) and 6th (a slick 6-4-3 double play that Nick Barkve started on his backhand, and ended with Brandon Hershey pick'ing the relay throw in the dirt from LaDuke) allowed the Mustangs to cling to the narrow lead. In the 7th, Mounds View got some breathing room keyed by Nick Barkve�s 2-out single to score Jesse Nickols who had singled to open the inning, and Hershey later followed with a double to score Barkve. LaDuke had 3 hits and an RBI on the day, Barkve also had a multi-hit day with a run scored and an RBI, and Hershey had a pair of RBI's. The Mustangs host White Bear Lake at Kohler on Wednesday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Wed, April 23, 2008 -
Mounds View 9, Spring Lake Park 7
On a beautiful day at Kohler Meadows, the Mustangs outlasted Spring Lake Park 9-7 in a sometimes lackluster game by both teams. The Mustangs jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning, and also held an 8-2 lead after the 4th. Spring Lake Park battled back to close to within 8-7 in the 6th, and the Mustangs picked up an insurance run in their half of the 6th. David Freed started for the Mustangs and worked 3 innings, striking out 4 and allowing 2 runs. Anthony Tallarico, Justin Moline, and Matt Harris provided relief through the 6th, and Phil Wessberg picked up the save in the 7th. The Mustangs again out slugged the opposition; scoring runs in all but one inning. Brandon Hershey hit his 2nd HR on the season; he also doubled, had 3 RBI's and scored 2 runs. Ian Goldsmith was 2-3 with a double, a triple and a run scored. Ross LaDuke also had a multi-hit game and scored 2 runs; LaDuke was very busy in the field for the second straight game with 6 assists. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Mon, April 21, 2008 - Mounds View 6, Cretin Derham Hall 2
The Mustangs traveled to Cretin and came away with a hard earned victory. Pitching is the name of the game, and the Mustangs received solid pitching from Cam Dickison who started and went the first 4, and Andy Gallagher who pitched the final 3 innings. They, along with battery mate Phil Wessberg, combined to scatter 10 hits and 4 walks. The Mustangs made plays in the field, and again turned a critical double play to thwart a 4th inning rally to keep the score tied at 1 apiece at that point. Ross LaDuke was particularly busy in the field with 7 assists and 1 putout. Offensively, the Mustangs continued to be productive at the plate, producing 10 hits, and putting some pressure on the Raiders that helped contribute to the Raiders committing 4 errors. David Freed was 2-4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI's. David Bothwell had 2 hits and 2 RBI�s, Brandon Hershey had a pair of hits, and Karl Eicher scored 2 runs. The Mustangs play sectional foe Spring Lake Park on Wednesday at Kohler Meadows. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Wed, April 16, 2008 - Mounds View 12, Park 2
The Mustangs moved to 4-0 on the season with a 12-2 six inning victory at Park on Wednesday. Paul Myers gave the Mustangs a very strong performance on the mound; throwing 5 innings, 4 K's, 1 BB and 0 earned runs. Phil Wessberg closed out the game in the bottom of the 6th inning; striking out the side. For the 4th game in a row, the Mustangs benefitted from timely hitting; beginning in the top of the first. The Mustangs put the first 2 men on with 0 outs, and Park pitcher Dan Ubl then recorded 2 K's in a row. Brandon Hershey then delivered a 3 run opposite field HR over the left field fence to give the Mustangs an early lead. Brad Blumer and David Bothwell also delivered 2-out RBI hits on the day. The Mustangs were potent at the plate, recording 12 hits and 7 walks. Ubl pitched well, striking out 7 and keeping the Mustangs batters off-balance. However, the mustangs had some good at-bats to be able to get Ubl out of the game after 5 innings, and then exploded for 6 runs in the 6th to put the game away. Multi-hit games were turned in by David Freed, Ross LaDuke, Hershey, and Blumer. Nick Barkve drew 2 walks, giving him 5 in the last 2 games. Barkve also scored 3 runs. Andy Kurkowski drew 3 walks, and had 3 of the team's 7 stolen bases on the day. The Wolfpack crawled back into the game in the 4th inning; scoring 2 unearned runs to close the score to 4-2 at the time. With Dan Ubl pitching well for the Wolfpack, the momentum easily could have turned, but the Mustangs responded with 2 runs in the top of the 5th. Defensively, the Mustangs had a few mental miscues and a couple of errors - we need to get better here. That said, solid pitching, timely hitting, and competing hard the whole game was enough to send the visitors home with a win. The Mustangs host Stillwater on Friday at Kohler; the Diamond Club will be hosting a barbeque for fans and players in attendance. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Mon, April 14, 2008 - Mounds View 11, Hastings 10
