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Tigers flatten Warriors baseball in 12-3 tilt

BANCROFT — The Spencer Tigers crushed the North Union Warriors 12-3 during Iowa baseball action Thursday night in Bancroft.

The Tigers (6-2) were led by junior right-hander Quinn Hussey as he threw 6 2/3 innings while only giving up three runs on five hits. He stranded five runners on base, but was forced to give way to Marcus Klemme to get the final out.

Hussey retired the first seven Warriors (6-5) he faced, and didn’t give up a base hit until the third inning. Hussey struck out six hitters en route to his victory.

North Union starting pitcher Brody Fritsche had a rough outing, surrendering six runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out two in 3 1/3 innings. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, as the Tigers torched it for six more runs on three hits, five walks and three hit batters.

Spencer got a run in both the first and second innings. Michael Storey reached on an error, then was moved around the bases by a walk and was knocked in by a Kade Carpenter single. In the second, Gage Garnatz was hit by a pitch, and then scored on a triple by Brady Kluender. Kluender tried to make it an inside-the-park home run, but was gunned out at the plate.

The Warriors got a run back in the home half of the third, after Elliott Hagebock reached on an error. He moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Riley Bauer’s RBI single to make the score 2-1 in favor of the visitors.

The Tigers came roaring into the fourth inning, as they led the inning off with two straight singles and a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out. Klemme hit an RBI single and Kluender followed with an RBI double to extend the lead to 4-1. Klemme scored on a passed ball to add one more, but a double play ended the Tiger threat in the fourth inning.

The Tigers batted around in the fifth, sending 11 hitters to the plate. They scored their final seven runs on only three hits and two Warrior errors. Kluender, Storey, Brenden Ellis, Cooper Fox, Brady Seier, Garnatz and Klemme all crossed the plate, making the score 12-1 and putting the Warriors in danger of being 10-run-ruled.

The Warriors refused to quit, plating two runs in the bottom of the fifth to reduce the deficit to nine and continue play. Robert Ortman reached on a dropped strike three before Bauer hit into a fielder’s choice to switch places with Ortman. Blake Crawmer singled to put two runners on with one out. Trent Pedersen ripped a double to the right-center gap. Both Bauer and Crawmer scored, while Pedersen was thrown out at third trying to extend his double.

Neither team was able to make any fruitful gains in the final two innings, and the 2:28 game finished with the scoreboard reading Tigers 12, Warriors 3.

SP 110 370 1 — 13 10 2

NU 001 020 0 — 3 5 3

Quinn Hussey (WP), Marcus Klemme (7) and Brenden Ellis. Brody Fritsche (LP), Jared Larson (4), Riley Bauer (5), Fritsche (7) and Blake Crawmer.

LOB–Spencer 11, North Union 5. 2B–Brady Kluender (SP), Cooper Fox (SP), Trent Pedersen (NU). 3B–Kluender (SP). SAC–Gage Garnatz (SP). SF–Quinn Hussey (SP).

North Union 6, Eagle Grove 4 (Wednesday) — Blake Crawmer, Riley Bauer and Trent Pedersen each produced multi-hit games to help the Warriors edge the Eagles during Top of Iowa Conference baseball action Wednesday night.

Crawmer went 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored, while Bauer and Pedersen each collected two hits, generated one RBI and crossed the plate once.

Brody Fritche added a single and one RBI for the Warriors, while teammates Tanner Doocy and Elliott Hagebock each scored one run.

Hunter Pierce allowed four runs — two earned — on four hits in seven innings of work to earn the complete-game victory for North Union. Pierce struck out four and issued three walks.

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