Last year in Brad Mazer’s first game back from the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks he struck out in his first two at bats. After one of the strike outs, Howard Lake’s pitcher Jake Streich hopped off the mound yelling “You’re not in the MIAC anymore”. This year in Brad’s first at bat against the Orphan’s Shane Heber he jacked at homerun to left center for the game winning hit. Not bad for a Gustavus Adolphus MIAC hitter.

When the Devils and Orphans play you expect at well pitched low scoring game and this would be no exception. The Orphans out hit the Devils five hits to four but two of the Devil’s hits were homers to get the “kids out of the trees”.

The first scoring chance occurred in the top of the first. The Orphans Andy Gagnon led off the inning with a single to center. Luke Gagnon sac bunted to move the runner up to second. After an Orphan’s strike out, Ben Borrell hit a ground ball to second. On the play the Devil’s second baseman misplayed the ground ball but recovered in time to throw out Andy at home by fifteen feet.

Not to be out done, the Orphans would throw out a Devil at the plate. In the sixth, KC Johnson started the inning with a base hit. Matt Goodwald sac bunted to move KC to second. Brad Mazer hit up the middle was fielded by the Orphan’s shortstop but a throwing error left the Devils with runners at first and third. In the next at bat the Devils loaded the bases with a walk. Do up next for the Devils was Brandon Schliinz who hit a fly ball to medium center. On the catch, KC tagged up and was thrown out at the plate with a strong throw from Ben Borrell.

In the eighth KC would score, this time he got a pitch that the Orphan’s Jake Streich would like to have back. Jake’s pitch got too much of the plate and KC drove the ball over the fence just short of the pines in left field.

Two runs would be all the Devil’s pitching staff would need as Adam Gregg, CJ Goodwald and Paul Kunz combined for the shutout out. The trio gave up five hits, striking out eight Orphans while walking two.