BV splits with Watertown in final outing on home field before state

Brandon Valley Post 131 improved their season record to 22-12, after splitting victories with Watertown Post 17 last week at First National Bank Field on June 30.

Wednesday’s double-header was the last games for Post 131 on their home field until the state tournament later this month.

“It’s bittersweet,” BV coach Jeremy Van Heel said. “We wanted to get both games here today since it’s our last games, but, it is what it is. It’s baseball. You win some, you lose some.”

Following the team’s weekend road trip to the Gopher Classic in Minnesota, Post 131 would’ve sat idle until the state tourney while the teams in the Senior Legion league battled it out in the region tourney ranks. The Lynx, however, will head north to Fargo for a series of games thee this weekend.

“We’re going to use that as our region tournament,” Van Heel said. “We’re going to use our arms and get everybody situated and be ready to go.”

BV 4, Watertown 2

A two-run homer by Matt Brown in the bottom of the fifth was just the shot in the arm Post 131 needed to overcome Watertown Post 17. With the game knotted at 2-all and one runner on base, Brown sent the ball to deep centerfield to give the Lynx the 4-2 advantage in the first of two games played July 7 at First National Bank Field.

BV trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth. The first two runs were set up by back-to back singles by Ayden Spicer and Lake Terveer. Spicer scored on a Joe Kolbeck ground out to the Watertown short stop and Terveer crossed home plate on a Jaxon Haase single.

Post 17 did their scoring damage in the top of the third. Heesch got on base via a walk and Z. Hirsch belted a homer to put up two runs.

Cole Hupke returned the Lynx roster and earned his first win of the season. The ace allowed just one hit and no runs over four innings. He struck out six Watertown batters.

Caleb Zerr got the start on the hill. He lasted three innings and in that time frame, allowed two hits and two runs. He sat down two Post 17 batters and walked one.

“Cole’s the guy and he’s been ‘the guy’ for us the last couple of years,” Van Heel said. “I know he’s doing a pitching thing, keeping his arm going and we’re glad to have him back on our roster. And Caleb did what he normally does. He goes out and pitches strikes to keep us in it and Cole came in and he pitched like Cole does.”

Kale S. was charged with the loss. In his 5 2/3 innings of work, he allowed six hits and four runs. He also struck out six batters.

The Lynx chiseled out six hits in the victory, with Brown and Haase leading the way. Both had two hits.

For Watertown, Zach H. went 2-for-2 at the plate.

Watertown                 002 000 0 – 2 3 0

Brandon Valley         000 040 X – 4 6 0

Watertown – Zach H. 2-2, HR, run, 2 RBI; Jack H. 0-1, run. BV – Matt Brown 2-2, HR, run, 2 RBI; Jaxon Haase 2-2, run, RBI; Ayden Spicer, 1-2, run; Lake Terveer 1-3, run; Joe Kolbeck 0-3, RBI. Pitching: Watertown – Kale S. (LP, 5.2 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 4 errors, 6 SO, 6 walks, 1 HR. Easton T. 0.1 IP, 0 hits, runs, errors, SO, walks; BV – Caleb Zerr 3 IP. 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 errors, 2 SO, 1 walk, 1 HR. Cole Hupke (WP) 4 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 errors, 6 SO, 3 walks.

BV 6, Watertown 7

Although BV’s bottom-of-the-seventh rally fell short in the 7-6 nightcap, Van Heel said the team took “a few things away” from the loss, “stuff we can learn from.”

“We gave ourselves a shot at the end. We got our big hitters up, they got on base and we got some stuff done, but we just didn’t have enough.”

Tied at 2-all, Post 131 lost the lead in the top of the fifth when Braxton Lockner sent the ball over the leftfield fence, plating three runs for the 5-2 edge.

The Lynx answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Ayden Spicer got on base, courtesy of a Post 17 error, and Jaxon Haase shot the ball to right field for a single to score Spicer. 

Watertown solidified the victory behind a two-run seventh inning.

BV, however, staged a three-run rally in the bottom half of the frame. Once again, Spicer started the rally, getting the easy ride on base via a walk and Joe Kolbeck was beaned by the ball on the side of his helmet. A timely three-run homerun over the centerfield by Haase got BV within one. And that’s where the rally ended, as the Watertown defense recorded the next three outs to end the threat.

BV registered six hits and Watertown had seven in the high-scoring affair.

Jerod C. was credited with the victory. The ace went six innings, allowing five runs on five hits and struck out eight BV batters. Easton Turney threw one inning in relief.

Jack Riley was charged with the loss. The bulldog went one inning, allowing four runs on four hits and struck out two.

Michael Chevalier started on the bump for BV. He lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and one run. He struck out six Post 17 batters.

Watertown                 000 230 2 – 7 7 2

Brandon Valley         101 010 3 – 6 6 1

Watertown – Breadon Zaug 1-3, dbl., run; Braxton Lockner 1-3, HR, 2 runs, 3 RBI; Cole Holden 2-3, run, RBI; Zach H. 2-4, 2 RBI; Kale Stevenson 1-3, 2 runs. BV – Lake Terveer 1-4, dbl., run; Jaxon Haase 2-2 HR, run, 4 RBI; Auyden Spicer 0-2, 3 runs. Pitching: Watertown – Jerod C. (WP), 6 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs, 3 errors, 8 SO, 4 walks; Easton Turney 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 error, 0 SO, 0 walks, 1 HR. BV – Michael Chevalier 3.1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 error, 6 SO, 3 walks; Jack Riley (LP) 1 IP, 4 hits, 4 runs, 4 errors, 2 SO, 2 walks, 1 HR; Matt Brown 2.2 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 error, 4 SO, 2 walks.