Lynx pitching staff throws no-hitters

Brandon Valley pitchers Dylan Kirkeby and Hunter Marso each threw no-hitters, as the Lynx club team routed visiting Rapid City Central 15-0 and 1-0 on Senior Night (May 4). 

 

The first game went just four innings, ending on the mercy rule when BV plated eight runs on top of the seven they already had on the board. Logan Nolz had two of BV’s seven hits to pace the offense and also had three of the team’s eight stolen bases.

 

On the hill, Kirkeby needed just 39 pitches to shutout Central, facing the minimum 12 batters in the four-inning game despite two Cobblers reaching base. Central’s lead-off batter drew a walk but a flyout to right caught the runner off-base and Cade Terveer threw him out for a double play. In the second, Central’s first batter reached on error but catcher Jacob Johnson threw him out attempting to steal second and no other batter would reach. Kirkeby had four strike outs, striking out a Cobbler batter to end each inning.

 

Game 2 also ended early by mercy rule, 10-0 in the bottom of the fifth when Joe Kolbeck scored on a wild pitch, his fourth run of the game. The Lynx managed only three hits in the nightcap but benefited from 12 walks and stole 15 bases (five by Kolbeck) to create plenty of scoring opportunities. Marso didn’t need much run support. He walked five batters and two reached third. The Cobblers failed to put a single ball in play as Marso recorded every one of Central’s 15 outs in the game by strikeout. 

 

BV delivered a bit of the same in two games against visiting Rapid City Stevens on Saturday. The Lynx came out on top of the 10-0 and 6-2 outcomes.

 

Cole Hupke pitched a complete game shutout in game one, giving up just two hits and walking two while striking out 10 over five innings. For the third straight game, the game was called on the mercy rule. Thomas Scholten and Dayne Peyton each had a pair of hits to lead BV. Scholten, Peyton, and Terveer all had triples in the team’s third straight shutout. The Lynx stole six bases in the win.

 

Stevens made things interesting in the follow-up, taking a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning and didn’t allow a Lynx hit up to that point. In the bottom of the inning, Brad Skorczewski singled and scored on a Marso hit and Andrew Erkonen drove in Marso with a sacrifice fly to knot the game at 2-2.

 

Kirkeby and Johnson each added singles in the inning before the Raiders turned a double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, BV took the 6-2 lead on four walks, a hit batter, and two wild pitches without a single hit.

 

Jackson Hayes got the start on the mound and went five innings, scattering five hits and two walks. Will Brown earned the win behind two innings of work, retiring all six batters he faced, three of them by strike out. The Lynx had six stolen bases with Jack Smith and Kolbeck each swiping two.