Tempers flared in the heat as there is no love lost between the Larks and the Devils.

 

For a long time the Larks looked down on the Maple Plain town team as they won the majority of the games between the two teams. But over the last few years the Devils have enjoyed the spoils of victory, this year more than ever as a ‘freshman pus arm pitcher’ won another game against the Larks. CJ Goodwald, just six weeks out of high school, shut down the Larks as they only managed to get three hits off of him in nine innings.

 

The Devils started the scoring with a run in the fourth inning. Andrew Engebretson singled to start the inning. Two outs later, Matt Duenwald singled in his at bat. In the next at bat, Ryan Dwyer drove in Andrew with a base hit.

 

They went on to score two more runs in the sixth. After Brad Mazer flew out to the warning track in center field, Brandon Schliinz singled. Matt Duenwald with a hit and run on, moved Brandon to third on a perfectly placed ball to the right side of the infield. Ryan Dwyer walked to load the bases. Craig Hawkinson singled to score Brandon from third. With the bases still loaded, Matt Goodwald hit a sacrifice fly to score the final run of the inning.

 

In the seventh the Larks scored an unearned run. Loretto’s Tom Traen reached first base on an error. The Devils had a chance at a double play when the next batter hit a ground ball back to the pitcher but an errant throw allowed Tom to go to third. The Larks scored in their next at bat on a ground ball to third.

 

In the bottom of the seventh is when things started to heat up. Adam Gregg led off the inning with a base hit up the middle. Adam attempted to steal second in the Devils next at bat. The throw was in time but Adam had reached the base and was coming up from his slide when the tag was put on him. The base ump did not see it that way and called him out. The Devils bench erupted and eventually Jerry Goodwald, who was letting the ump know what he thought of the call, was tossed from the game.

 

Moving on to the Regions Tempers would flare again in the top of the eighth. With two outs and runners at first and second, Tom Traen hit a short liner to center. The Devils #24, Andrew Engebretson made a diving attempt for the last out in the inning. Once again the base ump became the center of attention when he ruled that Andrew trapped the ball. Andrew got up and had to be restrained as he voiced his displeasure. More words were exchange as John Timpe ran out onto the field. Both Andrew and John were lucky not to get ejected from the game.

 

In the bottom of the eighth more fuel was added to the fire. Brandon Schliinz led off the inning with a base hit. Matt Duenwald sacrificed Brandon to second with a bunt to the pitcher down the first base line. Ryan Dwyer in his time at the plate moved Brandon to third with a single. The Larks made a pitching change but that didn’t stop the Devils as Craig Hawkinson drove in Brandon with a base hit. Both Ryan and Craig would move up a base as the next pitch sailed to the backstop. On the next pitch, Matt Goodwald lifted a sac fly to right to score Ryan from third. KC Johnson drove in the final run of the game with a double to the left center gap.

 

The Larks could feel the game slipping away. Adam Gregg would be the final hitter in the game for the Devils as he hit a short liner to center field. The Lark’s center fielder Brandon Scanlon made a diving catch to take away hit from Adam. As Scanlon was leaving the field he yelled ‘That’s how you make a catch two four.’

 

With both teams jawing at each other, the Larks would end the game with three weakly hit ground balls back to the pus arm.