The Mustangs outlasted the Raiders to win 11-10 in a 3 hour game at Kohler. Tied 10-10 in the bottom of the 7th, David Bothwell doubled, Ian Goldsmith moved Bothwell to 3B with a single, and Ross LaDuke's deep fly ball over the center fielder's head scored Bothwell with the winning run. Offensively, the Mustangs scored a run in all but the 6th inning, pounding out 14 hits, and were led by LaDuke's second straight 4 hit game. The Mustangs jumped to a 4 run lead in the bottom of the 1st on an RBI single by LaDuke and a bases clearing double by Brad Blumer. From there the game went back and forth; the Mustangs taking the lead only to have the Raiders battle back into the game. Varsity newcomer Brandon Hershey was 3 for 4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's. LaDuke and Andy Kurkowski also scored a pair of runs. Goldsmith and Bothwell also had multi-hit games for the Mustangs. On the mound, the Mustangs were led off by David Freed who started and recorded 7 strikeouts in three innings pitched. Justin Moline and Anthony Tallarico combined to pitch the 4th, Tallarico the 5th, and Matt Harris closed things out for the Mustangs to earn his first win of the season. The game was not a textbook game by either team, both teams committing errors at key times. However, the Mustangs responded well to twice relinquishing 4 run leads to be able to come back and win it in the bottom of the 7th. Mounds View travels to Park on Wednesday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Wed, April 9, 2008 - Mounds View 6, White Bear 1
The Mustangs traveled to White Bear Lake and came away with a 6-1 victory. Four Mounds View pitchers combined to allow only the 1 earned run, scattering 6 hits and 6 walks, with 7 strikeouts. Andy Gallagher started and picked up the win with 3 innings worked. Cam Dickison worked 2 innings, Phil Wessberg 1 inning, and Matt Harris closed it out in the 7th by facing the minimum of 3 and striking out 2. The defense turned 2 double plays to eliminate White Bear opportunities. A 6-4-3 (Nick Barkve to Ross LaDuke to Dan Riechert) in the 1st got the Mustangs out of a bases loaded jam, and a 5-4-3 (Brad Blumer to LaDuke to Reichert) in the 3rd also eliminated a rally by the Bears. Offensively, Blumer's 2 out RBI single in the 2nd, and Ross LaDuke's 2 out 2-RBI single in the 3rd gave the Mustangs a 3-0 lead and they never looked back. LaDuke was 4-4 with a double, 3 RBI's, 2 runs scored and a stolen base. LaDuke also was busy in the field with 4 put-outs and 4 assists. Chris Szymanski had the task of catching 4 different pitchers in the game, and he went 2-3 with an RBI at the plate. Reichert scored 3 runs, and David Freed and Matt Stoltman had stolen bases for the Mustangs. Mounds View hitters were patient in drawing 8 walks in addition to 10 hits on the day. While the pitchers struggled at times, throwing a total of 142 pitches in 7 innings, they made pitches when they needed them most. Combine that with great defense and timely hitting, and the Mustangs get their 2nd win on the season. Mounds View travels to Roseville on Friday. (Coach Downey)
VARSITY - Tuesday, April 8, 2008 - Mounds View 3, Forest Lake 2
The Mustangs opened the season at home in sub-40 temperatures. Kudos to the Vadnais Heights maintenance team in getting the field ready for play with the recent weather; several other school's fields will not be ready tomorrow (Woodbury and Forest Lake are two that I'm aware of). It was a 0-0 game through 6 innings. Forest Lake starting pitcher Zidar held the Mustangs scoreless through the first 6 innings; yielding 1 hit, 0 walks, striking out 4, and facing the minimum - 18 batters. Forest Lake had a baserunner in every inning, and stranded 6 runners in scoring position. Mounds View starting pitcher Paul Myers pitched 4 solid innings, allowing 0 runs, 3 hits and 2 walks. Myers netted 4 strikeouts, and effectively worked his way through several scoring threats; aided by David Freed's nice running catch at the foul line fence to end the threat in the third inning. Anthony Tallarico finished the last 3 innings, earning his first varsity win with a solid pitching effort. The Rangers finally broke through and scored a pair of runs in the top of the 7th; appearing to be in good shape with Zidar looking to wrap up a complete game shutout. David Freed led off the bottom of the 7th with a double. Nick Barkve followed with a base hit, and Freed scored on a throwing error. With the tying run in Barkve at 1B, Dan Reichert put down an excellent bunt that led to another error putting the tying run on 3B in Barkve and winning run on 2B in Reichert. Ian Goldsmith delivered a deep fly ball to right field that was caught, scoring Barkve tagging up from 3B. Reichert read the play well, and also tagged up - I sent Reichert around 3B; clearly a questionable decision; based upon the thinking that it was the first game, sub-40 temps, pressure situation, long relay throws required after the RF made an awkward catch, 2 outs, and an opportunity to reinforce what we talk about all the time - be aggressive with a purpose offensively. All that said, I was second guessing myself the whole time Dan was running from 3B to home... Fortunately it worked out for the Mustangs as the relay throw was off-line and Reichert scored the winning run. The Mustangs did a good job of hanging in there until some good things happened for them late in the game to give them the win. The Mustangs travel to White Bear Lake on Wednesday. (Coach Downey)
Forest Lake Game Pictures
Mustangs Baseball 